Okay, I know, I'm bringing up the everlasting and much pounded question from P&P. Why? Well, firstly because it's Sunday and my alternative to being on here is to mow lawns (it's a beautiful day here in the north-west of England with temperature at 24%). I decided the lawns can wait a while ( tomorrow perhaps?) as I explain the other reason for the question: I have read many versions of supposed answers that, to me are nothing but pure opinionism and wild flights of imagination because people of all ilk from traveller to poet -laureate, vagabond to University Don, seem afraid to confess."I don't know!". I'm confessing that here, although expressing views just as speculative as I suspect Darcy's were:
I have read some weird and wonderful explanations, involving even weirder and more wonderful flights of fancy, and the meaning is no clearer now than it was when Pride and Prejudice first rolled ( was lifted) off the printing press back in 1813. " In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how much I disagree with such complicated huffery-puffery! " ( Sorry Mr Darcy!)
Darcy says:
"It is a proof of your own attachment to Hertfordshire. Any thing beyond the very neighborhood of Longbourn, I suppose, would appear far." This is a speculative ( joking) statement ( he says "I suppose" ) which, since he does not know as a fact should perhaps have a question mark?
After a short exchange on distances, Darcy follows this with the pertinent question:
"You cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You cannot have been always at Longbourn." This again is a speculative remark and also should probably have a question mark. Since the pair are comparative strangers it can be nothing else. The only person capable of knowing anything of the Bennet history is Charlotte Lucas (who would have to have been told it by her parents). Any such conversation would certainly have been relayed to Lizzy by Charlotte. Mr Collins, at twenty-five and never having met the family, would have no knowlege of such.
One statement/question, seems almost to contradict the other. Firstly he claims Lizzy is a Longbourne local girl, then says that cannot be. The whole ( rather short) exchange seems strained and rather "something to say" ( which we know to be true) ,so therefore the remarks are almost off-the-cuff sourceless observations which I personally believe Jane Austen intended, rather than having any deep significant meaning.
In short, two question marks could have eliminated the need for any specualtion. Austen humour, mischief or just writing style of the times? For me, the latter....but that's just my view. (-:
