Commentary & Principles on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice
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Commentary & Principles on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice Volume I By Karmayogi The Mother’s Service Society No 5 Puduvai Sivam Street Venkata Nagar Pondicherry, India www.mssresearch.org © The Mother’s Service Society, Pondicherry, India December 2008 Chapter 1: Bingley Arrives in Meryton ................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 2: Mr. Bennet calls on Bingley................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 3: ‘Tolerable’ .......................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4: The First Ball is Discussed ................................................................................................. 16 Chapter 5: The Lucases ........................................................................................................................ 19 Chapter 6: Balls in Meryton ................................................................................................................. 23 Chapter 7: Jane goes to Netherfield ..................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 8: Elizabeth is at Netherfield .................................................................................................. 37 Chapter 9: Mrs.Bennet Visits Netherfield ........................................................................................... 44 Chapter 10: Darcy pays Attention to Elizabeth ................................................................................... 50 Chapter 11: Jane Recovers ................................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 12: Jane and Elizabeth leave Netherfield ............................................................................... 62 Chapter 13: Collins Writes to Mr.Bennet ............................................................................................ 64 Chapter 14: Collins at Longbourn........................................................................................................ 68 Chapter 15: Meeting at Meryton .......................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 16: Wickham’s Tale ............................................................................................................... 77 Chapter 17: Invitation to the Netherfield Ball ..................................................................................... 87 Chapter 18: The Netherfield Ball ......................................................................................................... 91 Chapter 19: Collins Proposes to Elizabeth......................................................................................... 104 Chapter 20: Mrs.Bennet tries to Persuade Elizabeth ......................................................................... 110 Chapter 21: Wickham visits Longbourn ............................................................................................ 115 Chapter 22: Collins Proposes to Charlotte ......................................................................................... 121 Chapter 23: The Bennets learn about Collins’ Engagement .............................................................. 128 2 Commentary on Pride & Prejudice Volume 1: Chapter 1 Chapter 1: Bingley Arrives in Meryton Left column contains Jane Austen’s original text. Right column contains Karmayogi’s text commentary in times font & principles in times italic. Summary: We are introduced to Mr and Mrs. Bennet, both of the Longbourn Estate. Mrs. Bennet arrives with some interesting news that a wealthy gentleman from the north has arrived in Netherfield, moved to a nearby estate. She has plans immediately to marry him to one of her daughters. She warns her husband that she will send him to see the new neighbor Bingley as soon as he arrives. She also reminds him of their daughters while he muses on how Elizabeth is his favorite daughter with “something more of quickness than her sisters”. Knowingly he questions why his visit to Bingley is so important. 1. It is a truth universally 1. Man evaluates life only from his point of view acknowledged, that a single man 2. Life is mercenary in possession of a good fortune, 3. Man gloats over his mercenary success must be in want of a wife. 4. Civilisation is born when Man acquires shame for being mercenary 2. However little known the feelings 5. Presence of a tangible opportunity arouses the entire population or views of such a man may be 6. The wish to grab another ignores the other’s view on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 3. "My dear Mr. Bennet," said his 7. Women hear everything that happens and every event that has not happened lady to him one day, "have you 8. The woman, who waits for the man to approach her, is energetic in taking heard that Netherfield Park is let initiative at last?" 9. Initiatives belong to women 10. Energy takes initiative 11. Positive energy achieves within its context 12. Beyond its context even positive energy is an obstacle 13. Negative energy destroys by its initiative 14. In a vastly positive atmosphere as in this story, negative energy by its initiative removes the negative obstacles including its own exuberant existence 4. Mr. Bennet replied that he had 15. Authority prevails not. 16. Authority is social, cultural, organisational, financial, parental, adult, etc 5. "But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it." 6. Mr. Bennet made no answer. 7. "Do not you want to know who 17. Change needs the breaking of authority has taken it?" Cried his wife 18. It is done clandestinely, subconsciously impatiently. 19. Authority comes into existence by giving or taking 8. "You want to tell me, and I have 20. Responsibility lies with oneself even when the initiative is with others no objection to hearing it." 21. Formal life, as in church going, is not so much religious, as a sanction by the population of the social authority of religion 9. This was invitation enough. 22. An atmosphere of freedom unleashes Self -invitation 10. "Why, my dear, you must know, 23. Word of mouth is more powerful than an advertisement in The New York Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is Times taken by a young man of large 24. Gossip belongs to the vital body fortune from the north of England; 25. There is only one body that he came down on Monday in 26. Everyone is susceptible to gossip a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much 27. Social existence is energised by news delighted with it, that he agreed 28. News travels fast as each takes initiative to go and meet another to pass on with Mr. Morris immediately; that the news he is to take possession before 29. Any communication receives a dose of addition from the giver of the Michaelmas, and some of his information servants are to be in the house 30. Embellishment is inevitable because the energy for the news to travel comes 3 Commentary on Pride & Prejudice Volume 1: Chapter 1 by the end of next week." from that expansion 31. He who receives any information has the power of listening which he can use either to listen or to make himself scarce 32. Women hear more of the local news than men 33. News spreads through women. Men are passive recipients 34. Essentially rumour carries correct news 35. Interest does not miss occasions of attraction 36. A neighbourhood is a social cultural unit with a dynamic personality where news from one end to another goes instantaneously 37. Every institution like marriage is the reinforcement of the social structure 38. Marriage for the woman is profession for Man 39. Marriage of a daughter is a social goal that is actively present 40. Man is property to woman 41. A woman conceding that right to another is an indication of her society’s maturity to the point of physically recognising another 42. It takes centuries for the woman to evolve as a wife 43. No one wants any man to have any view when they think of his usefulness. They grant none to him 44. Each man wants to be the social determinant himself 45. To think and act as if the entire society exists to serve himself as he chooses is the expansive evolutionary emotion of selfishness in the period of its growth, survival, and development 46. Rights are granted to one by his imagination 47. Any act or thought lends itself to be generalised 48. Good fortune is the repository of social authority saturated with the power of social functioning 49. Truth exists at all levels from Matter to Spirit. Jane Austen here speaks of social truth 50. Universal acknowledgement brings universal power. Acknowledgement is power 51. People enter a new neighbourhood as they have the greatest chance to make a mark there, the environment being new 52. A neighbourhood lives off many fixed truths fixed in their minds 11. "What is his name?" 53. Man is instinctively interested in what his wife knows 12. "Bingley." 13. "Is he married or single?" 54. ‘The only way to treat a woman is to be soft’ – British saying 14. "Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! 55. Fortune is Man A single man of large fortune ; 56. Imagination avails of imaginative opportunities exhaustively in the plane of four or five thousand a year. imagination What a