Posted by Barbara on May 26, 1997 at 17:47:55:
The thing that strikes me about MP is that there are so many characters who seem in great need of a thump on the head! (as in the previous thread In Need of Wake Up Calls) Edmund is an obvious one, but what about his sister Maria? Obviously she is only planning to marry Mr. Rushworth for the money, but how can she possibly imagine she will be happy with him, even for a moment. I don't think she even likes him. It reminds me of those young girls going after their well-to-do titled husbands in The Buccaneers . Surely the attraction she feels to Henry Crawford should alert her to her true feelings! It is hard to be sympathetic in any way to someone who so foolishly rushes headlong into a HUGE mistake.
The same could be said for Mr.Rushworth. Obviously he is a real dolt, but can't he see that Maria doesn't care anything about him. If he is so wealthy, wouldn't there be some other eligible young woman around who wouldn't treat him like dirt? I can't even buy that he is so captivated by Maria's beauty and charm, because she is anything but charming to him! Would it be dishonourable to break an engagement if you realized that the other party couldn't care less about you?
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