secondratehotels replied to your post:UGH I can’t stand Tony, he’s so annoying. Or...
i’ve seen people twist themselves into pretzels to rationalize and justify his behavior, all the while demonizing mary in the process, and it’s just astounding
There are many types of horrible men. Some are quite obvious, others hide behind the Nice Guy facade. I'm sure Tony believes himself to be very respecting of women, an honourable man - he would wear a 'this is what a feminist looks like' t-shirt and take a selfie with it alright.
But.
He said that Mary didn't look like a woman who wanted to break things off because she was looking super hot at the race. She did nothing to string him along after Kensington Gardens, she told him no, she ignored him, avoided him. But of course if a woman goes to great lengths to look good it must be for a man, it must be for him? And a woman cannot be trusted to know her own mind and speak it too, so of course you must choose to be honorable and do right by her despite what she wants? AND you don't take no for an answer, but you accept that things are through with her only if she's spoken for and with another man? He did not accept Mary's authority over herself but accepted it when he saw she "belonged" to Charles? How is this excusable?
People can try to twist it all they like, just like they did when Matthew refused to save Downton. But men who hide behind blind honor are selfish and cowards.
