Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 27

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

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Copywork

Absence had increased her desire of seeing Charlotte again, and weakened her disgust of Mr. Collins. There was novelty in the scheme; and as, with such a mother and such uncompanionable sisters, home could not be faultless, a little change was not unwelcome for its own sake.

The farewell between herself and Mr. Wickham was perfectly friendly; on his side even more. His present pursuit could not make him forget that Elizabeth had been the first to excite and to deserve his attention, the first to listen and to pity, the first to be admired; and in his manner of bidding her adieu, wishing her every enjoyment, reminding her of what she was to expect in Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and trusting their opinion of her--their opinion of everybody--would always coincide, there was a solicitude, an interest, which she felt must ever attach her to him with a most sincere regard; and she parted from him convinced, that, whether married or single, he must always be her model of the amiable and pleasing.

Read both passages aloud. Where do you hear Elizabeth’s own voice inside the narrator’s?

For the educator Two passages from the narrator, close to Elizabeth’s mind: her reasons for going to Hunsford, and her parting from Wickham. In the first sentence one subject, “Absence”, takes two verbs that pull opposite ways, “increased” and “weakened”, a balanced antithesis. The second sentence opens with a short clause and a semicolon. Then comes a reason clause beginning “as”, with a phrase tucked inside it (“with such a mother and such uncompanionable sisters”), and only then the main clause. Both “could not be faultless” and “not unwelcome” say something by denying its opposite, an understatement called litotes. In the second passage the first sentence leaves out a verb: “on his side even more” means his side was more than friendly. The long sentence after it is built in three parts joined by “; and”. The first part repeats “the first to” three times, a pattern called anaphora. The middle part holds back its main words, “there was a solicitude, an interest”, until after a run of -ing phrases (“wishing”, “reminding”, “trusting”); the paired dashes around “their opinion of everybody” widen the phrase before them. The last part ends on the verdict, “her model of the amiable and pleasing”. Here “uncompanionable” means poor company, “solicitude” means caring concern, and “coincide” means agree. For mechanics, notice the semicolons, the commas that set off “with such a mother and such uncompanionable sisters”, and the commas around “that,” before “whether married or single”. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who hears Elizabeth in “such a mother”, in the dry “not unwelcome”, and in words like “deserve”, “sincere” and “convinced”. Listen for one who notices that the narrator never marks where Elizabeth’s view begins or ends, and leaves the reader to decide. No answer may say that Wickham’s interest was false, or that it was true; the passage gives his manner and her feeling, not his motives.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in order, from the winter walks to Meryton to Elizabeth’s promise about the summer tour.

The narrator says Elizabeth “gradually learned” to look forward to the trip to Hunsford. Who taught her? Character
Her father disliked her going so much that he “almost promised to answer her letter.” How much love is in that “almost”? Tone
Elizabeth leaves Wickham sure that he will always be her model of a pleasing man, “whether married or single.” Why is she thinking about his marrying as they part? Character
Elizabeth “loved absurdities, but she had known Sir William’s too long.” Why has he stopped being funny to her? Inference
Her aunt hears “disappointment” in the joke about stupid men, and soon Elizabeth cries, “Adieu to disappointment and spleen.” What is she saying goodbye to? Author's choice
Elizabeth promises that lakes, mountains and rivers will not be “jumbled together” when she comes home. Why does getting places exactly right matter so much to her tonight? Theme

Make a Connection Think of a time, in your own life or in a book, when you could not tell whether someone’s joke was only a joke. What made you unsure?

Vocabulary

solicitude: there was a solicitude, an interest, which she felt must ever attach her to him with a most sincere regard; Caring concern for someone’s comfort or welfare (from Latin sollicitus, anxious; related to solicitous). Elizabeth finds in Wickham’s goodbye “a solicitude, an interest”. The sentence says this is what “she felt”; it names the care she sees in his manner and leaves the reader to weigh it.
uncompanionable: as, with such a mother and such uncompanionable sisters, home could not be faultless, Not good company; not suited to friendship or shared talk (un-, not, and companionable, from companion). The sisters are “uncompanionable”, one of Elizabeth’s reasons for wanting a change. The word does not call them wicked, only no company for her, and it shows how home looks to her this winter.
dejection: though Jane always struggled to support her spirits, there were periods of dejection. Low spirits; a heavy, downcast sadness (from Latin deicere, to throw down; related to dejected). Mrs. Gardiner tells Elizabeth that Jane has “periods of dejection”, though she struggles against them. That noon Elizabeth had looked “earnestly” in Jane’s face and found it “healthful and lovely as ever”; the word names what that look did not find.
rallied: Mrs. Gardiner then rallied her niece on Wickham’s desertion, and complimented her on bearing it so well. Teased in a good-humoured way (an older sense of rally, from French railler, to mock; related to raillery). It is not the rally of troops or of a recovery. Mrs. Gardiner “rallied her niece” about Wickham before asking anything serious, so the subject opens as a joke, and Elizabeth can answer in the same tone or not.
decorums: A man in distressed circumstances has not time for all those elegant decorums which other people may observe. Proper forms of behaviour; what good manners and good taste require (from Latin decorus, fitting; related to decorous). Elizabeth says a man in “distressed circumstances” has no time for “elegant decorums”. Calling them “elegant” makes good manners sound like a luxury for people who can afford them, and that is the point her aunt will not grant.
savours: Take care, Lizzy; that speech savours strongly of disappointment. Has a taste or trace of something (from savour, taste; related to savoury). Mrs. Gardiner does not say that Elizabeth is disappointed. She says the speech “savours strongly of disappointment”: it tastes of it. The word lets her name a feeling without charging her niece with it.

Critical thinking

Mrs. Gardiner says that if Miss King does not mind Wickham’s hurry, she must lack “sense or feeling.” Is that fair to a girl neither of them seems to know?
Elizabeth asks her aunt where sensible caution ends and greed begins. Is she asking that question honestly, or using it to protect Wickham?