Expeditiously Tying Up Loose Ends 101: With Jane Austen

"With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them." (Chapter 61, the last chapter, the last lines)

I finished the last chapters last night, and so, with this post, I am officially done Pride and Prejudice. The chapters in P&P get literally longer the further in the book you go, not because you are anxious for it to be done, but because they go from being 2-3 pages at the beginning, to 8-10 at the end. It felt like I was not making progress for a while. I am on schedule for reading though. I wanted to be starting my third Austen novel during the last week of March, so I am in good time. Mansfield Park is up next.

I like the last few chapters of Pride and Prejudice. Austen is really good at expeditiously tying up loose ends, while still making it all seem calming. Read the novel, and I am sure you will see what I mean. In English class in the past semesters, we have discussed how there is a sense of katharis, or a release of pent up emotion, followed by relaxation, at the end of a conflict. This is true of the last couple chapters of P&P. I especially like the way that she describes Kitty's ending. After the marriages of Elizabeth and Jane, Kitty spends most of her time visiting one sister or another. Between the two of them, Lizzy and Jane are able to council Kitty in being a gentlewoman. She becomes a sister they can be proud of. I wish that this could be shown in some of the movie adaptations. You always kind of wonder what will happen to Kitty, because she was often at a disadvantage, and lacked the charm and finesse of her older sisters.

Speaking of movie adaptations, I did say that I would comment on my favourites. My favourite, by far, is the A&E version starring Jennifer Ehle and Collin Firth. They follow the original story line so well, and do an amazing job of developing characters. The recent "Keira Knightly version" does do an excellent job of condensing the book down into a feature length film, and several of the scenes are genius, filled with chuckle-worthy script. However, because it is shorter, I do not see the character development that is so clear in the A&E version. For example, in the new version, I find Elizabeth's character to be more sarcastic, and less loving, than the Lizzy I see in the book. Also, I do not see a huge change in the personality of Darcy from the beginning to the end. He does several good things, but I do not see a big change in him. While the Knightly one has its positives, I do not think that it lends that "classical" air that the novel seems to exude. Maybe Austen would have preferred the humorous side of the Knightly version, but I suppose we will never know.

As for other adaptations of P&P, I have seen the black and white version starring Greer Garson as Elizabeth. It was odd, to be perfectly honest. The costumes were weird, the time period was odd, and don't get me started about the plot. There is a HUGE plot twist near the end that turns bad characters into good ones at a moments notice. I disliked it so much, and startled my mother by throwing a knitting needle across the room in anger and astonishment! I encourage all Austen fans to watch it though; it becomes a nice scapegoat for all misinterpretations of Austen!

Well, here ends my account of Pride and Prejudice. I sure that there is much more I could add to this post, but nothing is coming to mind, so I suppose for now, I will call it a day. Tomorrow, I will travel to the estate of Mansfield Park. What scandals await us there, I wonder?.....