Blog

There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person pre-determined to dislike, acknowledge one’s superiority.”

Jane Austen, Lady Susan

Lady Susan is a character we love to hate but you can’t fault her logic. There is pleasure in making those who dislike us admire, respect or at least acknowledge you’re better than them at something. True, not many of us do it quite so intentionally or maliciously as she does.

I have seen this dangerous creature… She is really excessively pretty… I have seldom seen so lovely a woman as Lady Susan. She is delicately fair, with fine grey eyes and dark eyelashes; and from her appearance one would not suppose her more than five and twenty, though she must in fact be ten years older. I was certainly not disposed to admire her, though always hearing she was beautiful; but I cannot help feeling that she possesses an uncommon union of symmetry, brilliancy, and grace. Her address to me was so gentle, frank, and even affectionate, that, if I had not known how much she has always disliked me… and that we had never met before, I should have imagined her an attached friend.

Jane Austen, Lady Susan, Letter 6

Lady Susan runs on the philosophy of keep your friends close and your enemies closer, so long as they’re of use to you. The Vernon’s can currently give her a home so they make that list.

Pippa pointed out that it sounds like Mrs Vernon is discovering her same sex attraction. It’s surprising Amme didn’t also mention it when we discussed Letter 6 especially as she pointed out Catherine’s attraction to Isabella. (Extended versions of Pippa and Amme’s Lady Susan episodes are available on Ko-Fi.) It’s a good point, Mrs Vernon gives a lengthy and detailed description – I even cut a few bits.

Underneath her beauty and charm (daydream) is a callous, manipulative, revengeful centre (nightmare). She’s probably studied her Shakespeare (actually she would make a great Lady Macbeth).

Look Like Th’ Innocent Flower, But Be The Serpent Under ‘T”

Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 1, Scene 5

Blank Space is a tongue in cheek response to the media’s portrayal of Taylor Swift as an unstable man eater. Many of the lyrics could be about Lady Susan; she views love as a game, everyone’s heard rumours about her, she’s excellent at appearing to be someone’s ideal and is well aware she’ll leave the men behind her scarred.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a Read With Me session

And then there’s Miss Crawford….

Note how often Miss Crawford appears in shades of red in this adaptation. I think it’s only when she turns up thinking Tom is dying that she’s wearing a different colour – black, appropriately.

Emma’s advice to Harriet may not be wrong, however, it doesn’t take into account the power differentials i.e. that Harriet worships her. Nor does it account for the fact that Emma has other motives, in the form of Mr Elton who she thinks is a more appropriate match for Harriet.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a read with me session

Audio and Video from Emma 2009

Audio from Me by Taylor Swift

(as did Lizzy, briefly)

Mr Darcy had a whole speech when he proposed to Lizzy (it’s related in the book rather than word for word, I think so the reader doesn’t hate him), she was initially speechless and her response made him speechless. How could a woman not like him? They were always chasing him, just look at Miss Bingley. Hadn’t he and Lizzy been flirting this whole time? Had he misinterpreted the whole thing?

Because of the manner of his proposal for a while love does “slip beyond (his) reaches.”

Problems, when compared to issues of poverty, natural disasters, and war, are not that big of a deal.”

Urban Dictionary, Champagne Problems

Champagne Problems is an appropriate title for Darcy too – he’s a rich guy who’s had things relatively easy (let’s ignore parents dying early and his sister being induced into an elopement….he doesn’t have to worry about his future like Lizzy, or deal with her embarrassing family, or be a female at any time on this planet).

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me one-on-one you can book a Read With Me session.

And Lady Catherine…

Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report, which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice C3

Though it’s unlikely the Netherfield party literally parted the dancing at the Meryton Assembly, like they showed in the 2005 movie, they did cause quite a stir. The difference between the two gentlemen is stark; Mr Bingley is lively and friendly whereas Mr Darcy is reserved. The reason for this becomes apparent when Bingley suggests that Darcy dance.

You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner… Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice C3

Darcy finds dancing uncomfortable with people he doesn’t know well, the two women he does know are dancing with other people. He admits to Lizzy later he’s not good with new people and points out that he and Lizzy are similar; he is private because he’s anxious but she doesn’t share all of herself either.

I certainly have not the talent which some people possess… of conversing easily with those I have never seen before.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice C31

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a Read With Me session

Catherine Morland doesn’t part the crowd…

Do you suppose them to be in London?”

“Yes; where else can they be so well concealed?”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice C48

Wickham has somehow managed to charm Mrs Younge to not only help him seduce Miss Darcy in the past but also hide himself and Lydia. Darcy pursues them and because he had “something to direct his search,” unlike Mr Bennet and Mr Gardiner, he was able to bribe Mrs Younge to give up the “wished-for direction” of the elopers.

Mr Wickham knows places to hide to avoid his debts – shopping, gambling, matters of the heart.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a Read With Me session

Mr Crawford, another seducer, also knows places to hide…

Lady Catherine (and Lady Anne Darcy potentially¹) intended Mr Darcy to marry Miss de Bourgh. Lizzy bursts onto the scene unknowingly stealing Mr Darcy’s heart and ruining the tacit engagement.

Unfortunately for Lady Catherine, Lizzy is not like her brown nosing cousin (Mr Collins) and refuses to do anything demanded of her. Even if she hadn’t changed her feelings about Darcy it’s entirely possible she’d still lead Lady C on a merry chase just to spite her. If she hadn’t show up, perhaps Darcy would have married his cousin as intended.

Lady Catherine has been of infinite use, which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use”

– Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C60

Lizzy’s above comment is tongue in cheek but accurate too. Darcy may have eventually got around to proposing again but his aunts relation of the argument with Lizzy gives him hope, so he dashes back to Netherfield. Lady C thinks Darcy has the same views as her, and perhaps at one time he did, but Lizzy teased them out of him.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a time

Audio and Video from BBC 1995 Pride and Prejudice

Audio from the last great american dynasty by Taylor Swift

1. She’s dead, she can’t talk for herself. I don’t put it past Lady Catherine to use her dead sister’s name in vain. ↩︎

The final paragraph of Emma is devoted to a poke at Mrs Elton. Not only is she not invited to the wedding (not a “true friend”) she entirely misses the point that the couples happiness is more important than “finery or parade.”

The wedding was very much like other weddings, where the parties have no taste for finery or parade; and Mrs. Elton, from the particulars detailed by her husband, thought it all extremely shabby, and very inferior to her own.—“Very little white satin, very few lace veils; a most pitiful business!—Selina would stare when she heard of it.”—But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union.”

Jane Austen, Emma, C55

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a session

Video and Audio from Emma 1996

Audio from The Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift

They were, in fact, very fine ladies; not deficient in good-humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it; but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome; had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town; had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds; were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank; and were, therefore, in every respect entitled to think well of themselves and meanly of others.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice C4

Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst burst onto the Meryton scene believing themselves to be above everyone. They conveniently forget their fortune was made in trade but are “anxious for (their brother to have) an estate of his own” to legitimise their wealth and status. Because they have more money than the Bennet’s, they consider themselves superior, even though the Bennet’s are landed gentry … however the behaviour of Mrs B and the younger daughters does give reason for pause.

They did not come to make friends. They came to legitimise their standing, to live off their brother and, in the case of Miss Bingley, scheme for Mr Darcy’s hand (another way of solidifying her position in society). Mrs Hurst is at least useful that her presence (married woman as chaperone) makes it possible for the Bennet sisters to stay overnight at Netherfield.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a Read With Me session