February 21, 2015 07:40PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 159 |
I always assumed that Darcy was considering Bingley as a match for Georgiana because he (Darcy) wasn't totally certain that the scandal over her near-elopement with Wickham could be kept quiet-- at the time of the novel, she wasn't even out, so it seems a little early for her brother to be finding her a husband (even in the Regency era) when her dowry and connections suggest she could expect a more advantageous match (or at least a gentleman who owned an estate and whose fortune wasn't from trade). Bingley was a nice guy from a respectable family and, even if his fortune was from trade, Darcy was at Netherfield to help him learn to manage a leased estate before buying land and building his own house (which of course Caroline suggests should be modeled on Pemberley, particularly the library!), which would raise Bingley socially.
The Ramsgate incident was in summer, and by autumn (Michaelmas is late September, right?), the Bingleys and Darcy are together at Netherfield; while Mr. Darcy is writing to his sister (and Miss Bingley admiring his handwriting), Caroline's comments suggest that she has interacted with Georgiana recently ("Pray tell your sister that I long to see her." "Tell your sister I am delighted to hear of her improvement on the harp, and pray let her know that I am quite in raptures with her beautiful little design for a table, and I think it infinitely superior to Miss Grantley's."). I can't imagine Darcy let Caroline read his personal letters from his sister, so it suggests that she has either talked to or corresponded with Georgiana recently, since the Ramsgate incident.
I agree that JA's Caroline isn't evil (though it's so much fun to write her that way in fanfiction!), but she is inarguably ambitious socially. If she sniffed out that Mr. Darcy was considering Charles as a match for his sister, she would do everything in her power to advance it (I've always wondered if Miss Grantley of the table design wasn't one of Bingley's previous angels, hence the diss)... particularly as the one marriage might bring about another (herself and Mr. Darcy). When Darcy admires Elizabeth's fine eyes, Caroline reminds him of all the Bennets' unfavorable qualities and, "...as his composure convinced her that all was safe, her wit flowed long."
Whew.. way more than I meant to write! And I'm not totally awake yet and haven't finished my caffeine, so it may all be bunk...
-Jean
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| Suzanne O | February 20, 2015 03:06PM |
| Jim G.M | February 20, 2015 05:10PM |
| Harvey S. | February 24, 2015 06:12PM |
| Rosie J. | February 25, 2015 06:47PM |
| Jim G.M | February 25, 2015 08:15PM |
| Jim D. | February 26, 2015 02:34PM |
| Graciela | February 26, 2015 03:48PM |
| Jim G.M | February 26, 2015 02:52PM |
| Harvey S. | February 26, 2015 05:29AM |
| Jim G.M | February 26, 2015 12:34PM |
| Harvey S. | February 28, 2015 11:27PM |
| Harvey S. | March 05, 2015 03:20AM |
| Agnes Beatrix | March 01, 2015 10:09AM |
| Jim G.M | February 25, 2015 12:21AM |
| Adelaide | February 25, 2015 01:24AM |
| Jim G.M | February 25, 2015 12:45PM |
| Adelaide | February 25, 2015 10:56PM |
| Jim G.M | February 25, 2015 11:29PM |
| Agnes Beatrix | February 25, 2015 11:50AM |
| Jim D. | February 25, 2015 03:55AM |
| Jim G.M | February 25, 2015 12:59PM |
| Agnes Beatrix | February 21, 2015 05:58PM |
| Jim G.M | February 21, 2015 07:27PM |
| Jean M. | February 21, 2015 07:52PM |
| Rosie J. | February 22, 2015 02:52AM |
| Jean M. | February 22, 2015 04:07AM |
| Adelaide | February 22, 2015 03:44AM |
| Jim G.M | February 22, 2015 12:05PM |
| Suzanne O | February 21, 2015 06:45PM |
| Little Nell | February 20, 2015 05:58PM |
| Jean M. | February 21, 2015 07:40PM |
| Little Nell | February 21, 2015 11:49PM |
| Jim G.M | February 22, 2015 12:16AM |
| Little Nell | February 22, 2015 11:07AM |
| Janice H | February 23, 2015 06:10PM |
| Jim G.M | February 21, 2015 08:11PM |
| Jim D. | February 22, 2015 10:24AM |
| Suzanne O | February 22, 2015 02:38PM |
| Jim G.M | February 22, 2015 01:19PM |
| Redson | February 22, 2015 02:38PM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 12:01AM |
| Redson | February 23, 2015 12:44AM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 12:24PM |
| Jean M. | February 23, 2015 07:27PM |
| Peter | February 25, 2015 09:24PM |
| Debra Mc | February 23, 2015 05:43PM |
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| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 07:21PM |
| Suzanne O | February 23, 2015 04:26AM |
| Mari | February 23, 2015 07:11PM |
| Jean M. | February 23, 2015 07:53PM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 07:30PM |
| Jean M. | February 23, 2015 07:59PM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 08:50PM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 01:21PM |
| Jim G.M | February 22, 2015 05:00PM |
| Jim D. | February 24, 2015 05:20AM |
| Jim G.M | February 24, 2015 12:06PM |
| Redson | February 24, 2015 11:30AM |
| Debra Mc | February 23, 2015 10:03PM |
| Jim G.M | February 23, 2015 10:13PM |
| Little Nell | February 22, 2015 10:24PM |
| Redson | February 22, 2015 08:57PM |
| Suzanne O | February 22, 2015 08:48PM |
| Jean M. | February 21, 2015 08:55PM |
| Sandy C | February 20, 2015 06:28PM |
| Little Nell | February 20, 2015 06:51PM |
| Adelaide | February 21, 2015 11:12PM |
| Little Nell | February 21, 2015 11:37PM |
| Adelaide | February 22, 2015 01:19AM |
| Suzanne O | February 22, 2015 01:40AM |
| Jim G.M | February 22, 2015 12:53PM |
| Estee | February 22, 2015 09:27AM |
| Little Nell | February 22, 2015 10:51AM |
| Estee | February 24, 2015 09:19AM |
| Mari | February 24, 2015 11:21AM |
| Suzanne O | February 24, 2015 02:49PM |
| Adelaide | February 22, 2015 03:56PM |
| Suzanne O | February 22, 2015 04:23PM |
| Adelaide | February 22, 2015 04:52PM |
| Suzanne O | February 20, 2015 06:51PM |
| Sandy C | February 20, 2015 07:51PM |
| Little Nell | February 20, 2015 03:35PM |