#sunfreckle's scribbles

[mysunfreckle]

When my toddler is truly distressed to the point of crying, they usually start out with "I want my mama!" or "I want my papa!" depending on which parent is not with them at that time (which is psychologically on the nose as it is). But after they have been brought to the desired comfort parent of the moment, they usually find this did not solve as much of their suffering as they require, and end up just sobbing: "I want! I want!"

And I don't know but, maybe that never goes away. Maybe every once in a while we all just need to allow our inner toddler to sob against our shoulder crying "I want"

[mysunfreckle]

Listening to Pride and Prejudice again (Kate Reading my beloved) and I was just thinking how stoked Wickham must have been to find out that Darcy - who he was probably hoping never to be in company with ever again and who could destroy his reputation in minutes - has made himself so completely disagreeable that everyone in this new community (dear Jane excepted of course) despises him.

Had Darcy been more civil, had he made a little more effort to please, had he even merely mixed in Meryton society enough to make his general views, opinions and morals known, Wickham's stories would never have been so easily believed. But all of Meryton is absolutely overjoyed to have their dislike for Mr Darcy validated, and all he has to do is sigh tragically and look brave and they all start doing his work for him.

When she finds out the truth, Elizabeth blames herself for the vanity that made her believe Wickham's story, because he flattered her while Darcy slighted her, and she is right to do so. But if Darcy had not presumed that his good character and conduct must be self-evident wherever he went, and his superiority acknowledged even in places where he and his family (and the undeniable good they did and do) are completely unknown, Wickham would never have been able to twist the truth against him so severely. And if he had bothered to make himself even decently agreeable in Meryton, Wickham very likely would not even have dared to spread his lies as far as he did.

[mysunfreckle]

I've talked before about how The History of Sir Charles Grandison is the one novel we know Catherine has read before she is introduced to the Gothic novels, but now I've got to vent some feelings about John Thorpes literary tastes.

He says that Radcliffe's novels are "amusing enough" (without knowing which books she actually wrote) but he explicitly states: "Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff; there has not been a tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones, except The Monk;" Now I doubt the significance of these books is anything new to people who study English literature, but finding it out was like a cool Easter egg to me, so I'm gonna blab about it:

At first glance these are excellent books for a guy like Thorpe to brag about liking, because there is basically only one thing that unites them: sexual content. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding, is a "rake reformed" narrative, while The Monk is a Gothic novel deliberately filled with depravity, ending in eternal damnation. They're completely different kinds of books and regardless of how good they may be, neither ought to be talked up to a nice young lady you've only just been introduced to.

But considering Austen's love for literature, this choice of authors was probably equally deliberate. Just to show off that Thorpe's tastes are incompatible with Catherine's. (And cannot hold a candle to Henry Tilney's, who loves Mrs Radcliffe's novels.) Because...

• Henry Fielding, writer of Tom Jones, was the main literary rival of Samuel Richardson, who wrote Sir Charles Grandison. The latter wrote "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded", the former responded with the parody "An Apology for the Life of Mrs Shamela Andrews". They were both pioneers of the English novel, but wrote very different types of stories with very different moral tones (x, y). At this point of the novel we already know that Catherine likes Sir Charles Grandison (while Isabella expresses surprise at her being able to get through it), so making Thorpe like Tom Jones feels almost like a wink at the reader.

• Then there's the mention of The Monk, which is even more significant in a story where the two leads love Ann Radcliffe. Because Matthew Gregory Lewis was at least partly inspired by The Mysteries of Udolpho when he began writing The Monk (a), and Ann Radcliffe was so dismayed by the book that she then wrote The Italian in response (b, c). Once again two literary rivals, one that Catherine is a fan of, and one who Thorpe prefers.

It's also notable that despite absolutely being part of the Gothic genre, The Monk is not on Isabella's list of novels to read with Catherine. Which makes it extra silly that my beloved Northanger Abbey (2007) adaptation not only has Catherine read The Monk, but also lets her fantasize about a scene that really really isn't sexy in context.

I do really encourage reading a summary of The Monk if you can stomach the mentions of sexual violence, however. Lewis wrote it when he was 19 and despite its popularity was rather embarrassed about it later in his life. And while it is full of satanic seduction and murder, someone also accidentally elopes with a ghost, which makes up for a lot.

