Mr. Darcy...every women's dream man

[JAustnQuilnInk]

Mr. Darcy. *sigh* There honestly is no man I would rather meet. There is something so captivating about the way Jane Austen develops her characters. She constantly introduces them one day, and by the end of the novel your heart is swarming with dozens of different emotions towards them. For example, Mr. Darcy is introduced as an arrogant, insufferable, ignorant, cheauvenistic elite. By the end of the novel, he is perfect for Elizabeth in every way possible. Why can't that happen in real life? *sigh*

[browneyedbailey]

Well, I guess you have to get REALLY lucky.

[sciencefan]

I found the man of my dreams 27 years ago, but I liked him right away. I think that's better that starting out hating someone. Just to let you know, "Mr. Right" is worth waiting for; don't settle for "Mr. I Guess You'll Have To Do".

[enya]

Let me start by saying I can understand why women find Darcy attractive--he's handsome, rich, thoughtful, eloquent....
But my heart belongs to Edward Rochester.
For instance, Darcy romantic statements can be easily summed up in a page--throughout the entire book. Mr. Rochester can take up 14 or 15 in a single setting.
Ex: Darcy: "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must alllow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
My darling Edward: "Then you are mistaken, and you know nothing about me, and nothing about the sort of love of which I am capable. Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken, it would be my treasure still: if you raved, my arms should confine you, and not a strait waistcoat--your grasp, even in fury, would have a charm for me: if you flew at me as wildly as that woman did this morning, I should receive you in an embrace, at least as fond as it would be restrictive. I should not shrink from you with disgust as I did from her: in your quiet moments you should have no watcher and no nurse but me; and I could hang over you with untiring tenderness, though you gave me no smile in return; and never weary of gazing into your eyes, though they had no longer a ray of recognition for me.....You see now how the case stands--do you not?" he continued. "After a youth and manhood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, I have for the first time found what I can truly love--I have found you. You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you, and kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

See? I'm not saying anything against Darcy's romantic statement, it's just that Edward's passion kind of blows him out of the water, IMO.

So, in conclusion, I would rather meet Edward Rochester (and marry him, if possible but Mr. Darcy is extremely attractive as well, and I hope you find him someday.

[sciencefan]

Let me start by saying I can understand why women find Darcy attractive--he's handsome, rich, thoughtful, eloquent....
But my heart belongs to Edward Rochester.
For instance, Darcy romantic statements can be easily summed up in a page--throughout the entire book. Mr. Rochester can take up 14 or 15 in a single setting.
Ex: Darcy: "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must alllow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
My darling Edward: "Then you are mistaken, and you know nothing about me, and nothing about the sort of love of which I am capable. Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken, it would be my treasure still: if you raved, my arms should confine you, and not a strait waistcoat--your grasp, even in fury, would have a charm for me: if you flew at me as wildly as that woman did this morning, I should receive you in an embrace, at least as fond as it would be restrictive. I should not shrink from you with disgust as I did from her: in your quiet moments you should have no watcher and no nurse but me; and I could hang over you with untiring tenderness, though you gave me no smile in return; and never weary of gazing into your eyes, though they had no longer a ray of recognition for me.....You see now how the case stands--do you not?" he continued. "After a youth and manhood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, I have for the first time found what I can truly love--I have found you. You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you, and kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

See? I'm not saying anything against Darcy's romantic statement, it's just that Edward's passion kind of blows him out of the water, IMO.

So, in conclusion, I would rather meet Edward Rochester (and marry him, if possible but Mr. Darcy is extremely attractive as well, and I hope you find him someday.

I agree with you that Austen's lack of development of Darcy's feelings left much to be desired.

[jessy2792]

God, I fell in love with Mr. Darcy the first time I watched the movie (I had the book for a while but I never got around to reading it). Then I watched the new version of the movie and I completely fell in love with him
He just has something about him that obviously makes women develop sympathy for him. Shortly after the movie I read the book and I also wished that Darcy's character was a little bit more developed, but what we do get to know about him I love

[cactus]

I agree with you that Austen's lack of development of Darcy's feelings left much to be desired.

What Austen's fails to express, Colin Firth makes up in his role as Mr Darcy.

