"Oh hey. I was just taking a swim in my own private lake..."
Ah, Pride and Prejudice. I first read it at 19 while going through some kind of relationship drama, and ever since then it has become the literary equivalent of comfort food for me. When life gets me down because dudes are acting like shitheads, it gives me hope that there’s a Mr. Darcy out there for me. Sure, I wouldn't mind a guy with a country seat in Derbyshire, but my attraction stems mainly from his character. Darcy is the embodiment of the phrase “Still waters run deep”. Oh, how they do.
But, what has always made him endearing to me is the transformation he undergoes. Yeah, he's a rich, snobby jerk in the beginning, but he changes because of his love for Lizzie. To quote Jack Nicholson's character, Melvin Udall, in As Good As It Gets: “You make me want to be a better man.” When I watched this movie with my mother, I didn't understand why this line made her cry--because I was only 13 at the time. But now, boy do I get it.
Rather than that well-worn notion of women wanting to tame “the bad boy” I think what we really want is a man who is willing to work for us. The truth is, most dudes don’t have to do a whole lot to get a nice girl, but they should have to do something.
One can see this scenario played out in the beginning of Lizzie and Darcy's relationship. He's used to acting however he wants and still getting the ladies, but she doesn’t take his crap and actually makes light of his behavior.
For example, when Darcy and Lizzie dance for the first time, Lizzie breaks Darcy's awkward silence: "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples."
You know Darcy would have just let the whole dance continue in silence. She’s the only person who calls him on his bullshit and it works! Through the course of the novel, Darcy eventually owns up to his faults and strives to change them, all for the woman he loves.
As he says:
I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle [...] I was spoiled by my parents, who [...] allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared to my own. Such I was, from eight to eight-and-twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth [...] you taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. [...] You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.
I love that line: a woman worthy of being pleased. *sigh*
So, Darcy fucks up. Big time. But, he doesn’t give up. And, after Lizzie rejects him, rather than completely dismissing her criticisms of his behavior he ACTUALLY LISTENS TO HER. How novel!
He does what ever it takes to win her affection and surmounts numerous obstacles to ensure that they can have a life together. Dude puts in a little effort when things get tough. Lizzie isn’t the richest or the prettiest woman—but she is the smartest and she speaks her mind.
Of course, JA would write a female protagonist who's smart, sassy, and still manages to bag The Most Eligible Bachelor in England. Though she herself died unmarried, she is quoted as saying "I never found anyone worth giving up flirting for." Perhaps that's the lesson to take away from all of this. After all, even Mr. Darcy wasn't "Mr. Darcy" enough at first, but see what can happen if you wait just a few more chapters?
End Rant.
P.S. Colin Firth is hot.
