why romance peaked w henry tilney
he tells catherine that he “considers a country-dance as an emblem of marriage” after asking her to dance with him. real subtle man
he understands muslins and helps his sister shop for her gowns. he is deliberately written to be courteous, kind, and affectionate in contrast to the brooding gothic heroes that stalk catherine’s imagination. she gets to see that the real thing is so much better.
the only austen love interest who knows how to flirt (and means it too): “I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversation with him—seems a most extraordinary genius—hope I may know more of him. That, madam, is what I wish you to say.”
he readily forgives catherine for missing their walk
the cutest fucking quote: “To be driven by him, next to being dancing with him, was certainly the greatest happiness in the world.” the fact that he cares about catherine’s boundaries and comfort throughout their courtship is so good, especially when compared to john thorpe.
he shares catherine’s love of gothic literature and sincerely admires and respects her for her kind of intellect, hormonal mess that she is: “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” yes, he teases her, but it is established that this is how he shows his fondness.
he describes the ideal sister-in-law (from eleanor’s pov) as “Open, candid, artless, guileless, with affections strong but simple, forming no pretensions, and knowing no disguise.” “Such a sister-in-law, Henry, I should delight in,” said Eleanor with a smile. i love that the text implies that he’s definitely rambled on and on about catherine to his sister.
after finding out that his crush thought his father has murdered his mother, he does not rebuke her at all. instead, he gently prods her to use common sense so she wouldn’t feel scared to be in his house, and then asks, “Dearest Miss Morland, what ideas have you been admitting?” DEAREST is a fond address. the more catherine unwittingly reveals herself to him, the more smitten he is.
he tries to comfort catherine after she discovers that isabella broke off her engagement with james by saying that “to have so kind-hearted, so affectionate a sister must be a comfort to him under any distress.” what the fuck
he is willing to get disowned so he could marry her
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