I love Darcy because of his imperfection. He is proud and intolerant towards people who have no propriety. But don't we all have things we hate and cannot stand? We all have certain principles and beliefs. We feel for Darcy because we could feel the injustice towards him when the characters (especially Elizabeth) in the book cannot see past these imperfections. Below these layers is a man of noble qualities, a man who is true to his feelings, ideas and principles. There is a certain appeal in such a man.

[kellygrace]

I totally agreed. I'm hopelessly in love with Mr. Darcy. In the world of literature, he will always hold the key to my heart.

Haha, I try not to dwell on this in real life, however! I'm sure someone wonderful will come along but don't expect Mr. Darcy, darn fiction. However, I believe there are men just as amazing in real life, probably just different.

[cactus]

My darling Edward: "Then you are mistaken, and you know nothing about me, and nothing about the sort of love of which I am capable. Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken, it would be my treasure still: if you raved, my arms should confine you, and not a strait waistcoat--your grasp, even in fury, would have a charm for me: if you flew at me as wildly as that woman did this morning, I should receive you in an embrace, at least as fond as it would be restrictive. I should not shrink from you with disgust as I did from her: in your quiet moments you should have no watcher and no nurse but me; and I could hang over you with untiring tenderness, though you gave me no smile in return; and never weary of gazing into your eyes, though they had no longer a ray of recognition for me.....You see now how the case stands--do you not?" he continued. "After a youth and manhood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, I have for the first time found what I can truly love--I have found you. You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you, and kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

God, if any guy said this to me I would shudder..... in disgust... It seems so.... I don't know....fake... either that or he is not right in the head... especially in this line "You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel." A guy wrote me a very long poem/letter once and.....well you could guess what happended to him!

God, if any guy said this to me I would shudder..... in disgust... It seems so.... I don't know....fake... either that or he is not right in the head... especially in this line "You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel." A guy wrote me a very long poem/letter once and.....well you could guess what happended to him!

Just in case you might think I don't like Jane Eyre, I do. I like the novel very much, including Mr Rochester... I judge the characters and story within the parameters of the book and the historical context when it was written.

[caresscoffee]

Mr. Darcy was my dream man until I read Jane Eyre... Mr. Rochester took his place on the pedestal... Mr. Darcy is now a close second

[Vash]

Just finished reading this book, after seeing the movie/BBC series a few years ago. My 2 cents...

There's nothing so appealing to a woman as a man redeemed by love. After all, it was Mr.Darcy's love for Elizabeth that made him reflect on how he presented himself to the world. So while he never compromised his ideals - essentially what made him the man he is - he was willing in the end to give esteem to the fact that those ideals may be present in people he wasn't intimate with. In a sense, Elizabeth softened his hard edges, so to speak.

And as for the brevity of Mr.Darcy compared to Mr. Rochester - a thought is conveyed much better in a look or gesture than heavy handed words! As the saying goes, "Don't SAY you love me, SHOW me"

[mmanuelap]

I totally agreed. I'm hopelessly in love with Mr. Darcy. In the world of literature, he will always hold the key to my heart.

Haha, I try not to dwell on this in real life, however! I'm sure someone wonderful will come along but don't expect Mr. Darcy, darn fiction. However, I believe there are men just as amazing in real life, probably just different.

I absolutely agree!

[Logos]

"Mr. Darcy--Colin Firth...every women's dream man"

[sciencefan]

Just finished reading this book, after seeing the movie/BBC series a few years ago. My 2 cents...

There's nothing so appealing to a woman as a man redeemed by love. After all, it was Mr.Darcy's love for Elizabeth that made him reflect on how he presented himself to the world. So while he never compromised his ideals - essentially what made him the man he is - he was willing in the end to give esteem to the fact that those ideals may be present in people he wasn't intimate with. In a sense, Elizabeth softened his hard edges, so to speak.

Great point.

[The E in M.E.]

God, if any guy said this to me I would shudder..... in disgust... It seems so.... I don't know....fake... either that or he is not right in the head... especially in this line "You are my sympathy--my better self--my good angel." A guy wrote me a very long poem/letter once and.....well you could guess what happended to him!



Just in case you might think I don't like Jane Eyre, I do. I like the novel very much, including Mr Rochester... I judge the characters and story within the parameters of the book and the historical context when it was written.

I can understand that. I confess I've never really understood how someone could fall for Mr. Rochester anyway (please don't hurt me, anyone!). Mr. Darcy seems to be more the gentleman.