Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 37

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

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Mr. Darcy’s letter she was in a fair way of soon knowing by heart. She studied every sentence; and her feelings towards its writer were at times widely different. When she remembered the style of his address, she was still full of indignation: but when she considered how unjustly she had condemned and upbraided him, her anger was turned against herself; and his disappointed feelings became the object of compassion. His attachment excited gratitude, his general character respect: but she could not approve him; nor could she for a moment repent her refusal, or feel the slightest inclination ever to see him again. In her own past behaviour, there was a constant source of vexation and regret: and in the unhappy defects of her family, a subject of yet heavier chagrin. They were hopeless of remedy.

Anxiety on Jane’s behalf was another prevailing concern; and Mr. Darcy’s explanation, by restoring Bingley to all her former good opinion, heightened the sense of what Jane had lost. His affection was proved to have been sincere, and his conduct cleared of all blame, unless any could attach to the implicitness of his confidence in his friend. How grievous then was the thought that, of a situation so desirable in every respect, so replete with advantage, so promising for happiness, Jane had been deprived, by the folly and indecorum of her own family!

The long sentence about Jane says what she lost, and only at its very end says who took it from her. Why might Austen hold that back until last?

For the educator Two passages from Elizabeth’s solitary walks, one after the other in the chapter. The first follows her feelings outward to inward to homeward: from Darcy, to herself, to her family. It opens with its object first, “Mr. Darcy’s letter”, before the subject and verb, which puts the letter at the front of her mind and of the sentence. The third sentence balances two “when” clauses on a colon: when she remembers “the style of his address” she is full of “indignation”, but when she considers how unjustly she “condemned and upbraided him”, her anger turns “against herself”. Here “the style of his address” means his manner toward her, “indignation” means anger at something unjust, and “upbraided” means scolded sharply. The fourth sentence lets one verb serve two subjects: “His attachment excited gratitude, his general character respect”, with “excited” left out of the second half. Then a colon and a turn: “but she could not approve him”. “Attachment” means his love for her, “repent” means regret, and “inclination” means wish. The fifth sentence matches two clauses again, her own behaviour and her family’s defects, and the second outweighs the first: “yet heavier chagrin”. “Vexation” means irritation, and “chagrin” means bitter, embarrassed disappointment. The passage ends on five words, “They were hopeless of remedy.” The second passage turns to Jane. Its first sentence holds a paradox: clearing Bingley makes Jane’s loss worse, since it “heightened the sense of what Jane had lost”. Its second clears him “of all blame” with one reservation, set in a small “unless” clause: “the implicitness of his confidence in his friend”, his complete, unquestioning trust. Its third is periodic: three phrases that each open with “so” (“so desirable”, “so replete with advantage”, “so promising for happiness”) hold back the subject and verb, “Jane had been deprived”, and the cause comes last, after a comma, with an exclamation mark. “Grievous” means deeply painful, “replete with” means full of, and “indecorum” means behaviour that breaks good manners. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who hears the end of the sentence land like a blow, the loss built up three times before its cause is named. Another may say the reader expects a different name: the paragraph began with “Mr. Darcy’s explanation”, and the friend Bingley trusted is the only trace of Darcy left. A strong student may notice that the exclamation mark makes the verdict sound like Elizabeth’s own cry rather than the narrator’s calm account. Whether the verdict is fair is the last written question.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in order. Start with Mr. Collins at the lodges as the gentlemen leave. End with Miss de Bourgh holding out her hand. Then choose the one sentence that matters most, and say what Austen is doing with it.

At dinner, Elizabeth smiles to herself as she pictures Lady Catherine’s anger if she had accepted Darcy. On her walks, she blames her father for laughing at her youngest sisters. Is her smile the same kind of laughing as his? Character
Lady Catherine tells Elizabeth, “Daughters are never of so much consequence to a father.” By the end of the chapter, would Elizabeth say Lady Catherine is wrong? Inference
Every day Elizabeth takes a walk alone, to “indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollections.” Is the narrator teasing her, or is there real delight in it? Tone
Elizabeth now sees how unjustly she condemned Darcy. Yet she does not regret refusing him, not for a moment. Do those two things fit together? Character
Bingley is cleared of all blame, except perhaps one: he trusted his friend too completely. How much should that count against him? Moral reasoning

Make a Connection Think of someone, in a book or in your own life, who saw a fault in their own family more clearly than the rest of the family did. What did seeing it cost them?

Vocabulary

consequence: Daughters are never of so much consequence to a father. In Austen’s sense, importance or standing, as in “a person of consequence”; not a result. Lady Catherine means that daughters do not count for much with fathers, and she says it as a plain fact of life. The word lets her rank people the way she ranks everything else: by how much they count.
propriety: Miss Darcy, the daughter of Mr. Darcy of Pemberley, and Lady Anne, could not have appeared with propriety in a different manner. Correct behaviour; doing what is fitting for a person of one’s rank (related to proper; its opposite is impropriety). Lady Catherine ties it to how Miss Darcy “appeared”: for her, propriety is something others see. Set it beside “indecorum”, Elizabeth’s word for her own family a few paragraphs later.
upbraided: When she remembered the style of his address, she was still full of indignation: but when she considered how unjustly she had condemned and upbraided him, her anger was turned against herself; and his disappointed feelings became the object of compassion. Scolded sharply for a fault (to upbraid). Paired with “condemned”, it names what she said to him as well as what she thought of him. The sentence turns on it: once she sees she upbraided him “unjustly”, the anger she aimed at him turns on herself.
implicitness: His affection was proved to have been sincere, and his conduct cleared of all blame, unless any could attach to the implicitness of his confidence in his friend. The quality of being complete and unquestioning, said here of trust (from implicit, as in implicit faith: trust that asks no questions). It is the one fault Elizabeth leaves Bingley, and she tucks it into an “unless” clause. The word makes his trust sound almost like a virtue, which is part of why the fault looks so small.
indecorum: How grievous then was the thought that, of a situation so desirable in every respect, so replete with advantage, so promising for happiness, Jane had been deprived, by the folly and indecorum of her own family! Behaviour that breaks the rules of good manners and fitting conduct (in-, not, and decorum, what is fitting). Paired with “folly”, foolishness, it is Elizabeth’s charge against her family: a charge of bad conduct, not of wickedness. Set it beside Lady Catherine’s “propriety”, the word for its opposite.
condescension: When they parted, Lady Catherine, with great condescension, wished them a good journey, and invited them to come to Hunsford again next year; and Miss de Bourgh exerted herself so far as to courtesy and hold out her hand to both. In Austen’s sense, a person of high rank treating someone of lower rank with gracious kindness; in her time praise, not an insult. Lady Catherine’s parting invitation is a favour from above. The narrator gives the word without comment, and a modern reader hears its later meaning, looking down on someone, at the same time.

Critical thinking

Elizabeth calls her family’s faults “hopeless of remedy.” On the last evening, Maria repacks her whole trunk because Lady Catherine told her to. Is Elizabeth right that nothing can be done?
Elizabeth now blames Jane's loss on the Bennets' own behaviour. Is that fair, when Darcy was the one who kept Bingley away?