The "Mr. Darcy" thing

I love to read. I especially love to read Pride and Prejudice. I read it for the first time in Mr. Downs English class for explications. For those of you who don't know what explications are, it is a most dreaded assignment consisting of the summary of ten scenes from a classic novel and the overall importance they have to the plot. It seems easy, unless you procrastinate. Lets just say that I didn't sleep a few nights out of the school year. Luckily, Pride and Prejudice was made into a movie and I had seen the six hour version. I felt like even if I didn't finish the entire book in time I could still get full credit on the assignment. Well, I didn't need the movie because I read the whole thing. I couldn't put it down. That is how it is for me every time I have read it since. At times the narrative gets long, stuffy and boring but it doesn't stop me from keeping my eyes riveted to the text, page after page. It didn't stop me from spending four hours one day during Christmas break in my bed trading off between reading and snoozing.

Those who haven't read the book but seen the movie most often ask me, what is so great about Mr. Darcy. "Isn't he a jerk" they say. "Why do girls always end up liking those guys". Okay so I'm talking mostly of males who ask these questions. His character is by nature proud and judgmental. He grew up in a wealthy family with connections and high social status. To have feelings for someone like Lizzy who has little money, no connections, and ridiculous relatives is not something he was going to entertain. When he first met her he was prejudiced against her because of these things, which hurt her pride. This put up some seriously high walls for the both of them. Call me a hopeless romantic, but sometimes you cannot help who your heart chooses. He fell in love with her because he came to know her. Not merely the surface of what she had to offer. In time they both realized they had the wrong impression of one another and faced the trials that came against them together.

That is the "Mr. Darcy" thing. He is humbled by Elizabeth Bennett's wit and honesty and wants to change and be better for her. To take care of her. In return she comes to find his true character and is changed herself. It is a wonderful love story.