Respect and Love
Posted by Bob S. on December 02, 1997 at 12:36:28:
In response to Chicken and the Egg, written by Mark on December 02, 1997 at 10:03:34
] I guess the main thrust of my post was to disparage the line in P&P2, "I am determimed that only the deepest love will induce me to Matrimony." I do not feel that that line can stand up to close scrutiny. I don't think Elizabeth would ever say such a thing. If I am mistaken, I am willing to be enlightened. But I doubt that I am wrong in this.
Mark,
I agree with you that, for Elizabeth, respect comes before love; but I have no problem with the P&P2 line. I think that respect was a very necessary prerequisite for Elizabeth before she even thought of love. Therefore, I think that she would say that she would only marry for love because, for her, respect was a forgone conclusion. I am sure that Elizabeth new several men that she had respect for, but I don't think that she would have married the first one that asked her just because she respected him.
Along those lines, I am not so sure that she would have accepted a marrage proposal from Colonel Fitzwilliam if it had come instead of Darcy's proposal. I think that she liked Colonel Fitzwilliam (and she certainly respected him) but I don't think that she loved him at that time. I would like to think that she would have tried to put him off to allow her feelings toward him to develop, and that she would only marry him if, in time, her feelings developed in the direction of love.
Bob S.
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
