Perfect foil to the boorish Thorpe... Wonder how she came up with Henry...
Posted by Kathlyn on January 01, 1998 at 20:02:22:
In response to Also parodying the typical hero?, written by Carolyn B on December 31, 1997 at 18:33:38
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] ] I tend to think this ability on Henry's part bodes very well for him as a clergyman to be. He is able to engage a lady on a topic that she knows well, he can wring private amusement out of such a trifling bit of matter as the price of cloth, and he can display his own intelligence to anyone with the wit to see that he is playing a social game with great spirit and perfect courtesy.
] Yes, plus it also contrasts him with John Thorpe who is so busy talking about things that are of no interest to his listeners. And I think JA sets Tilney against the average Romantic hero who should be spouting poetry and brooding. (Can you imagine Willoughby sensibly discussing the cost of muslin? If he did, Marianne would probably have lost interest!)
I agree...Thorpe always seems even worse when you contrast him with the engaging, interesting Tilney. I love Catherine's "How can you be so....strange?" comment!
I've been reading the recent JA biographies and wonder how much of Henry Tilney might be patterned after her own brother Henry? By all that I have read of his character, it sounds like there may be a few similarities. I think that it is interesting that one of her first male characters could be so wonderfully realized and most of the others so ... (I hate to be impertinent and say one-dimensional, please forgive).
But really, why is Henry SOOOOO "different"????
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