Jane Austen annoyed me, does nobody see where im coming from?

Question

Pride and Prejudice, chapter 46.

When Elizabeth returns to her inn, she finds two letters from Jane: the first relates that Lydia has eloped with Wickham, the second that there is no word from the couple and that they may not be married yet

Darcy was quite the gentleman and offered 'consolation to such distress' and as a result Elizabeth ' threw a retrospective glance over the whole of their acquaintance, so full of contradictions and varieties, sighed at the perverseness of those feelings which would now have promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in its termination.'

Throughout the story, Elizabeth has been my much-loved heroine. A sharp tongued, witty, delightful, classy and somewhat of a feminist character.

So i was slightly peeved off that she throws a 'retrospective glance' at her relations with Darcy and i imagine comes to the conclusion that she could very well love him at her most vulnerable state.

She is renowned for being so strong minded and a little proud herself, yet when her families shame batters her pride a great deal and she becomes emotionally unstable, she comes to the conclusion that she is in love.

Is Jane Austen not better than this? Subjecting an amazing woman, in a highly vulnerable state, to the realization that she could be in love.
Typical.

Just imagine,Darcy was not there to to lean on when she was upset. Do you think she would then believe she loved him?

Don't get me wrong, i love Darcy, i think he is a fabulous gent. I just think it was a tiny bit dissapointing.

Answer 1

never been a big austen fan though i do find her stories entertaining, i agree it's all just a bit to niddling for me, but i guess that's the appeal to her fans

Answer 2

I thought Austen was pretentious and very unimpressive...the plot of 'Pride and Prejudice' is a potential goldmine, with what could possibly be many interesting avenues and adventures for each and every one of the characters. Austen, however, turns the book into a strung-out cracked attempt at a typical Victorian novel, only to churn out something that seems like a high school student copying a great essay but editing out the good bits so it doesn't seem like cheating.

Answer 3

I think what makes her realise she could have loved Darcy after all is that she now knows that he is not a villain as she previously thought him, and that everything he said about Wickham is true. And that he is a better man that she thought him. It makes her revise her opinion of him. She doesn't go to pieces though.

Answer 4

I never thought that is why she decided she loved him. I think she changed her opinion about Darcy after his letter. She started to see that they both had misjudged each other. She saw him with his sister and what a great relationship they had together along with the things he did for her and her family. She saw another side to him.

Answer 5

Interesting perspective. I admit that this scene didn't seem incongruous to me. Sometimes something bad has to happen for you to realize the good you have in your life. In Elizabeth's case, of course it is easy for her to be her dazzling self when all is well in her life. It took a severe, upsetting shock to make her realize her true feelings.