Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 5-8

Like the Bennet girls I am attending a wedding, my little brother is getting married today.  I wonder whether any new matches will be made today that will lead to matrimony as it is a small family wedding a seriously doubt it but it is interesting that weddings still rank as a god place to meet potential spouses.

Meet you at the other side of the episodes for reaction…

Well what can I say am loving it, in fact I almost went onto the next one but resisted to share with you guys next week.  I am loving the dynamics between the sisters, I will confess I was a little unsure how the removal of two of them would alter the family dynamics but at this point they really haven’t been missed.  I love the god natured teasing between the two older sisters but you can see that streak of selfishness already in Lydia’s character, her lack of ability to know where to draw a line in proceedings.

Do you think the Bing Lee/Jane match could be viewed as an arranged marriage? As in the original it certainly is desired on one side yet we know the course of true love never runs smoothly.  But in some ways the matches in the time of the original novel were arranged marriages i that only if families approved and permitted the two into each others company could any match be made, and though today permission is no longer required I wonder how many still go ahead with a marriage if the family object unless there are other family issues already.

I find that as I get older I do have more sympathy with Austen’s male characters, we know that the women are expected to look at marriage almost as a business investment but the same can be said for the male characters as well.  There are expectations as the the character and attributes a wife must bring to the partnership and in some ways it may be argued he has as little choice in the matter as his female counterparts though realistically this is not true as he has far more freedom to indulge his fancies proportionate to his wealth.

But it still must be a little daunting to venture into a new area knowing every mother in the district will be aiming to throw their daughters at you in the hope that one of them can snare you.