Six Merits of Mr. Bingley - Ch. 9 Discussion

While Mrs. Bennet wins the prize for most embarrassing personality in Chapter 9, Bingley shines with nobility and charity.

1. He will not hear of having Jane being removed from Netherfield (pt 2). Though the apothecary does not advise Jane's relocation, her condition certainly has improved to a point where one might consider it. Jane's mother wants Jane to stay put in Bingley's home so that Bingley might grow attached to her. More than most present at Netherfield in Chapter 9, Bingley has an actual concern for Jane's health, and hoping for her further recovery, will not hear of having her moved.

2. He forces the members of the Bingley household to display civility toward Mrs. Bennet. More than once (pt 2 and pt 8), Bingley puts his sister on the spot for a polite response to Mrs. Bennet, though one may debate the worthiness of the latter woman for the reception of such a display.

3. He graciously covers over Elizabeth's "wild manners" (pt 3). Already in a previous chapter, Bingley countered the harsh condemnation of others for Elizabeth, who abandoned the conventions of society by walking alone several miles to come to the aid of her sister. Bingley put forth a very positive comment about the deep affection that Elizabeth's action displayed for her sister. We see Bingley in Chapter 9 once again graciously covering Elizabeth's "wild manners", when she makes several rather impetuous statements: ""That is exactly what I should have supposed of you"; "Oh! yes - I understand you perfectly"; "It does not necessarily follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours". When Mrs. Bennet challenges her daughter's "wild manners" (perhaps rightly so, although without care for her daughter's embarrassment,) Bingley comes to Elizabeth's rescue by continuing the conversation in a positive manner, inquiring after her hobby of "studying characters" (pt 4).

4. He graciously covers over Mrs. Bennet's "wild manners" about country life (pt 4 and pt 5). When Mrs. Bennet makes her wild assertion that town-life (such as might be found in London) does not have any great advantage over the country, and that "the country is a great deal pleasanter", everyone is astonished. Then she turns to Bingley and puts him on the spot: "Don't you agree, Mr. Bingley?" Graciously, Bingley does not speak his mind in disagreement; instead he offers that when he is in the country, he "never wish(es) to leave it" and that when he is in town "it is pretty much the same". "They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either." Bingley further "keeps his countenance" for the sake of Elizabeth (pt 6) when her mother continues on with her wild assertions about the equality (superiority?) of country life to town life.

5. He graciously attempts to cover over Mrs. Bennet's unbecoming statements about Charlotte Lucas. Whether she truly is as beautiful as Mrs. Bennet claims or not, one might forgive Mrs. Bennet for carrying on about her daughter's good looks. What is less forgivable is Mrs. Bennet's defamation of the Lucas family and Charlotte Lucas in particular. "It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain - but then she is our particular friend" (pt 6). (With such as friends, enemies are hardly needed.) Bingley interrupts by stating that Charlotte "seems a very pleasant young woman," though it is of no use. Mrs. Bennet continues, "(B)ut you must own she is very plain" and invokes Charlotte's own mother as an authority on that subject.

6. He graciously covers over Lydia Bennet's "wild manners" and maintains his promise for a ball (pt 9). Having decided to "tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield," Lydia reminds him "that it would be the most shameful thing in the world if he did not keep it." He agrees to keep his promise, though he reminds the youngest Bennet that her eldest sister lies very ill in the next room, and that "you would not wish to be dancing while she is ill." He could very appropriately have reminded her that she should not wish to be thinking about planning such a party when she should much rather be considering the gravity of her sister's medical condition.

Great Book Club Salutes

We would also like to direct your attention to the blog Eating My Words, "the thoughts, recipes, and musings of author Shirley Jump. Shirley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who caught our attention with her blog post "Library Talks". Interested readers want to hear about writing, and Shirley does just that - both on her blog and on her website. As an added bonus, her blog also features recipes!

Great Book Club Salutes

Today we'd like to direct your attention to The Book's Den. This blog features "a group of authors from various writing and social groups" who write journalism, poetry, fiction and non-fiction, etc. Altogether, they have about a dozen writers participating.

What initially drew us to their blog was the post: Book Club News - Meet the Author Night, where they suggest inviting an author (perhaps even one of the contributors to that blog) to be a special guest at a book club group meeting. (We would love to have Jane Austen participate in our club, but unfortunately, we are a few hundred years late for this suggestion. :) Perhaps we could take up the idea when we begin discussing another volume.)

One of their tags is labeled Book Club Suggestions, which offers several interesting posts (such as Finding Your Next Book Club Selection). What caught our attention here was a link to their Books Carnival, which is scheduled for the third Sunday of each month.

Eleven Embarrassing Moments from Mrs. Bennet - Chapter 9 Discussion

Even though Jane's condition improves, Elizabeth sends for her mother, so that Mrs. Bennet might "form her own judgment" of Jane's situation. It was certainly Mrs. Bennet's place as Jane's mother to form such an opinion and to make the necessary decisions, but her presence at Netherfield leads from one embarrassing situation to another.

How shall I embarrass thee? Let me count the ways...

