Food for Thought: Mr Darcy

I was reading all of Jane Austen’s classics and of course Pride & Prejudice has taken its prized spot in being my favourite book of all time and I could not resist writing a post on this, mostly because none of the people I know would care to listen. And also because none of them have read the book. It’s ok I love them regardless.

Millions of women across the globe would have fell in love with Mr Darcy.. So what is it about Mr Darcy that makes women swoon despite the chaste descriptions of Austen?

Darcy was more a romantic than Byronic hero as opposed to Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre. Oh what the heck I think he was both. The Byronic hero was described by the historian and critic Lord Macaulay as “a man proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart, a scorner of his kind, implacable in revenge, yet capable of deep and strong affection”. It was derived from Lord Byron’s works as a character-type who is a “boldly defiant but bitterly self-tormenting outcast, proudly contemptuous of social norms but suffering from some unnamed sin” .

It is rare to meet such a person and when you do, first impressions would make you cringe or feel inadequate at the least and of course the rare Elizabeth or Jane comes along and squelches his brick walls to dust with their wit, candour and of course not to mention unwavering love and understanding.

As wonderful and sincere as Bingley seemed we all can be quite sure that he didn’t make history. In fact, I feel the common saying used to describe men; tall, dark and handsome was not referring to his skin tone but that elusive mysteriousness of the personality which makes women with a love of adventure to want to solve and of course let’s give a moment of silence to Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr Darcy in the BBC mini series. ( Though I have to say he screwed up the bit where Elizabeth professes her love for him) But oh well I think the lake scene more than made up for it; and you wouldn’t get the beauty of the scene if you didn’t read the book. 😉

Just saying.

Love,

The Starting Chef