Narrative Technique

Lydia's incapacity to keep a solemnly sworn secret puts Elizabeth into a fever of curiosity about Darcy. A moment that could be described as Lydia's 'empty headed folly' advancing the plot so as to serve Elizabeth's interests. Jane is too honourable to press for further information of the matter but Elizabeth cannont stop herself from writing to her aunt. This is one of the techniques that Austen uses to keep Elizabeth and Darcy apart during these last 10 chapters. Considering Darcy's tension with Wickham, his presence at their wedding adds dramatic anticipation for the readers. Lydia's arrogant attempt to force her sisters to go below her and the offer to find her sisters 'husbands' also acts as a tool to foreshadow the troubled marriage Wickham and Lydia will Have. This is confirmed in chapter 61, ' Lydia and Wickham live an 'unsettled' life, overspending their income and moving continually. Elizabeth often sends Lydia money that she has saved from her own expenses' . The letter that Elizabeth writes at the end of chapter 51 also acts as a cliffhanger' to delay the outflow of information that the reader receives.

Critical Perspectives Feminist Criticism- Julia Prewitt Brown ~ Jane Austen's Novels (1979) ''Jane Austens novels may be seen as part of this shift in their overall investigative concern with money and how it shapes our lives. Her almost exclusive focus on the upper reaches of society came in part from an interest in exploring a group of people who had it within their power to live for something other than money or monetary survival. That they often fail to do so, how and why, is at the centre of her investigation. The change I have referred to was underway in Austens world but the landed gentry did not feel its effects as quickly as the bourgeoisie, the class that brought it into being. We see frequently in her novels characters who have made money in trade, or whose parents have, and who are now settling down in landed estates to live their lives. Liberal and Marxist critics of Austen have seen this as a mark of her aristocratic materialism: that she writes about people who either drop out or want to drop out of the working, money-making world and parasitically live off of the interest from their capital. But to these characters property is the effect of accumulation, not its beginning; wealth is the effect of acquisition, not its beginning. They show a measure of freedom from money and property in subordinating it to a notion of living.'' Historicist Criticism- Marilyn Butler ~ Jane Austen and the War of Ideas (1990) Austens first critics and other readers picked up her novels signs, which they understood not because they knew anything whatsoever of her private intentions, but because her novels deviated in detail from the detail of other novels like them. Her leading characters were depicted in stylized, familiar social situations; the reader, identifying with the character, was taught a code of behaviour which was not universal, for readers of other current books knew the alternatives. Austens stress upon her heroines subordinate role in a family, upon their dutifulness, meditativeness, self-abnegation, and self-control, were codes shared with other conservative writers, especially women moralists such as Jane West and Mary Brunton. The acquiescent heroine challenges the hero or heroine of novels of the 1970s by reformists such as Bage, Godwin, Holcroft, Hays, and Wollstonecraft, who insists on thinking independently and speaking out

Pride and Prejudice Chapter 51

Lydia arrives and is the same as ever: wild and noisy. Elizabeth, Jane and their father are shocked by her behavior and complete lack of shame. She behaves as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened, and tells them how she has been showing off her wedding ring from the window of their carriage. Wickham's behavior is equally impudent: he resumes his old charming manners without a hint that he is any way to blame. Elizabeth laves the room in disgust. At dinner Lydia dominates the conversation. She invites her sisters to Newcastle for the winter and offers to 'get' them husbands. Elizabeth coldly declines the suggestion. Wickham and Lydia are to stay for ten days. One morning Lydia insists on telling Elizabeth about her wedding. In her rambling narrative she lets drop the fact that Darcy accompanied Wickham to the church. In mentioning this, Lydia is breaking the promise of secrecy that both men had sought with regard to Darcy's presence, so Elizabeth cannot ask for further information. Once more she has to leave the room, but this time because she cannot contain her curiosity. She writes a short letter to her aunt, asking about the matter. The appearance of Lydia and Wickham in the family circle is depicted dramatically, and without authorial comment. Jane and Elizabeth convey their disgust at Lydia's behaviour. Mrs.Bennet is all thoughtless pleasure at seeing her favourite daughter again; Mr.Bennet is coldly and quietly angry. Language Lydia ''Lydia still; untamed, unabashed , wild, noisy, and fearless..''(page298),''Oh! mama do the people here abouts know I am married to day? I was afraid they might not''(page 299) ''Ah! Jane I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman.'': all these statements help to formulate Lydia's continuous immature characteristics. At several times during the chapter she comes out with inappropriate comments towards her unmarried sisters. When considering the circumstances of her marriage this seems rather odd. Lydia attempts to assert her power over her sisters. This is reinforced by her desire to be envied by them. ''I am sure my sisters must all envy me'' ''Wickham's affection for Lydia, was just what Elizabeth had expected to find; not equal to Lydia's for him''. Elizabeth observes that Wickham's marriage to Lydia is based on opportunity rather than genuine love. Wickham's experienced a 'distress of circumstances' which would suggest that Lydia was just a young man not resisting the opportunity of ''having a companion''. This heightens the vulnerable portrayal of Lydia and she is made to come across as being oblivious. The exclamation 'La!' makes Lydia come across as very infantile and Childish. You would never hear Jane or Elizabeth saying it. This is mildly ironic as Lydia is the first one to be married out of the sisters and in theory this should make you the most mature and sophisticated of you siblings. ''the wedding need not be put off, for Mr. Darcy might have done as well.'' The fact that Lydia reveals this secret once again highlights her big mouth. Structurally this is important too because it adds another twist to the narrative which Elizabeth and the readers have to endure. ''She longed to see Mrs. Phillips, the Lucasses, and all their other neighbours, and to hear herself called ''Mrs. Wickham''. This would suggest that to Lydia, her marriage is simply all about the status/title. She takes a great sense of pride in being able to ''boast'' about her ring. This could be interpreted as Austen showing readers how shallow marriage can be.

