Austen's Point

Once again, I read and think to myself, WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR SOCIETY? What could possibly crawl into our mind and nest next to our amygdala and have offspring which attack our frontal lobe that could possibly cause us to be such superficial beings? (Yes, I wanted to show off what I recently learned about neuropsychology) Let’s sort of paraphrase chapters six, seven and eight:

Mrs. Bennet is so willing to match Jane and Mr. Bingley, that she’s willing to risk jeopardizing her health to do so. Reason why she sends Jane on horseback despite her knowledge of bad weather. Elizabeth, being the concerned sister that she is, takes it upon herself to walk (3 miles) to check up on her sister. Logically, she becomes a sweaty mess on her way there. She is not well perceived, this also intrigues Mr. Darcy.  His and Elizabeth’s relationship is somewhat confusing because he doesn’t find her attractive but she defies him almost every time they speak. Lastly, Miss Bingley is somewhat annoyed at having the Bennet’s at her house taking any chance she gets to speak ill of them.

The main characteristic throughout these occurrences is superficiality. At first glance they might seem hyperbolic but once well thought through, they are clear, everyday samples of everyday life. Austen portrays our actions and their apparent insignificance by doing so. As readers we are meant to realize that the world that incorporates these characters might as well be our social group. That the values (or lack thereof), both directly and indirectly alluded to, are ones that apply universally.

Or so I think…