Enjoyment of Alice McVeigh’s tale, DARCY: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, requires no prior knowledge of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Nevertheless, a reading of the 1813 sensation does lend insight into McVeigh’s treatment of this literary duo. In Austen’s novel, she presents Fitzwilliam Darcy as a ‘haughty, reserved and fastidious’ individual who undergoes a somewhat Scrooge-like transformation in the narrative’s second half. Mary Bennet, meanwhile, is ‘the only plain one in the [Bennet] family’. As the middle sister, and having ‘neither genius nor taste’ she is pointedly side-lined by her creator – and by potential suitors. It could be argued that the pair are the most and least eligible in their circle. Under McVeigh’s aegis, both receive closer scrutiny from a more nuanced perspective.
The novel opens with Charles Bingley’s acquisition of Netherfield, a residence close to the market town of Meryton and even closer to Longbourn, home of the Bennet family. As a longstanding friend of Bingley, it is not surprising that Darcy attends social events at Netherfield. It is here that he first encounters the spirited Elizabeth Bennet. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are fully aware of societal expectations: the aloof Darcy is aware that Pemberley (his Derbyshire estate) needs a mistress, one that would require ‘astonishing wealth’ in order to be considered a ‘serious candidate’; Eliza, on the other hand, is conscious that her ‘quicksilver wit’ is something that any prospective beau must be ‘willing to overlook’. She is equally aware that her impoverished state demands that she marry someone ‘of reasonably good fortune’. Through the vicissitudes of Darcy and Eliza’s burgeoning relationship and the machinations of the supporting characters, McVeigh captures the sensibilities of early nineteenth-century romantic etiquette.
But McVeigh’s Darcy has something of an edge: he is a protagonist with a past. Through his diary entries – they punctuate the plot – the reader learns of a past affair with an Italian singer, a ‘beauty with a voice’ who is ‘undistinguished by birth or fortune’. She is therefore completely unsuitable as a long-term prospect, despite Darcy’s admission that he himself has achieved ‘nothing of note’ in his lifetime. On Darcy’s return to England, he receives a letter informing him that he is being sued for breach of promise, although an offer of marriage had never taken place. This could be perceived as an embryonic stage in Darcy’s self-awareness, wherein he is given a taste of how it feels to be unfairly judged – and the need to hide a relationship that could be seen as socially shameful. When he eventually confesses his love for Eliza, he establishes a pattern of falling in love with ‘unsuitable’ women, therefore signaling a simple but unacknowledged truth: genuine affection trumps class and money.
Mary, too, is a character who shares insights into her psyche and motivations. In her case, this is delivered through personal papers, a counterpoint to Darcy’s diary entries. Mary appreciates learning and is an avid follower of the philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant’s philosophy on freedom is perhaps ironic: because the Bennets’ home is entailed, Mary is obliged to find herself a husband. To this end, she self-consciously strives to attract a mate, employing such tactics as ‘attempting to make [her] hair curl’ and memorizing Kant and Fordyce. But the course of Mary’s romantic journey leads her to someone who genuinely prizes her qualities, qualities that are incongruous with Regency concepts of femininity. We even see Mary parody the Austen classic – ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that an exceptionally handsome and agreeable young man, loosed upon a small provincial town, is a rare and glorious thing’ – which adds a dash of mockery of contemporary social norms. In McVeigh’s hands, Mary becomes a subject as opposed to an object. This so-called plainest sister takes on a starring role that sees her equal to the prettier Jane and the wittier Eliza. Yet, it is still Darcy who claims this novel’s title as his own, gesturing that there is still work to be done in terms of gender equality. This variation novel rips away a façade, revealing ‘pride’ and ‘prejudice’ as misguided priorities.
Jane Austen enthusiasts will enjoy Alice McVeigh’s tale, DARCY: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, which has a style that is faithful to the original, while those looking for a new twist will appreciate the post-modern perspectives that showcase character motivation from a fresh standpoint.
~Amanda Ellison for IndieReader