1. By deciding that Jane should remain at Netherfield. The apothecary renders the same judgment, though his decision is based more upon Jane's actual medical condition. When Mrs. Bennet finds that Jane's illness is not dangerous, she rejoices in Jane's condition; Jane's illness can be used to prolong her presence at Netherfield and give her an opportunity to form an attachment with Mr. Bingley. (I appreciate the motherly concern for Jane's health...)

2. By exaggerating Jane's condition. I'm not quite sure what response would have been appropriate for Bingley's expressed hope "that Mrs. Bennet had not found (Jane) worse than she expected". "Indeed I have, Sir," does not strike me as one of them. By playing on Jane's illness, promoting it with the most gravity that she possibly can, Mrs. Bennet hopes to further impose Jane's presence at Netherfield, hoping that an attachment might be formed with Mr. Bingley. (It is something of a wonder that such an imposing figure does not scare Bingley off altogether.)

3. By shamelessly promoting Jane's merits. As Jane lies ill in another room - not in danger of death, yet too ill to be removed - her mother takes up the role of a salesman and speaks profusely about her daughter's merits. The mother talks to Bingley about Jane's long-suffering patience and sweet temper; she goes so far as to completely discredit all of her other daughters in comparison to Jane. It is almost amusing when Mrs. Bennet says, "I do not like to boast of my own child...", having done quite a bit of boasting already, before going on to speak about Jane's incomparable beauty. Yet, she says, "I do not trust my own partiality." "It is what every body says." It all sounds rather suspicious to me.

4. By shamelessly schmoozing Mr. Bingley. Mrs. Bennet extols Bingley's virtues as a "good friend" in taking such care of Jane; she also speaks highly of his residence at Netherfield. Doubtless, her hope is that Bingley might extend the length of his residence in their neighborhood, yet one who finds himself being buttered up in such a way (by such a one) ought certainly to fear being completely devoured.

5. By publicly decrying Lizzy's "wild manner". It is a marvel that one who is so "wild mannered" herself should have the audacity to decry the "wild manners" of others! For a mother, though, to publicly chastise her daughter, to her humiliation, is to deal a particularly embarrassing blow. Lizzy is saved only by the quick response of Bingley, who validates her "wild manners" by continuing the discussion interrupted by Mrs. Bennet's rebuke.

6. By taking offense from (and responding to) Darcy. By this point in the chapter, Mrs. Bennet can hardly open her mouth without uttering something completely embarrassing. As Darcy engages in the conversation about Elizabeth's occupation as a "studier of character", he off-handedly remarks that "a country neighborhood" is "a very confined and unvarying society", offering not much variety for such a habit of study.

Having previously taken offense at Darcy (who did not wish to dance with Elizabeth at Meryton), Mrs. Bennet, instantly dislikes his statement about country society. She counters it with her own assertion that country society is just as intriguing as town society.

7. By defending country society (to city socialites). Her assertion about country society is so ridiculous that it completely takes everyone off-guard. No polite response can be given to it. What makes her completely ridiculous is that she is trying to defend the merits of country society to town society's "cream of the crop".

8. By believing herself victorious in her defense of country society (to city socialites). What makes Mrs. Bennet even more ridiculous is that she does not realize the absurdity of her statement, given the particular company in which it has been made. Because no polite response could be given to her assertion, Mrs. Bennet believes that she has triumphed over Darcy. This makes her bold to continue in asserting her statement that country society is just as intriguing as town society.

9. By trying to engage Mr. Bingley in her defense of country society. To go from bad to worse, and from bad to worse and beyond, Mrs. Bennet tries to further her cause by engaging support in it from Mr. Bingley. She adds to her previous ridiculous assertion by saying that "London (does not have) any great advantage over the country". Don't you agree, Mr. Bingley?

Bingley does more than simply bite his tongue. Put on the spot, he offers a rather charitable response: "When I am in the country, ... I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either." Instead of openly disagreeing with the woman, Bingley makes a noble statement, and moves with agility around this ridiculous woman.

10. By talking trash about the Lucas family. Elizabeth desperately tries to divert her mother from the embarrassing "country/town society" discussion. She changes the subject by enquiring about their friends, the Lucas family. This gives Mrs. Bennet an opportunity to display her true colors by showing how she behaves with regard to her friends: She begins by inferring that the Lucases do not "keep servants who can do their own work", and that this forces the Lucas daughter (Charlotte) to take up a servant's duties (in such things as making mince pies). She goes on to say first that Charlotte is not so very plain in her looks, but then that she actually is really very plain in terms of beauty. While she tries to come off as being gracious, the whole one-sided conversation really does little to make Mrs. Bennet look good at all.

11. By bringing Lydia along. Ok, maybe Mrs. Bennet should hardly be faulted for the embarrassing things that her daughter says, but then again, the nut does not fall too far from the tree. As the visit finally seems to be coming to an end (with all of its embarrassing moments), young Lydia pops into the discussion and attacks Bingley. She reminds Bingley about (and rather sternly holds him to) his earlier promise to give a ball at Netherfield. If such a thing was not inappropriate in itself, then Bingley's comment perhaps puts the matter into a little bit better perspective: "But you would not wish to be dancing while (Jane) is ill". You cannot seriously be planning a party while your sister lies ill in the room next door! (You cannot seriously be planning a wedding while Jane lies ailiing in the room next door...)