OK, now I understand the question. My answer is...
Posted by Patrick on January 22, 1998 at 16:54:10:
In response to One tiny little answer..., written by Helen on January 20, 1998 at 10:53:57
Helen:
] I hope G. Kay forgives me for putting words into her mouth at this point, but I would explain the connection as being:
] you say that Lizzy and Darcy reject the rational choice after a life of failure, which would be to think the chance of real contact and settle for what they can get. Also, and rightly, you say that they don't do this. But as G. Kay remarks (also rightly, IMO), Darcy and Elizabeth are only young, they haven't experienced a lifetime of failure. So yes, they're taking risks - but neither of them are at the stage when their choice is either take this risk or sit on the shelf forever.
Patrick:
OK. Thanks for the clarification. My own humble opinion, in response, is that how old Lizzy and Darcy are is not the most important issue (given that both are adults). Instead of simple age, we could consider the question, what does their knowledge base regarding human relationships consist of? It would include their parents' relationship, their friends' relationships (both young women with mates, and more generally), their relatives' relationships, relationships they heard about, their own observation of strangers, their knowledge of what is considered polite, moral, good behaviour, what they have learned from books and plays. In other words, they would both have a significant knowledge base upon which they could draw to answer the question, how likely is it, just statistically, that any given person will have the kind of authentic contact with another human that I alluded to (as opposed to a relationship in the form of commercial transaction, such as Charlotte's with Mr. Collins)? The answer would have to have been, not very likely at all. So, it is significant, in my view, that Lizzy and Darcy rejected the rational approach, and continued to look for just such contact.
Cheers,
Patrick
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
