Saturday, January 3, 2015

In Pride and Prejudice, what effect does Lydia's elopement have on the other characters?

The effect of Lydia's elopement with Wickham has an impact on everyone in her family, but most profoundly upon Elizabeth. Elizabeth learns of the elopement in a letter from Jane. Jane is newly married to Bingley, but knows Elizabeth, as the next oldest sister and still unmarried, will bear the brunt of the social stigma of her younger sister's foolishness. Elizabeth worries that Lydia's actions will bring disgrace both upon Lydia herself (because she initially...

The effect of Lydia's elopement with Wickham has an impact on everyone in her family, but most profoundly upon Elizabeth. Elizabeth learns of the elopement in a letter from Jane. Jane is newly married to Bingley, but knows Elizabeth, as the next oldest sister and still unmarried, will bear the brunt of the social stigma of her younger sister's foolishness. Elizabeth worries that Lydia's actions will bring disgrace both upon Lydia herself (because she initially has run away with Wickham without being married) and upon her parents.


She is also worried that Mister Darcy will no longer be interested in marrying her, because Lydia's behavior will unfortunately reflect upon her sisters' prospects for marriage. Elizabeth later learns that Darcy arranged for the two to be married quickly, and improves their financial predicament considerably. Mrs. Bennet is overjoyed by this news, because her main goal in life is to see her daughters married to wealthy husbands. Her mother's attitude in these matters is almost as embarrassing to Elizabeth as Lydia's deciding to run away with Wickham.


There is also a sting of jealousy present, in that Elizabeth had felt fondness for Wickham when they first met; and Elizabeth realizes that Lydia's seduction of Wickham must in part be based in a sort of childish game of competition with her sister. 

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