Second Chances
Mr. DarcyAfter Lizzy Bennet orders Lady Catherine de Bourgh to leave, Darcy hopes as he had scarcely ever allowed himself to hope before. Admitting to being heartily ashamed of his first proposal, he takes a chance that Elizabeth Bennet has changed her mind and will accept him now. "..."You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.'' Elizabeth, a wise woman, accepts his proposal.
Captain WentworthCaptain Wentworth hastily writes Anne Elliot a letter after overhearing her conversation with Captain Harville : "I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago." Anne, who has never stopped loving her captain, cannot wait to tell him he is not too late.
I would prefer Captain Wentworth's proposal, because it shows his steadiness - "last April" (Darcy) vs. "eight years and a half" (Wentworth). Okay, I must admit here that "Persuasion" is my favorite Austen novel anyway and according to "Which Austen Heroine are you?" I'm Anne Elliot ;)
ReplyDeleteHow can you refuse a guy who says "You pierce my soul." It's pure poetry. Granted,Wentworth is my least favorite J.A. hero but he has one of the best proposals.
ReplyDeleteToo tough a choice...can't we have an "I'd take either yummy specimen" option?!
ReplyDeleteThis is timely, as I am currently rereading Persuasion again (2nd time in two weeks) after having reread Pride and Prejudice last month. Oh! I also watched all the movies I have of them, too.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Wentworth's proposal is the best. I love it in the letter when he says "For you alone I think and plan."
how can you not be moved by 'you pierce my soul"...
ReplyDelete"Persuasian" is my favorite JA novel, although who doesn't hold a soft spot for Mr. Darcy? What a tough choice.
ReplyDeleteFrederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick, Frederick! Again and anon, always Frederick!
ReplyDelete(Um, yeah, he's my favorite Austen hero.)
It's no contest, definitely Wentworth's letter. "For you alone I think and plan"!
ReplyDeleteI choose Darcy. I admit that Wentworth's proposal is better worded, although by saying "My affections and wishes are unchanged" Darcy means "...allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you". My main problem with Wentworth's proposal is that it doesn't seem 100% sincere. I still can't forgive him all the time when Anne had to watch him flirt with Louisa. So his "for you alone I think and plan" somewhat lacking.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Mr. Darcy too. He continued to be attracted to Elizabeth and admire her despite her rejection and obvious prejudice towards him. All his actions after his first proposal are those of a gentleman. As Austenette said, Captain Wentworth's courting of Louisa in front of Anne seemed a bit spiteful.
ReplyDeleteHmmm,I just voted and was surprised at the results. I would accept either of them, how could you not?
ReplyDeleteI chose Mr. Darcy because I am very much like Elizabeth myself and Darcy appeals to me more than Capt. Wentworth.
ReplyDeleteDarcy set every awful thing right in the Bennet family "If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. That wish of giving happiness to you, might add force to the other inducements that lead me on...your family owe me nothing...I thought only of you." I also like it that he went against his family's wishes to court and win Elizabeth.
To do so much for so many and to correct flaws in his character that were pointed out by Elizabeth when she refused him during his first proposal,to struggle to shake off his love for her and then come back to ask again to marry her when he let go of his pride at last, showed the full measure of his love for her.
Capt. Wentworth went and made his fortune so that he could come at last and claim Anne after over 8 long years loving her, in spite of those who persuaded her to refuse him."For you alone, I think and plan"... I was so irked when he toyed with the affections of Louisa to make Anne jealous. What the heck was he thinking ? He redeemed himself in his letter, which was passion incarnate...what woman wouldn't fall into a man's arms after reading that ?
Who could put it better than Wentworth. Breathlessly, expectantly, "I can no longer listen in silence" Oh, Captain!
ReplyDeleteIt was difficult, as I really loved both second proposals, and would have said "Yes" to both gentlemen. However, the Captain's flirting with Louisa brought my final decision down to Darcy.
ReplyDeleteI love your new voting in the page feature, very coooool!
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