P&P Ch. 17-20

1) "'My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr. Darcy, to be treating his father's favourite in such a manner,--one, whom his father has promised to provide for.--It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively deceived in him? oh! no'" (Austen 65).

Besides exhibiting Jane's uncanny ability to find the good in everyone, this quote shows a possible, rational way of thinking and approaching the subject and Darcy vs. Wickham rather than Elizabeth's one-sided attack on Darcy. Jane, being the forever optimist, made a defense for Darcy against Elizabeth's assault, and for all we know, this is the way Darcy sees it. Yes, his father gave everything to Mr. Wickham instead of him. Of course he would be angry over that, but he is also angry at the same person his father favored. Everytime Darcy must feel like hating Wickham, he probably remembers that Wickham was his father's favorite. He hates the same person his father loved, so he cannot really hate Wickham without bringing up his father in the process.

2) "'I can readily believe, ' answered he gravely, 'that report may vary greatly with respect to me; and I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either" (71).

I really like this quote by Darcy. Here, Elizabeth is interrogating him about his character. Darcy is saying that, depending on who you ask, their opinion of him will change. There are some who he is nice to, and therefore believe him nice, but then again there are those like Elizabeth who hear one bad thing and hate him. He then goes on to ask Elizabeth not to presume his character just yet. He knows that she has spoken to Wickham, so he knows that she probably doesn't think highly of him after it. Therefore, if she presumed his character, it would not give credit to him because, going on Wickham's word, he would be painted as a bad person, and it would not credit Elizabeth because she judged before, in Darcy's eyes, she got to know him.