Pondering Lydia
Mar. 1st, 2008 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ksmithPosting like a mad poster before I dive into the wip.
Why exactly did Wickham elope with Lydia? This question may have been answered somewhere in Pride & Prejudice, but I don't recall anything offhand. In the televised versions I've seen, I haven't seen it discussed to any great extent. Was it simply because she was a wide-eyed innocent that he could bed for a few days/weeks, then dump? Was it that simple? Was he avenging himself on Lizzie for beginning to favor Darcy--I don't recall the timeline offhand, but I think she mentioned him favorably to Wickham at some point prior, which took him aback.
It's just that he seemed so calculating, so determined to find a rich wife to bail him out. Granted, he had gotten himself in trouble previously as impulsiveness overcame reason--I think he's a decent enough study in run-of-the-mill sociopathy, and extended periods of failure to think past the end of one's nose is a trait of the type. I just don't see any reason for Lydia other than that she was convenient, and maybe that's reason enough. But he shot his wad with the regiment, which had seemed like a decent posting, and there was certainly no inkling that someone with Darcy's wealth would turn up to make things right. Did he need to flee creditors, and take Lydia along because she was there? But she slows him down and attracts all manner of attention.
I just don't get it.
Why exactly did Wickham elope with Lydia? This question may have been answered somewhere in Pride & Prejudice, but I don't recall anything offhand. In the televised versions I've seen, I haven't seen it discussed to any great extent. Was it simply because she was a wide-eyed innocent that he could bed for a few days/weeks, then dump? Was it that simple? Was he avenging himself on Lizzie for beginning to favor Darcy--I don't recall the timeline offhand, but I think she mentioned him favorably to Wickham at some point prior, which took him aback.
It's just that he seemed so calculating, so determined to find a rich wife to bail him out. Granted, he had gotten himself in trouble previously as impulsiveness overcame reason--I think he's a decent enough study in run-of-the-mill sociopathy, and extended periods of failure to think past the end of one's nose is a trait of the type. I just don't see any reason for Lydia other than that she was convenient, and maybe that's reason enough. But he shot his wad with the regiment, which had seemed like a decent posting, and there was certainly no inkling that someone with Darcy's wealth would turn up to make things right. Did he need to flee creditors, and take Lydia along because she was there? But she slows him down and attracts all manner of attention.
I just don't get it.
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Date: 2008-03-02 10:39 pm (UTC)Also, at the time, freckles were considered a blow against beauty. They were believed to be caused by spending too much time in the sun at a time when women were supposed to be pale (you will recall when Miss Bingley wants to insult Lizzie at the end there she remarks on how awfully brown she's gotten). The beauty books of the times frequently had "reciepts" for getting rid of freckles (I own a few, they're...astounding). Red hair was also not in fashion in the day, possibly because a lot of Irish were redheads.