[mysunfreckle]

I was rereading the correspondence included in Pride and Prejudice, and I'm always amused by the "Yours, etc." used at the end of several of the letters simply because it was too much work to write it out the sign off in full. But what really gets me is that Mr. Collins letter to Mr. Bennet at Lydia's elopement is the only one to end with:

"I am, dear sir," etc., etc.

Like Austen is physically tapping you on the shoulder, going: "look, I'm not going to write out any of these commonplace civilities, but I do need you to know that Mr. Collins uses much much more of them"

[mysunfreckle]

"The newly married Lydia was looking forward to starting her married life in the North with her beloved Wickham. She invited her parents and especially her sisters to visit: "We shall be at Newcastle all the winter, and I dare say there will be some balls, and I will take care to get good partners for them all" (317). Readers may smile, but these may be the most accurate words Lydia ever spoke. The Assembly Rooms in Newcastle, which had opened in 1776, were said to be "the most elegant and commodious edifice of the kind in the kingdom, except the Houses of Assembly in Bath" (Middlebrook 148). Lucky Lydia!" (Breihan & Caplan, 1992)

Good for her, I hope she gets to tenderly flirt with six officer's at once while Wickham does whatever

[mysunfreckle]

Lines from Jane Austen novels out of context, some favourites:

"You must know I have a vast dislike to puppies—quite a horror of them."

what interested her at that time rather more than anything else in the world, Laurentina’s skeleton,

"A'n't I a good boy?"

the gentleman having named the last day on which his existence could be continued without the possession of the toothpick-case,

"Mr. John Knightley’s being a lawyer is very inconvenient."

[mysunfreckle]

“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.”

Jane’s eyes were wide with dismay, uncomforted by the mirth sparkling in those of her sister. “Oh my dear Lizzy,” she exclaimed. “Surely that was not what he said. I cannot believe it of him; so very genteel a man, and Mr Bingley spoke so highly of him.”

“Did he?” returned Elizabeth, in high glee. “But I have not done! For Mr Darcy had not done at that time, but went on to say that he was in no humour to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men!”

“Nay, Lizzy!” Jane protested, very near real distress. “It cannot be so. Is it not possible for you to have misheard him? There was such a crowd that evening, and the violins played with such spirit.”

Elizabeth shook her head and said with affected reproach: “You wish me to doubt my own senses, which is very ungenerous of you. And may I say, very misguided too, for if you go on as you are, you will be forced to deny the same credit to what I overhead Mr Bingley say about you.”

A touch of heightened colour came into Jane’s cheeks. “Whatever could Mr Bingley have had to say about me?”

“Something far better worth listening to than what his friend had to say,” Elizabeth said archly. “And certainly more astute, for I heard him declare that you were the most beautiful creature he ever beheld.”

A flush of deep crimson passed over Jane’s features and for a moment she was unable to meet even the gaze of her favourite sister. Elizabeth waited, smiling in sisterly pride and keen enjoyment, until Jane began modestly:

“If he truly did say such a thing, I am sure—”

“You may depend upon it that he did,” Elizabeth interrupted her in high spirits. “I heard every word. Shall I give you the whole exchange? Except I shall not do Mr Bingley justice, I am sure. He said first that he had never met with so many pleasant girls in his life as he had that evening, to which Mr Darcy replied: You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room—there, Jane, now you must believe me, for I would not have allowed him to say anything so near the truth if I had been inventing—and then Mr Bingley returned: Oh, she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!”

“You take delight in confusing me,” Jane protested, looking as red as her roses.

“I do indeed,” said Elizabeth, affectionately linking her arm with hers. “Almost as much as I delight in complimenting you.”

[mysunfreckle]

The Thing About Austen podcast just had poet Laboni Islam as a guest, because she wrote a series of poems about Jane Austen's muslin shawl, while in residency at the Jane Austen's House museum:

The poems are all about placing the shawl in its context, both as a favourite garment of Austen's and as a piece of art created by Bengali spinners and weavers. Laboni Islam did tons of research to get all the details right and it's really beautiful. You can read and listen to them on the Jane Austen's House website.

The strongest parts of the poems don't work well taken out of their stanzas, but "history has a high thread count" is going to haunt me for a while.