The
steady flow of Pride & Prejudice
fanfics continues to flood the world of Jane Austen, unabated since it first
welled up in the aftermath of the great 1996 A&E/BBC P&P film starring
Ehle & Firth. However, every so often, one comes out (such as McCullough’s The Independence of Mary Bennet and P.D.
James’s Death Comes to Pemberley) that
provides a welcome alternative to hyper-romance and monsters. I may’ve just
stumbled upon another such rare spinoff from P&P – Mrs. Bennet’s Sentiments by Dori Salerno:
Here’s
the blurb that, together with the sample chapter at Amazon.com, gives me hope
that Saleron’s novel is a worthy presentation of the story of P&P from the
point of view of a non-foolish Mrs. Bennet:
“Jane Austen’s mother tells
all! Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennet, mother of five difficult teenage daughters, is
silent no more. Those who grew up enjoying Jane Austen's "Pride and
Prejudice" will delight in "Mrs. Bennet's Sentiments". Tired of
having her ungrateful girls roll their eyes at her, and watching her husband
return to his man cave, Mrs. Bennet finally tells all. "Mrs. Bennet
surprises them all." "She defies the conventions of the day --
proving the old adage 'Mother knows best'".”
This theme caught my eye, because Mrs. Bennet
is one of the many secondary characters in P&P who I have long believed are
very different in the shadow story of P&P than in the overt story. In the
latter, Mrs. Bennet is viewed from Elizabeth’s decidedly jaundiced point of
view of her mother, which infuses the narrator’s initial, withering narrative
assessment of her:
“…the
experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife
understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop.
She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain
temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of
her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.”
There’s also prior scholarly support for an alternative view
of Mrs. Bennet. In Judith Wylie’s excellent "Dancing in chains: feminist
satire in Pride and Prejudice." Persuasions 22 (2000), which I
heartily recommend you all to read in full, we read:
“…in
the tradition of the satiric trickster, Austen turns her comedic message inside
out, by interpolating within the seemingly conservative tenor of her novels a
satiric feminist subtext quite at odds with the surface conventionality, a
strategy that Susan Fraiman calls "counternarrative." This dialogic
style allows women writers to "argue in the same track as men"
through their depiction of the "ideal" female but also to present
"dissident tracks" that undercut this patriarchal icon of feminine behavior.
These "dissident tracks" are often traversed by a minor female
character whose words and behavior are criticized while the heroine, conforming
to the romantic narrative direction of the text, is held up as the untarnished
role model. In Pride and Prejudice,
the "dissident track" is cut by a truth-telling female monster, Mrs.
Bennet, who is employed to question masculine prerogatives. On the surface,
Mrs. Bennet seems to be the perfect subject for ridicule because she appears to
be truly silly and mindless. The author's veiled feminist message is revealed
only when the reader looks past the humor aimed at women and then asks why a
character such as Mrs. Bennet acts as she does….”
I take
Wylie’s excellent reading of Mrs. Bennet against the grain as a starting point,
but I believe Mrs. Bennet can plausibly be seen as having many hidden depths
and much mystery. For example, she may well be very intelligent, even sly. Very
much as with my reading of Miss Bates in the shadow story of Emma, one can see Mrs. Bennet’s dithering
motormouth persona as an act designed to keep her off the radar, so she can
operate discreetly in the shadows.
And, in
a different vein, as I blogged a few years ago here…. http://sharpelvessociety.blogspot.com/2014/09/mary-musgroves-complaintand-mrs-bennets.html …. Mrs. Bennet’s perpetual “nerves” may be seen as
a Regency Era precursor of the classic “Dear I’ve got a headache” excuse given
by the stereotypical modern wife who wishes to avoid her conjugal “duties”.
And…I’ve
also found textual evidence that suggests that Mrs. Bennet is not merely
foolish, but might actually be psychotic, having an imaginary friend named Mrs.
Long: http://tinyurl.com/pbhcxay
But
most relevant of all to my understanding of the tumultuous courtship of
Elizabeth by Darcy, is my longstanding firm belief that the shadow Mrs. Bennet
actually knows some very important, even explosive facts about Mr. Darcy, which
she feels she cannot share with daughter Elizabeth. This puts Mrs. Bennet in
the same category of secondary female character in P&P as Charlotte Lucas,
Mrs. Gardiner, and Mary Bennet, in that I see them all, in the shadow story,
operating behind the scenes, in order to influence the outcome of that
courtship.
