The importance of being ignorant

Posted by Carolyn B on January 04, 1998 at 18:11:14:

In response to No wonder he finds Catherine so irresistable..., written by Kathlyn on January 04, 1998 at 15:32:47

] Henry doesn't seem to mind being adored...

Or having a young protege to instruct....

Consider the lines in Ch 14:

"A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can."
and

"Catherine did not know her own advantages - did not know that a good-looking girl with an affectionate heart and a very ignorant mind, cannot fail of attracting a clever young man...."

Is he like Knightley working to shape Emma into the woman he will marry? (He doesn't have quite so many years to work on her, but Catherine doesn't have Emma's conceit, etc.)

Of course nowadays if a man of twenty-something went after an ignorant girl of 17, we would be quite disgusted! : )

REPLIES:

• Nay! The importance of being "artless"... Greg 22:37:03 1/04/98 (9)
  • The art of honor gkb 19:04:37 1/05/98 (3)
    • John Dashwood's hat, right? THE BEST!(nfm) Greg 20:15:39 1/06/98 (2)
      • ....but...I thought it was a halo....? (nfm) gkb 18:18:52 1/07/98 (1)
        • Oh. Even we angels make mistakes;-) (nfm) Greg 21:30:18 1/07/98 (0)
  • Exactly! MB 13:54:12 1/05/98 (4)
    • I do mean "ignorant" as "unschooled" (vs. dim-witted) - [nfm] Carolyn B 18:59:33 1/05/98 (1)
      • Right, and I think that's JA's meaning of it, as well (NFM) MB 19:47:24 1/05/98 (0)
    • I agree Constanza 16:38:39 1/05/98 (1)
      • Very true, indeed!(nfm) Greg 20:22:08 1/06/98 (0)

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