How to celebrate in style

‘Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners.’ ... ‘His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance…’

 ‘His pride,’ said Miss Lucas, ‘does not offend ME so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a RIGHT to be proud.’

‘That is very true,’ replied Elizabeth, ‘and I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE.’

 ‘Between him (Bingley) and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of great opposition of character. Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy’s regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgement the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though wellbred were not inviting.’

‘Well, my dear,’ said he (Mr Bennet), when she (Elizabeth) ceased speaking, ‘I have no more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy.’

One year ago, March 14th 2012, I started this blog very uncertain of what I was doing.

Now I’m a little more assured, a lot more confident and about to start posting another fic.

 

This year has been great to my hobby - that MAY have escalated to obsession - a lot happened: I gathered enough courage to post my story, I wrote and posted several other stories, self-published my book … wow, I have been busy!

And coincidentally - really, it’s a coincidence - my blog's anniversary post is about… Mr Darcy!

Completing the tripod that sustains my new story ‘Image and Likeness’, let me tell you about how I think Mr D. is seen in Pride and Prejudice.

I keep feeling that he is a man all men want to be. Kind of a role model to the other gentlemen who looked up to him in so many ways. In the quotes I posted above you can see examples of the impression he causes: fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour; clever, at the same time haughty, reserved, fastidious, wellbred. A worthy man.


Maybe I got that idea from the many, many, many jokes I endure from my own male friends, always jesting about how purrrfect Mr Darcy is.

Anyway, we could say that Mr Darcy has several good qualities. Flair. Forethought. He loves his family, he loves his estate. He is persistent. Also tiresome at times, but has a full heart and works hard to get what he wants. He is nobody's bitch. A Whistle-blower. So righteous that he wouldn’t change his mind for anyone or anything even if he was not being watched. But he eventually changed his mind when he was humbled by the woman he was starting to love. That’s darn nice.

I found a funny list of men who men should look up to and look at these guys.

George Clooney. Eats class for breakfast.

Simon Cowell. Has he ever — even once — been wrong?

James Caan. He always seemed tougher than you, always seemed to know better. Now, as age and doubt creep in, you find yourself hoping he still is and suspecting he still does.

My point is that a man other men want to be is frequently surrounded by envy. Either pure envy or white envy as we say here in Brazil, the kind of feeling that ‘If I wear the same sunglasses I can look good like that guy.’ Unfortunately almost never it’s like ‘If I make an effort to be as right as this guy is, maybe I can win the same kind of great woman he has.’

We all know a lot of Wickhams to understand the situation, don’t we?

The way I see Darcy’s influence on the other characters, it’s not only his money that does the trick: it’s his strong personality and unwavering resolution. He is strong minded and sometimes short sighted. Prideful and clever.

Wouldn’t we use these qualities to define Lizzy as well?

And concluding, that funny list of celebrity role models has… Martha Stewart. Nobody's bitch. Expertise. Authority. Salesmanship. A rap sheet. And a high net worth. What man wouldn't want to be her?

That is it: who would ever want to be someone’s bitch?

To celebrate this anniversary I’m starting today with ‘Image and Likeness’ - a story about envious women who won’t be anyone’s bitch.

Enjoy.

*KISS ME: I’m a one year old blogger!*

Images found on Google, quotes from Ms Austen's Pride and Prejudice, babble is mine.
Ah! Also the anniversary is mine!