And
that brings me to the topic I had originally planned to write about this week,
even before I came upon Mrs. Bennet’s
Sentiments. Last month, I mentioned a particularly interesting essay in the
Norton Critical Edition of P&P, one part of which I wanted to discuss and
react to. That article is “Getting the Whole Truth in Pride and Prejudice“ by Tara Ghoshal Wallace from Jane Austen and Narrative Authority (1995)
45-58, which can actually be accessed online here: http://www.palgraveconnect.com/pc/doifinder/view/10.1057/9780230372948
While I
urge you all to read Wallace’s entire article, here’s the beginning, to which I
will respond, particularly because it relates directly and specifically to my above
discussion of Mrs. Bennet as intelligent and sly:
“Of all
Jane Austen's novels, Pride and Prejudice
ends most serenely. The marriage that will perfectly balance Elizabeth Bennet's
'ease and liveliness' with Fitzwilliam Darcy's 'judgement, information, and
knowledge of the world,' the stability of Pemberley and the capitulation of
even Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine all point to a closure which eliminates
ambiguities and achieves coherence. Impediments (the Bennet family's
vulgarities, for example) become irrelevant, and mysteries (such as Mr
Bingley's inconsiderate behaviour) are cleared up.
Looking back at the narrative,
however, I locate three puzzling moments not adequately explained or contained
by the text's impulse towards clarity and closure. And in attempting to 'solve' the
mysteries of these moments, I discover not only their resistance to my efforts to
fix meaning but also a general epistemological uncertainty. Pride and Prejudice thematizes a
narrative problem: it exposes the inadequacies alike of careful reticence, of
ambiguity, and of absolute assurance, demonstrating how each of these
strategies serves to block access to the 'whole truth' in narrative.” END
QUOTE, WALLACE
So far,
so good, and now here’s the part that relates to Mrs. Bennet as an intelligent
woman:
“The
first of the baffling but provocative moments describes a reaction to one of
Mrs Bennet's many mindless assertions. To Elizabeth's generalization, 'people
themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them
for ever,' Mrs Bennet adds, 'Yes indeed ... I assure you there is quite as much
of that going on in the country as in town.' Then follows narrative commentary
on the effect of her statement: 'Every body was surprised; and Darcy, after
looking at her for a moment, turned silently- away. Mrs. Bennet, who fancied
she had gained a complete victory over him, continued her triumph.' There is no
explanation as to why this innocuous inanity should give rise to so much
surprise, silence and triumph. “
If you read
the rest of Wallace’s essay at the above link, as best I understand her conclusions,
she tries to have it both ways, purporting to both honor the happy ending, but
at the same time suggest some larger purpose to the cruxes and uncertainties
she discusses. For me this is quintessential orthodox Austen scholarship: a
competent close-reader of the text detects irregularities and ambiguities, asks
good questions, but then is unable to provide a satisfying explanation. And the
reason she cannot explain her discovery,
is because her belief system about what an Austen novel can be is fatally limited.
So, how
do I give a better explanation for why Mrs. Bennet’s “innocuous inanity should
give rise to so much surprise, silence and triumph”?
Very
simple. I’ve previously pointed out, dating back to 2010, that Mrs. Bennet’s
triumph makes perfect sense, if she and Darcy have been speaking to each other in code during that entire scene in the
Netherfield salon, a code that Eliza (and therefore also the reader) is not
privy to.
Let me therefore
provide you some interspersed, decoding commentary to translate each Mrs.
Bennet’s statements, to show the deeper reason why she comes to Netherfield—which
is to confront Darcy with a reminder of a very unpleasant fact about Jane’s “illness”
which he would rather forget, now that he has turned his amorous attention to
Elizabeth. That unpleasant fact, which I first spoke about publicly in 2011 to
the SoCal JASNA chapter, is that Darcy (to put it bluntly) knocked Jane Bennet
up during her last visit with the Gardiners a few months earlier in London!
Regardless
of whether you’ve read my prior posts that have touched on this point, and what
you think about them, I invite you all to let me walk you through this scene
anyway, and show you how it fits into that particular subtextual theme in the
shadow story of P&P—see what you think:
“…Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her
two youngest girls, reached Netherfield soon after the family breakfast….. [Bingley]
"I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen
through I am afraid is pitiful."
"That is as it happens. It does
not follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such
a one as yours."
"Lizzy," cried her mother,
"remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are
suffered to do at home."
[TRANSLATION: “Lizzy, don’t you dare
say anything that will scare Bingley
away from marrying Jane, because she needs to be married soon or we Bennets
will have a BIG problem!”]
“I did not know before,"
continued Bingley immediately, "that you were a studier of character. It
must be an amusing study."
"Yes, but intricate characters
are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage."
"The country," said Darcy,
"can in general supply but a few subjects for such a study. In a country
neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society.”
