Hello Mr Darcy, Jane Austen seems to know me too…

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Many times, we reflect on our background and values within imaginary realities. Our inner realms of this association take us deeper into the world of fictionalized heroes.  Frequently also the antihero. This intense relationship between us as mere readers with the narrative’s superheroes urges us, hence, investigate our truthful existence in life.

One such fictional character who has often made me reflect upon my actions is Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen‘s famous novel “Pride and Prejudice”. The privileged position of Mr. Darcy, many times perceived as arrogance and pride, draws the onlookers to prejudice.   Hence, he is labelled as being a “disagreeable character of sorts”.  This draws me into my own life, as I grew up in a privileged background. If I may add humbly I “belong to the minuscule minority of privilege amongst the large general populace of underdeveloped India.

As Mangesh Adgaonkar, reflects “pride and prejudice are Jane Austen’s most sophisticated exploration between the individual and the society” (Parish, 1999, as cited by Adgaonkar, 2018,). I, like, Mr. Darcy, have often been drawn into the contempt of many of those who do not know me individually. Mr. Darcy and I are perhaps the “innocent victims” of being born into the restricted few.  We both often come across, falsely having an inner pride, or overriding ego over others. This I see only as a gross misunderstanding of where we are coming from.

Mr. Darcy also remarks on his woe and says, “Pride will always be under good regulation” (Austen, 102). Frequently, I am personally disciplined, regulated and rudely reminded to think like the general masses of others” and have a “little more common sense”. I wonder that can I smirk and say, “Wish I was born as a commoner to have more common sense”! However, I wish so many times when I read Mr. Darcy, that I too was born in the Elizabethan Era, so I am not punished severely for having pride.  This pride causes prejudice to be raised often against me.

So, in short, I think and act like Mr. Darcy hoping to find solace in the green fresh gardens of my mind.   While I keep the book, near my bedside table to read every day, I hold a few lines of conversation with him. A few truthful answers to your seeking questions to him will get the real inner story of his “distinction between the proper pride and for vanity which is difficult to sustain” (Urquhart, 7). I hope by this a truthful rendering of my existence is developed.  My conversations with Mr. Darcy thus create justice needed for the fictional him.

Adgaonkar, M. (2018). Elizabeth and Darcy Relation. Retrieved from

https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1802256.pdf

Urquart, A. (1990). Elison of Class Difference. Retrieved from

https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au

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Gouri Nilakantan

Gouri Nilakantan Mehta holds a masters degree from Miami University and is currently persuing her Phd in theatre from the dept of Arts and Aesthetics at JNU Delhi. She has over 23 publications to her credit and has presented several papers at international conferences at Japan, Pakistan, Dubai and America. She was awarded the best graduate student award by Miami University. She has also directed over 12 plays and has produced more than 25. ABOUT GOURI Honest and straight forwardness is appreciated by me rather than a soft and gentle approach FAVOURITE QUOTES the only short cut between two points is a straight line

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22 Responses

  1. Avatar Pat says:

    I like the analogy of both yourself and Mr. Darcy. You’re right in that we usually understand prejudice as something we feel towards the working classes. Your article about a reversal of this prejudice towards the middle classes/wwll-off is rarely perceived or mentioned. Nevertheless, prejudice works all ways, it’s a human condition.

  2. Avatar Pat says:

    I like the analogy of both yourself and Mr. Darcy. You’re right in that we usually understand prejudice as something we feel towards the working classes. Your article about a reversal of this prejudice towards the middle classes/wwll-off is rarely perceived or mentioned. Nevertheless, prejudice works all ways, it’s a human condition.
    Your article brings back memories of uni. JMC, we discovered Austen and the Brontë sisters. Or before that, while still in school? Some of the English Lit ladies might correct me here 😊

    • Avatarwp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo Gouri Nilakantan says:

      yes prejudice is just a universal concept, I am glad that this article reminded of university life and your learnings at the Jesus and Mary College, I am sure many would resonate with the same.

  3. Avatar Natasha Dhar says:

    Very well written Gouri, whilst I understand where your thoughts are coming from , I can say that your family and you are the most down to earth people that mine have known. You have always been a great friend and have never come across as having an air of wealth/ pride of being privileged.
    Coming to the article, Darcy was always an intriguing character and Jane Austens description of him always made me try and bring him to life.. it was a great book !! Your analogy of comparing yourself to him was an interesting angle!!! Kudos for your thoughts … great writing.

  4. Avatar Natasha Dhar says:

    Very well written Gouri,,, whilst I understand where your thoughts are coming from , I can say that your family and you are the most down to earth people that we have known. You have always been a great friend and have never come across as having an air of wealth/ pride of being privileged.
    Coming to the article, Darcy was always an intriguing character and Jane Austens description of him always made me try and bring him to life.. it was a great book !! Your analogy of comparing yourself to him was an interesting angle!!! Kudos for your thoughts … great writing.

    • Avatarwp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo Gouri Nilakantan says:

      thank you so much yes in many ways you are right that prejudice was not shown by my family, I used prejudice as construct here that has nothing to do with social status, prejudice is universal

  5. Avatar Natasha Dhar says:

    Very well written Gouri,,, whilst I understand where your thoughts are coming from , I can say that your family and you are the most down to earth people that we have known. You have always been a great friend and have never come across as having an air of wealth/ pride of being privileged.
    Coming to the article, Darcy was always an intriguing character and Jane Austens description of him always made me try and bring him to life.. it was a great book !! Your analogy of comparing yourself to him was an interesting angle!!! Kudos for your thoughts … great writing. 🙏🥰

  6. Avatar Upasna sarin says:

    Love the space that you writting in ..!!
    Keep going. Love ❤️

  7. Avatar Upasna sarin says:

    Love the space that you writting in ..!!
    Keep going .!! Love ❤️

  8. Avatar PLNarasimham says:

    . Pardon me, Mrs. Gouri Nilakantan…!
    . “…imaginary realities”…?
    . I find a contradiction in the usage of this compounding: “imaginary” is fictionary, whereas “realities” are actual happenings!
    . I shall appreciate your clarification in this usage!
    . That aside, I find your reflections on Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen‘s famous novel “Pride and Prejudice” interesting.
    . True, existence of perceptional variation in individual thoughts on any chosen character – given a novel or a play or a movie – is inevitable, like you rightly felt – ‘imaginary’ vs ‘reality’.
    . BTW, am I seeing typos in ‘persuing’ (for pursuing’) and ‘minuscule’ (for ‘miniscule’)?
    . Sorry, I couldn’t escape these!

    • Avatarwp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo Gouri Nilakantan says:

      thank you let me try and explain, our reality many times are exaggerated in our imagination, also thank you for the spellings i will take care. I see all our realities only as imaginations of larger than life, a philosophy I guess. So I feel one cannot avoid living and life in itself and its better to live it as a ” maya”.

  9. Avatar Sukhpal says:

    What a great article…
    Keep it up gauri ma’am 🙏🙏🙏

    • Avatarwp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo Gouri Nilakantan says:

      Thank you it just a part of life how prejudice is created, prejudice does not allow us to give justice to all!

  10. Avatar Sheikh Hassan says:

    Love to read more of your feture publications

  11. Avatar Kanchan says:

    Wonderful and very interesting essay indeed!

  12. Avatarwp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo Gouri Nilakantan says:

    thank you so much for liking it

  13. Avatar Chandramouli Nilakantan says:

    Very well penned!

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