Help me find a scene in Pride & Prejudice
November 10, 2024 11:11 PM Subscribe
I am looking for a scene in Pride & Prejudice in which Jane and Elizabeth discuss marriage and the necessity for one of them to marry a rich man because of the entailment of the estate away from the female line.
I have read the book many times and can usually find anything I need to in it by searching an e-text; I almost always know a snippet of language that will take me right to what I'm looking for. But I can't find this.
In the 1996 BBC Pride & Prejudice, which I have seen many times, this scene takes place early on. Jane and Elizabeth have a conversation about the family's financial situation, and the need, if possible, to marry a rich man to ensure the future well-being of Mrs. Bennet and the Bennet daughters. Elizabeth tells Jane she will have to be the one to do it, as she is the most beautiful. Jane says that she would, nonetheless, very much like to marry for love, and Elizabeth says, "And so you shall. Just take care to fall in love with a rich man."
I am looking for this scene in the book. It's possible it exists in quite different form, say with indirect instead of direct dialogue, though the 1996 P&P is very faithful. But I haven't been able to find it with any of the phrases I remember, and it's possible I've simply grafted something that only happens in the movie into the book.
If necessary, I will happily re-read the book from the beginning until I find it. But if you can you point me to it, or any conversations between Jane and Elizabeth that seem similar, I would very much appreciate it.
I have read the book many times and can usually find anything I need to in it by searching an e-text; I almost always know a snippet of language that will take me right to what I'm looking for. But I can't find this.
In the 1996 BBC Pride & Prejudice, which I have seen many times, this scene takes place early on. Jane and Elizabeth have a conversation about the family's financial situation, and the need, if possible, to marry a rich man to ensure the future well-being of Mrs. Bennet and the Bennet daughters. Elizabeth tells Jane she will have to be the one to do it, as she is the most beautiful. Jane says that she would, nonetheless, very much like to marry for love, and Elizabeth says, "And so you shall. Just take care to fall in love with a rich man."
I am looking for this scene in the book. It's possible it exists in quite different form, say with indirect instead of direct dialogue, though the 1996 P&P is very faithful. But I haven't been able to find it with any of the phrases I remember, and it's possible I've simply grafted something that only happens in the movie into the book.
If necessary, I will happily re-read the book from the beginning until I find it. But if you can you point me to it, or any conversations between Jane and Elizabeth that seem similar, I would very much appreciate it.
I don't have my copy of The Making of Pride and Prejudice Sue Birstwistle, Susie Conklin (good reads link) at hand, but I believe in that there's an interview with Andrew Davies about how he added a few scraps of dialogue to give the modern viewer an idea of what was going on - a memorable one being when Jane and Elizabeth are discussing Lydia's elopement. "our whole family must partake of her ruin and disgrace."
posted by freethefeet at 11:56 PM on November 10, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by freethefeet at 11:56 PM on November 10, 2024 [4 favorites]
I meant to add- I believe the dialogue you're referencing is mentioned.
posted by freethefeet at 11:57 PM on November 10, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by freethefeet at 11:57 PM on November 10, 2024 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the book rec freethefeet and the chapter references janell. Very helpful!
posted by Well I never at 3:14 AM on November 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Well I never at 3:14 AM on November 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I'm currently in a deep-dive obsession with P&P in all its forms, and had an e-book at hand, too, and I don't find that specific scene in the text either. The closest I see is one sentence, "Jane and Elizabeth tried to explain to her the nature of an entail," where her is Mrs. Bennet. Perhaps that sentence was transferred to the 1996 BBC series as the conversation you mention about Jane wanting to marry for love, and Elizabeth spelling it out for the audience.
posted by cocoagirl at 5:44 AM on November 11, 2024
posted by cocoagirl at 5:44 AM on November 11, 2024
Entails, and their economic consequences, are so incomprehensible to a modern audience that it was necessary, and in my opinion entirely forgivable, to add some dialogue clarifying the situation. Obviously not needed for a contemporary reader!
posted by praemunire at 9:47 AM on November 11, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 9:47 AM on November 11, 2024 [3 favorites]
Yup, I just read P&P aloud to one of my kids and I can confirm there's nowhere in the text where they clearly lay out what's at stake or why. They talk around the borders of it but it's assumed that anyone reading understands what's going on with these girls and their family's money.
posted by potrzebie at 11:21 AM on November 11, 2024
posted by potrzebie at 11:21 AM on November 11, 2024
They explain,
MR. BENNET’S property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his.
Which is enough for a contemporary reader to understand the issue. Then following on where cocoagirl notes, we have:
It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.”
“Oh, my dear,” cried his wife, “I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”
Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted it before: but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason; and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
posted by corb at 12:25 PM on November 11, 2024 [2 favorites]
MR. BENNET’S property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his.
Which is enough for a contemporary reader to understand the issue. Then following on where cocoagirl notes, we have:
It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.”
“Oh, my dear,” cried his wife, “I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”
Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted it before: but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason; and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
posted by corb at 12:25 PM on November 11, 2024 [2 favorites]
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Same same the latter dialog between them in the show about the possibility of Darcy “renewing addresses” which was interior monologue in the text.
posted by janell at 11:47 PM on November 10, 2024 [7 favorites]