all a matter of timing and attitude
Posted by Emily Anne on October 31, 1997 at 13:14:31:
In response to That is true!, written by Rita on October 31, 1997 at 11:55:04
] ] ] The fact that Wickham does not impregnate Georgiana and Lydia is a matter of biology to me, because the intent was definitely so.
] ]
] ] Rita -- I think we are to understand that Georgiana has not become "fallen" by means of Wickham, as Lydia is assumed to have done...
]
] you are right, but don't you find any dichotomy in this fact.
] I mean Lydia is judged for the same "running away" incident but Georgiana, we all have sympathy for!
They are not technicallyy judged for the same act. Georgianna was discovered _before_ she ran away with Wickham (ie she was not a fallen woman). She also, we are led to believe through Darcy's words, realized the folly of what she was about to do, and was sorry for it. Lydia is in direct contrast to this. She is found out _after_ she has already run away with Wickham (she is already a fallen woman). Her words in the letter to her friend, as well as her words and actions even after marriage, show no remorse and total lack of understanding of the seriousness, and wrongness (is that a word?) of what she has done. Therefore, we sympathise with Georgianna because she was fairly innocent and guiltless throughout (we are led to believe that this is the first and only time she almost made a mistake, and that if anything, she is only guilty of believing a rather convincing con-man), while we chastise Lydia because she is stupid, careless, and oblivious to propriety. I hope this explains the distinction somewhat more clearly.
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