"But people themselves alter so
much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever."
"Yes, indeed," cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of
mentioning a country neighbourhood. "I
assure you there is quite as much of THAT going on in the country as in town."
[TRANSLATION: “Lizzy, don’t say
anything that will cause Bingley to observe how Jane’s body is beginning to “alter”.
And Darcy, don’t think I don’t know you knocked Jane up when she was in town!”
That’s the “triumph” Elizabeth observes, without having a clue as to its
meaning. And that’s why Darcy looks at Mrs. Bennet for a moment, and then turns
silently away].
Everybody was surprised, and Darcy,
after looking at her for a moment, turned silently away. Mrs. Bennet, who
fancied she had gained a complete victory over him, continued her triumph.
"I cannot see that London has
any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public
places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is it not, Mr. Bingley?"
[TRANSLATION: Mrs. Bennet picks up
on the “country” sexual innuendo that Hamlet made famous why talking to Ophelia
about “country matters”, and she is saying, in code, Jane is a vast deal
pleasanter than any alternative for Bingley.]
"When I am in the
country," he replied, "I never wish to leave it; and when I am in
town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be
equally happy in either."
"Aye—that is because you have
the right disposition. But that gentleman," looking at Darcy, "seemed
to think the country was nothing at all."
[TRANSLATION: Just because Darcy
doesn’t want to marry Jane after knocking her up, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t,
Mr. Bingley”]
"Indeed, Mamma, you are
mistaken," said Elizabeth, blushing for her mother. "You quite
mistook Mr. Darcy. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to
be met with in the country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be
true."
"Certainly, my dear, nobody
said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood,
I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with
four-and-twenty families."
[TRANSLATION: “And by the way, Mr.
Darcy, Jane is approaching 24 weeks of pregnancy, and is therefore getting
larger!” Bingley and his sister both get the “joke”, and that’s why he can
hardly keep his countenance, and she smiles expressively at Darcy, not the
reason Elizabeth infers. As you can see, Elizabeth is much more like Emma than
has previously been understood.]
Nothing but concern for Elizabeth could enable Bingley to keep his countenance. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eyes towards Mr. Darcy with a very expressive smile. Elizabeth, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother's thoughts, now asked her if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since her coming away.
"Yes, she called yesterday with
her father. What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Bingley, is not he? So
much the man of fashion! So genteel and easy! He has always something to say to
everybody. That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons
who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake
the matter."
[TRANSLATION: “Mr. Darcy, you’ve turned
my eldest daughter into a “breeding animal”, don’t you dare do anything to
deter Bingley from marrying Jane!”]
"Did Charlotte dine with
you?"
"No, she would go home. I fancy
she was wanted about the mince-pies. For my part, Mr. Bingley, I always keep
servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up
very differently. But everybody is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are
a very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome!
Not that I think Charlotte so very plain—but then she is our
particular friend."
[TRANSLATION: “Lizzy, how can you be
so clueless about Charlotte? She’s a lesbian in love with you and you still don’t
realize it!”]
[Bingley] "She seems a very
pleasant young woman."
"Oh! dear, yes; but you must
own she is very plain. Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me
Jane's beauty. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane—one
does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. I do not
trust my own partiality. When she was only fifteen, there was a man at my
brother Gardiner's in town so much in love with her that my sister-in-law was
sure he would make her an offer before we came away. But, however, he did not.
Perhaps he thought her too young. However, he wrote some verses on her, and very
pretty they were."
[TRANSLATION: “Charlotte is a
lesbian, but Jane is beautiful and straight, PLUS, Mr. Darcy, in case you would
also like to forget, it was YOU who was first introduced to her by my brother
Gardiner—your business associate---six years ago in London, and you wrote her
some pretty poetry then before you jilted her without warning.”]
"And so ended his
affection," said Elizabeth impatiently. "There has been many a one, I
fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of
poetry in driving away love!"
"I have been used to consider
poetry as the food of love," said Darcy.
[TRANSLATION: That’s why Darcy
defends the unnamed poet—it’s because it was him! And that’s why he “only
smiled” in the next paragraph]
"Of a fine, stout, healthy love
it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a
slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will
starve it entirely away."
Darcy only smiled; and the general
pause which ensued made Elizabeth tremble lest her mother should be exposing
herself again. She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say; and
after a short silence Mrs. Bennet began repeating her thanks to Mr. Bingley for
his kindness to Jane, with an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy. END QUOTE
And that is my explanation for the
anomaly that Tara Ghoshal Wallace first pointed out 22 years ago.
Cheers,
ARNIE
@JaneAustenCode
on Twitter
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