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034. Life Response – III

In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Darcy the hero was a wealthy aristocrat. Elizabeth, the heroine was a daughter of a fairly rich gentleman with no dowry of her own. On seeing Elizabeth at a ball, he said in her hearing that she was not a beauty but only tolerable. She was mortally offended. But soon Darcy discovered that uncontrollable passion had been gathering in him towards that beauty. She refused to dance with him at another party when he requested her. A third time when he asked her at another ball, Elizabeth was caught unawares. She inadvertently accepted and all through the dance was practising the art of provocation. Darcy, employing a ruse, had effectively prevented the excellent marriage that had come to her sister Jane's way. Knowing this, Elizabeth hated him.

Meeting Elizabeth at his aunt's place, Darcy proposed to her, couching his proposal in unpardonably offensive language. Elizabeth rejected the proposal violently, abusing Darcy and accusing him of heinous crimes. In a letter to her which justified his offensive act, he explained himself. After prolonged inner struggle, Elizabeth, in spite of rankling under the smart, realised that Darcy was not at all at fault regarding her sister.

Months later Elizabeth's aunt took her to see Pemberley, Darcy's estate, as part of their holiday tour. Elizabeth who dreaded to meet Darcy at his estate, agreed to visit on knowing that Darcy was away. While at that magnificent mansion, she learned that the proud Darcy she knew was really amiable and loveable. She thought she could have been the mistress of that palace had she wanted. All her hate was washed off on hearing the other side of Darcy's character. On leaving the building, she ran into Darcy who had returned a day early! That was the turning point of the story which led to their wedding. The reversal of her emotions were complete while at Pemberley and that reversal restored the equilibrium which brought Darcy ahead of schedule. That is the process of Life Response.



story | by Dr. Radut