Lydia ''Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy, and fearless'' 298

Lydia ''Oh! mama do the people here abouts know I am married to day? I was afraid they might not'' Lydia ''Ah! Jane I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman.''

299

300

Elizabeth '' I do not particularly like your way of getting husbands'' 300

Narrative Voice ''Wickham's affection for Lydia...[was] not equal to Lydia's for him.

301

Narrative Voice ''He was not the young man to resist and opportunity of having a companion''

301

The words 'untamed, wild, noisy and fearless' are reminiscent of the early language used to describe Lydia in the novel, 'She had high animal spirits, and sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officer, to whom her uncle's good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance' Since Austen establishes her as a fully developed 15 year old girl, words such as 'animal' and 'easy' make her seem very vulnerable. As Lydia shares Mrs.Bennets love for 'a man in uniform' and the obsession with clothes, it could be implied that Lydia portrayal in this chapter is very similar to a 'wild' and 'untamed' Mrs.Bennet in her early years. Mr.Bennet is depicted as being cold and slightly angry,' The reception from Mr.Bennet...was not quite so cordial'. This would imply that Mr.Bennet's anger for Lydia running away outweighs the fact that he know has a son in law who will be able to inherit longbourne. This portrayal of Mr.Bennet would suggest that despite him branding his daughters as 'silly' he still holds their safety and happiness above marriage. This contrasts to Mrs.Bennet who is full of 'joy' after hearing the news of Lydia's marriage. Yet, ironically she mourns the fact that Lydia ran away a few chapters back.

There are no italics in this chapter which would suggest Jane Austen is simply describing Lydia's disgraceful antics and leaving it up to the reader to make their own judgment based on their individual interpretation of the text. The use of italics would have indicated an authorial ideology being forced upon the reader which would not have been as effective because it would have taken emphasis away from the description of Lydia.

The chapter begins with Lydia returning to longbourne with her newlywed husband Wickham. From this point the chapter makes continuous references to Lydia unchanged 'wild' and 'noisy' behavior. This is reflected by Elizabeth being ''disgusted'' and Jane begin in distress. The chapter ends with Lydia revealing the secret that Mr. Darcy was present at their wedding. This serves structural purpose in the sense that Austen uses this secret as a tool to keep Elizabeth and Darcy apart for a few more chapters. For the audience this would build up tension. Most of the chapter relies on Lydia making some sort of inappropriate comment and how this is received by each of the characters. E.g. 'The door was thrown open...Mr Bennet's reception was not quite so cordial' . This one of the chapter Austen uses to keep the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy from progressing. If it wasn't for this chapter and Lydia's inability to keep a secret Darcy and Lizzy's relationship would have been a lot 'smoother' . This was not the intention from Austen as their rocky journey to marriage makes them see their flaws in each others character. Had their marriage been without tension it would have been like d Jane and Bingley's which is described as wishy washy in chapter 61.

19th century manners and social rules meant that the oldest sister is given preferential treatment unless a younger sister married . Given the circumstances of her marriage, Lydia statements seems very inappropriate.''Ah! Jane I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman'' Wickham's interest in Lydia is sexual; she is infatuated by his appearance. Both are shamelessly uncaring about the disgrace they have caused the Bennet family. Austen presents this union as a model for bad marriage, characterized by lack of love , integrity and money. This greatly contrasts to the marriage of Jane and Bingley who represent the coming together of to handsome, likeminded and kind-hearted people. Their eventual marriage is delightful but a bit wishy-washy. It is doubtful that their separation , for which in the weakness of their characters and love they are partly responsible, has deepened their understanding of themselves or each other. But since they are so well matched this scarcely matters. Since Darcy's relationship with Elizabeth begun with the hurdle of overcoming pride they have both learned their inadequacies of character and their relationship is the most successful because of this