Gianni Rasgado

A.P. English

Pride and Prejudice

                Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice centers around the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters are the inhabitants of the village of Longbourn. Mr. Bennet is a very intelligent but a very lethargic gentleman. His wife is an energetic woman whose biggest goal in life is to get her daughters married and off. The coming of a new wealthy bachelor, Bingley, inspires her with the undertaking of making one of her daughters his wife. Jane, the beautiful and mild eldest Bennet daughter, attracts Bingley’s eye when they are first introduced at a dance. Jane is also charmed by Bingley’s pleasant, friendly nature. By contrast, Bingley’s even wealthier friend, Darcy, appears pompous and arrogant. When Bingley suggests that Darcy dance with Jane’s intelligent and lively sister, Elizabeth, Darcy slights her by replying that she is, ‘tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.’ Lizzie is astonished to hear such censure, but laughs it off with her best friend, Charlotte Lucas. At subsequent meetings, Darcy observes Elizabeth closely and is captivated by her playful manner, fine eyes and clever wit. When he finally decides to approach her for a dance, she turns him down and refuses to hold him in awe because of his wealth and status, as almost everyone else in Meryton does. Sensing he is dealing with an individual of superior character, his fascination for her grows. When Jane is invited to Bingley’s home, Netherfield, by his sister Caroline, Jane falls ill and is bedridden there for days. Lizzie goes to Netherfield to nurse her sick sister. She finds being in close company with Darcy unpleasant and is convinced that he disapproves of everything she says and does. In reality, his opinion of her is quite the opposite. Meanwhile, Jane and Bingley become more attached to one another with each passing day. Mr. Bennet’s cousin, Mr. Collins, an insensible, foolish young man, who arrives at Longbourn with the intention of marrying one of the Bennet girls. He considers himself an ideal match for any of the girls, since as the only male descendent in the family, he will inherit the entire Bennet estate after Mr. Bennet’s demise. Prompted by Mrs. Bennet, Collins selects Elizabeth as the lucky beneficiary of his largesse, though she is far from flattered by this distinction. Besides, Darcy, there is another contender for Elizabeth’s affections. A regiment of militia has just arrived in the nearby town of Meryton, and Elizabeth, her younger sisters Kitty and Lydia, as well as just about every other girl in the neighborhood are powerfully attracted to a handsome and charming scoundrel named Wickham. The son of an estate manager, Wickham spent the early part of his life growing up on Darcy’s estate, Pemberley, but his relationship with the Darcy family broke down after he turned wild and took to dissipation. Arriving in Meryton and being introduced to Elizabeth, Wickham began to spread false and scandalous tales about how Darcy has deprived him of his rightful inheritance, which she and the general public of Meryton where quite read to believe. His stories captivated Elizabeth and fueled an intense hatred for Darcy.

When Bingley holds a grand ball at Netherfield, Darcy finally succeeds in getting Elizabeth to dance with him. She takes the occasion to poke fun at Darcy and insinuate that she knows the truth about his unfair treatment of Wickham. Darcy is enraged, but keeps his opinion to himself. The more she prods and offends him, the more strongly he is attracted to her, but his attraction is overshadowed by his revulsion of her mother and younger sisters’ vulgar, embarrassing and unmannerly behavior in public. Fearful that he may be unable to resist his rising passion for Elizabeth, Darcy looks to escape from Meryton. Immediately following the ball, Collins proposes to Elizabeth. She is amused and annoyed by his dogged foolishness. When he refuses to believe she is refusing him, she is forced to turn him down emphatically. Collins is deeply offended by her refusal. Mrs. Bennet is furious and horrified that Elizabeth rejected an opportunity to keep the estate within their family. Collins seeks refuge for his humiliation by accepting a dinner invitation from Charlotte Lucas. The very next day he proposes Charlotte. Mrs. Bennet’s sense of disappointment and loss is further aggravated when she learns the next day that Bingley and his party have left abruptly for London. Jane is devastated by news of Bingley’s unexplained departure, but doesn’t reproach or complain to anyone. Her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, invite her to London for a change of scenery. Elizabeth soon learns that Wickham is engaged to Mary King who has just come into a fortune, but neither is she devastated nor is she disapproving of Wickham’s mercenary attitude. Three months later, Elizabeth receives an invitation from Charlotte to spend six weeks with her and Collins at Hunsford, where he has been appointed to a lucrative clerical position by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his overbearing and offensive patroness who happens to be Darcy’s aunt. Soon after her arrival at Hunsford, Elizabeth again comes into contact with Darcy when he arrives for his annual visit to his aunt’s estate. Darcy is torn between a growing love for Elizabeth and his repulsion of her family and social connections. His passion proves stronger than his reservations. When Elizabeth learns from Darcy’s cousin that Darcy was instrumental in separating Bingley and Jane, her dislike for Darcy becomes more intense. Unsuspecting her real feeling about him, Darcy proposes to her in an insulting and boorish manner, taking for granted that she would readily accept him. His proposal comes at a time when she is filled with anger and pain. She rejects him rudely. She accuses him of heartlessly separating Jane and Bingley and of cruelly depriving Wickham of a lucrative position. Darcy is shocked to find his character and integrity questions and to hear himself called ungentlemanly. She tells him in no uncertain words that he is the last man she would ever marry. His intended proposal ends in a violent quarrel between them. Wishing to clear his name, the following morning Darcy writes to Elizabeth explaining in detail the truth about Wickham’s character, the reasons for his very poor opinion of her family and his justification for trying to save Bingley from an unfortunate marriage to Jane. Pondering Darcy’s words, Elizabeth realizes the truth in his position and the contribution of her own family for Bingley’s departure. She now sees Wickham for the scoundrel he is, and feels ashamed of her own foolish behavior. Darcy for his part, recognizes for the first time that he has been acting arrogantly and selfishly. They both depart from Hunsford certain that there is little chance they will ever meet again. Back home at Meryton, Jane and Elizabeth are disillusioned, Mrs. Bennet is depressed, but the youngest sister, Lydia, is filled with excitement by the prospect of going to Brighton to spend time with friend and in the company of the handsome militia officers who have been transferred to a new location. Elizabeth objects to Lydia’s going, but her father disregards her warnings and allows Lydia to go.

