Whew.
Miss Jane Bennet, while clearly the winner, didn't completely run away with the category of sweetest lady. Miss Fanny Price managed to receive 30% of the vote, a respectable number considering Jane's popularity. The next category will pit two unlikeable characters against each other. This time we will start with the big guns and work down to the minor category. On this historic occasion, for we have never pitted a male against a female before, who deserves the following title most?
Most Conniving Character
Mr. Frank Churchill, EmmaHe looked Emma straight in the eye and and implied that he was free and unencumbered even while he was secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax. In fact, he mistled all of Highbury, most inexcusably his father and Emma. I wonder if Ewan Macregor's wig was placed crooked on his head on purpose in
Emma 1996, for the effect added to the character's duplicitous behavior. Frank might be superficially charming, but I found his toying with Jane Fairfax's emotions downright cruel. Here is an exchange between Frank and Emma from Chapter 26:
"What is the matter?" said she. He started. "Thank you for rousing me," he replied. "I believe I have been very rude; but really Miss Fairfax has done her hair in so odd a way—so very odd a way—that I cannot keep my eyes from her. I never saw any thing so outrée!—Those curls!—This must be a fancy of her own. I see nobody else looking like her!—I must go and ask her whether it is an Irish fashion. Shall I?—Yes, I will—I declare I will—and you shall see how she takes it;—whether she colours."
He was gone immediately; and Emma soon saw him standing before Miss Fairfax, and talking to her; but as to its effect on the young lady, as he had improvidently placed himself exactly between them, exactly in front of Miss Fairfax, she could absolutely distinguish nothing.
Miss Lucy Steele, Sense and SensibilityA shallow, unrefined, and deliberately cruel character, she singled Elinor out on purpose to confide to her about her secret engagement to Edward Ferrars. Each time Lucy spoke to Elinor, she twisted the knife in just a little more. What galls me is that she didn't get her comeuppance, but lived in luxury by marrying Edward's brother, Robert.
"I certainly did not seek your confidence," said Elinor; "but you do me no more than justice in imagining that I may be depended on. Your secret is safe with me; but pardon me if I express some surprise at so unnecessary a communication. You must at least have felt that my being acquainted with it could not add to its safety."
As she said this, she looked earnestly at Lucy, hoping to discover something in her countenance; perhaps the falsehood of the greatest part of what she had been saying; but Lucy's countenance suffered no change.
"I was afraid you would think I was taking a great liberty with you," said she, "in telling you all this. I have not known you long to be sure, personally at least, but I have known you and all your family by description a great while; and as soon as I saw you, I felt almost as if you was an old acquaintance. Besides in the present case, I really thought some explanation was due to you after my making such particular inquiries about Edward's mother; and I am so unfortunate, that I have not a creature whose advice I can ask." -
Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 22.
Jane Bennet understood that Mr. Bingley had removed himself from Netherfield Park with no immediate plans for a return visit. Her heart was broken already when she visited her aunt and uncle Gardiner on Gracechurch Street in Cheapside, but little did she know how thoroughly she would be rebuffed by Caroline Bingley, who she still regarded as a true friend. For someone as gentle as Jane, unable to think ill of others, the insult that Caroline finally gave her (visiting her beyond the prescribed time period that manners dictated, failure to give a reciprocal invitation, and staying for such a short length of time as to be almost insulting) opened Jane's eyes to the situation. Mr. Bingley was meant for Georgiana Darcy, and Jane had no role as either friend to the Bingley sisters or as Mr. Bingley's romantic interest. Only Elizabeth understood how well Jane was able to hide her broken heart from her family.
Imagine how you would feel if Lucy Steele told you about her secret engagement to the man you are interested in and extracts a promise from you to remain silent about the relationship. Imagine Elinor's having to witness Edward and Lucy in the drawing room in her presence and then watch them leave together (reluctantly on his side). Not only does Edward choose to remain with Lucy when his mother finds out about their clandestine relationship, but Colonel Brandon asks Elinor to tell Edward about the living he is willing to give him. The scene is poignant and sad, and we feel for Elinor, who bears these events with fortitude as she supports Marianne in her grief.