During the summer, Elizabeth is invited by the Gardiners to accompany them on a vacation in Derbyshire, the county where Darcy lives at Pemberly. Hearing Darcy is away in London, Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit Pemberley and are astounded by the magnificence of the estate. The beauty of the place combined with the housekeeper’s praise of Darcy stir softer feelings in Elizabeth for Darcy. Just then he arrives unexpectedly. His courteous behavior takes her by surprise. The following days they constantly frequently and she feels much more cordial feelings for him than she has ever felt in the past. Just at the moment when Darcy begins to feel there is hope of renewing his proposal to her, Elizabeth is suddenly taken away by distressing news from home. Lydia has eloped with Wickham, who had promised to marry her. But Elizabeth is sure that Wickham has no such intention, since Wickham needs to marry a girl with wealth to pay off his considerable debts and Lydia has no money to offer. In a moment of utter distress, Elizabeth confesses the dreadful news to Darcy, then rushes back to Longbourn sure that this disgraceful act of Lydia will forever prevent Darcy from renewing his proposal to her.

There she finds the who family depressed and anxious for news about Lydia. After a month, they are surprised to receive a letter from Mr. Gardiner informing them that he has negotiated arrangements for Wickham and Lydia to marry and agreed to bear the expense of paying Wickham’s debts. When the shameless Lydia returns to Longbourn as Mrs. Wickham along with her husband, she accidently discloses that Darcy was present at her wedding. Unable to imagine how or why Darcy would involve himself with Wickham, she writes to her aunt Mrs. Gardiner for an explanation. Elizabeth is left speechless by Mrs. Gardiner’s reply. She has been under the impression that Darcy would find her family disreputable and consequently avoid her. But on the contrary, after her departure from Pemberley, Darcy sought out Wickham in London, convinced him to marry Lydia, agreed to pay all his debts, get him a post in the army, and bear all the marriage expenses. He also insisted on keeping his role a secret, forcing Mr. Gardiner to take the credit. To Mrs. Gardiner it is evident that did it all out of love for Elizabeth.

Before long, Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield back. Bingley is still very much in love with Jane. Now with his friend’s approval, he proposes to Jane and she accepts most happily. On hearing a rumor that Darcy is engaged to Elizabeth, Lady Catherine de Bourgh suddenly arrives at Longbourn and attempts to intimidate Elizabeth into renouncing any possible relationship with Darcy. Lizzie is perplexed by the rumor, but resolutely refuses to bow to the lady’s unreasonable demands. When news of Elizabeth’s refusal reaches Darcy, his hopes of marrying her revive, and he renews his proposal. Elizabeth who has now been waiting eagerly for this, accepts him willingly. Elizabeth’s announcement is initially shocking to most, but soon the entire family rejoices with the wedding of two sisters.

Gianni Rasgado

A.P. English

Poisonwood Bible

The novel is the story, told in five voices, of the Price family who travels to the Congo as missionaries to the people of Kilanga province. The story is not told in a chronological format, but rather is divided into six books plus an epilogue. Each book contains several "clusters" of events upon which the narrative voices comment. The actual chronological events of the story begin with the Price women trying to wear as many of their clothes as possible and filling their pockets with all sorts of household items in an attempt to meet the weight requirement of the airline. They arrive first in Leopoldville where they meet the under downs and are provided with information about their mission station. Eben Axelroot, pilot of a private plane, takes them to their final destination in the Congo. Although the Kilanga people had prepared a meal and an elaborate welcome, the initial meeting becomes more of a confrontation as Nathan indicates how poorly prepared he is for the culture or the people. Instead of delivering a blessing for the food, he begins with a harangue against nudity, bringing a self-conscious silence to the bare breasted women of the village. The seasons of the Congo come and go as the family learns how poorly prepared they really were. Nathan tries to grow a garden by planting straight rows, only to have it washed out by heavy rains. He attempts to conduct baptismal services in the river, failing to understand that the people are afraid of the crocodiles. Gradually, his daughters, except for Rachel, make friends among the villagers in spite of him. Orleanna establishes at least an understanding with the women although she never has any close friends. The central focus of Book 1 is Nathan’s attempt to plant a garden in Kilanga. He rejects Mama Tataba’s explanation of the necessity of planting in hills and finds out the hard way that straight flat rows will simply be washed out by the heavy rains. Nathan is desperate to get the cooperation of the people in converting to Christianity and submitting to baptism. At one point he fantasizes that he might be able to reach their hearts if he first reaches their physical need for food. He sets off some dynamite in the river, killing thousands of fish. While it provides plenty to eat temporarily, it also destroys more fish than the people can preserve; the result is weeks of a rotting stench and no success at converting the people. In Book Two, which is sub-titled "The Things We Learned," Leah begins to develop a personal interest in the African people. Ruth May, who is much more intuitive and precocious than her family realizes, breaks her arm while spying on young soldiers in training and discovers that Eben Axelroot is smuggling diamonds. A conflict develops between Nathan and Tata Ndu because of the way the village people are neglecting the traditional gods. Adah thwarts Tata Ndu’s prediction of disaster when she apparently escapes a lion attack. During the rainy season, malaria and dysentery bring the deaths of countless villagers. During this time, Orleanna tries to keep the girls inside to avoid contagions. They have numerous projects, including sewing projects for "hope" chests. The family has been in Kilanga about a year, and the political situation has undergone some changes. The Congolese people demand and receive independence from Belgium and experience their first election. Patrice Lumumba becomes the new prime minister. In Book Three most Americans and Europeans leave the Congo due to the change in political climate. Patrice Lumumba enjoys his post for a mere two weeks, then is arrested and replaced by a Belgian puppet who is ultimately also replaced by Mobutu, a dictator who will run the Congo for about thirty years. The Price family is told to leave the Congo, but Nathan refuses. Their financial stipend is halted, leaving them at the mercy of the villagers, and Ruth May and Orleanna spend weeks on the verge of death from malaria. Showing that he has more compassion than he was credited with, Tata Ndu tries to trade food and trinkets for Rachel whom is he asking for as another wife. Desperate to find a way out of the predicament without insulting Tata Ndu, Nathan and Axelroot create a scheme in which Rachel will pretend to be already engaged to Axelroot. The climax of Book Three is the invasion of the ants during Summary an unusually intense dry season. The ants come in the night, devouring everything in their path, forcing the people to seek safety on the opposite side of the river. During the ant invasion, Adah "learns" that she is not worth saving, and Leah loses what little faith she had left in Christianity. Book Four is the climax of the novel. The extended dry spell has left the people desperate for food. They plan a hunt, and Leah, having learned to shoot with a bow and arrow, decides to take part in obtaining meat for her family. The decision causes a major controversy as it is considered inappropriate for a woman to hunt. A vote, narrowly in her favor, allows her to hunt with the men, and she kills a young antelope. A fight ensues as one of the men tries to claim Leah’s kill for himself. The witch doctor, Kuvudundu, predicts dire curses, and poisonous snakes begin to appear in unusual places. In the afternoon following the hunt, Nelson sees the sign of a curse on the henhouse. Intending to help Nelson discover the identity of the one who is planting the snakes, the girls spread ashes on the ground in front of the henhouse. The trick works, and the girls are able to identify the six-toed foot of Kuvudundu, but the snake planted inside the henhouse fatally strikes Ruth May. Orleanna single handedly prepares Ruth May for burial, then, followed by her remaining daughters, simply walks away from Kilanga and the Congo. Book Five is like an extended conversation with an unseen audience as the remaining Price women take turns telling the stories of their lives after the death of Ruth May. Orleanna and Adah return to Georgia. Orleanna first lives in a small shack where she takes up gardening while Adah attends college and acquires a degree in medicine. Leah, who has a bout with malaria that makes it impossible for her to travel with her mother and Adah, eventually recovers and marries Anatole. In spite of the danger and two frightening terms in Mobutu’s prisons, Leah and Anatole build a home and a family that is filled with love. By the end of the novel, the family is able to establish a life in relative safety in neighboring Angola. Rachel marries Eben Axelroot, but after years of enduring his abuse and infidelity, leaves him for a French ambassador. That relationship is equally unsuccessful. She finally marries an older man, Remy Fairly, who dies, leaving her with a resort styled hotel. Rachel lives for herself, but is not unhappy with her situation. Book Six summarizes each of the three sisters’ feelings about their lives and memories while Book Seven is the voice of Ruth May. Ruth May comments on the things she has seen, on the state of death, and offers forgiveness to her mother.