Not A Fan...

I read Wuthering Heights several years ago, probably at the age of 11 or 12. I don't remember much about it other than that it was weird and intense.

Having started re-reading it I can only say I'm not impressed. While I appreciate the Romantic style and see some good qualities to the work, I can't get passed the fact that it is difficult for me to get into. I keep losing my train of thought while reading it, I can't quite understand what is happening. I have to question myself several times and go back and read things again and again in order to get what is going on. For example, I kept looking back to find the name of Hindley's wife. It wasn't in the first few pages after she'd been first introduced. I kept going back to see if I had just missed it. I still couldn't tell you her name! If it is in there, it wasn't in any spot that stood out to me.

While the book has it's shortcomings I do enjoy Heathcliff, though I know some others do not like him. He is about the only character I sympathize with. I think he does follow the hero type of the time and I find his passion riveting. I somewhat remember the end of the novel but it's a bit blurry. For the reason of Heathcliff, I'm actually looking forward to finishing the story to find out what happens next! But so far in this class, Pride & Prejudice takes first place in my heart for sure.

Various Points

In class we discussed in small amount, our opinions and emotions concerning Catherine's discussion to marry Edgar. Her reasoning for doing so, made me look back at Pride and Prejudice and what we discussed on the various discussions of marriage. As a whole, our class saw Elizabeth Bennet as the strong, independent, and more modern woman.... she ultimately married for love, not because of money. She had the chance of marrying to benefit her family directly (keeping their) land, and she denied the moves of her cousin. She also could have married Mr. Darcy prior to having feelings, just to gain his wealth. Yet, neither time did she give in, not until her heart decided it was best. Now, here we have Catherine who is the complete opposite, and marries because of society and security. Her romance with Heathcliff, would be looked down upon, but it was real. Poor Heathcliff is never able to completely move on. He becomes stuck, and it is not like he doesn't have enough issues to deal with. I see her as a slave to culture, a woman without her own opinion, and worthless. To me, Heathcliff is way to good for her!

Prior to deciding on my subjects for this blog, I glanced at a few others and came across a reference to Twilight. First, I am a huuuuuggggge Twilight fan, and also remember Bella's obsession with this book, especially Heathcliff. Which explains so much... when we were discussing the hero of the time period, I pointed it out to my neighbors the similarities to Edward Cullen(Bella's love). I love Edward and i love Heathcliff. Both are lost int he world, misunderstood, mysterious, shunned by society, and extremely captivating. I know there are many in the class whom are bored or "haters" of this book, but i am really getting into the style, the story, and Heathcliff. <3

Heathcliff reminds me of ...

Okay Well, I know this is a little bit late...sorry!!! better late then never I guess...
Anyways.
Heathcliff seems to be a character that tries to hold onto the past, and possibly tries to relive it. His character reminds me so much of a character in my favorite TV series: One Tree Hill. The character he reminds me of is Dan Scott, the father of Nathan and Lucas Scott. He got Lucas's mom and Nathans mom pregnant three months apart from each other. Because of that, Dan Scott was a young father who gave up his life dream - playing in the NBA, and really anything to do with Basketball. He ends up going almost crazy with trying to relive the past, and still make his dreams come true through his son, only ending up making him almost crazy. ( Crazy enough that he kills his brother!)
Their similarities is really astonishing, and I thought of that right away when we discussed how Heathcliff is stuck in his past, much like Dan Scott. Maybe this character will eventually change as we go on deeper into the novel, but either way, I am excited to find out.

Boring!

I had previously heard very good things about Wuthering Heights and I was looking forward to reading the book. I remember reading one of the Twilight books and there being a reference about Heathcliff. I started reading the book earlier than we were supposed to and I found the book to be really confusing at first. As I read on I found that the book was sooooooo boring and I couldn't understand it. There are way too many characters with the same name or close names. I get the story within the story thing but the language and the time it was written makes it difficult. I don't really think that this book is a love story at all. And if it is a love story then it is the most boring love story ever. I need some passion and some kissing or something that shows that they have feelings for each other other than when they talk about it.

Hero or Villain

Healthcliff’s character is very ambiguous. We aren’t sure, well I’m not sure, if he is good or bad? There are some things Healthcliff says or does that seem good and some actions that seem bad. At first he seems like an awful person, he isn’t very friendly and he is not a good host. He leaves the new guy in a room full of vicious dogs, then he was going to let Lockwood walk home alone in the middle of a blizzard. How does that? But then we hear his back story and how he was an orphan taken in and who the brother didn’t accept him. Does are feeling change of Healthcliff? He fell in love with Catherine but was then treated like a slave. His life gets worse and worse, and then he hears Catherine talk bad about him. Now after so many years he has comeback all sparkled and polish with a new found fortune, but why has he come back? He takes his angry and revenge out on Isabelle. How sinister can one man be?

 Do we feel pity for him because of the situation he grew up in? Do we feel sorry for him because he lost his love? Is he the bad guy or just misunderstood?

Thats sublime...o yeah

So today during class Dr. J was talking about big "R" Romanticism and some how we ended up talking about sublime. Not the band, but during the rest of the class I couldn't help but wonder about the band. What songs have they written? Have I even heard any of them? Well tonight when I was working out I came across one of their song "What I Got" on my ipod. I decided to listen, and WHOA!! What a flash back to the 90's!
When I got home I wanted to check out some of their other songs. I thought maybe I could connect them with the books we've read in Love Stories. As I started listening to the songs and hearing the lyrics of Sublime I was hoping I could find some relating to love. I came to the conclusion that most of the "love" related songs were about dysfunctional love. Perfect, it fits right in with Wuthering Heights. In Wuthering Heights there is obviously some dysfunctional love going on. Well I hope you enjoy the flash back as much as I did today!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uc3ZrmhDN4

Creepy

Catherine turned out to be one of my least-liked characters because of her attitudes and the ways she treated Heathcliff.  She has too much of a temper that needs to be controlled.  I really feel sorry for Heathcliff and emotionally wished that the author, Emily Bronte, had at least made Catherine fall deeply in love with Heathcliff.  At least then, Catherine wouldn't be able to leave Heathcliff or treat him so harshly.  

The book is interesting, more so than Pride and Prejudice, but it's kinda creepy!  This book is a page turner because myself, the reader, wants to find out what happens next.  The reading is confusing at times, because I don't really know who's talking or who's who.  I guess I'm not used to this style of writing yet. 

Duality and Confusion

Wuthering Heights is such a weird novel. I was expecting something equivalent to Pride and Prejudice when I looked at the reading list. However, this novel is nothing like what I thought it would be.

First of all, the narrative is all over the place. In the beginning, it's clear to see that it's Lockwood speaking, but once it goes on it becomes unclear who is actually the narrator. I'm used to reading books that are somewhat confusing, but Bronte has officially stumped me. Another thing that is odd is the characters. It seems that there are multiple people per one character. For example, I never knew who the owner of Wuthering Heights was until I reread it (and I still need to go back and make sure that it's right!).

However, I also think that it is superbly written. Bronte brings forth that duality that we were talking about today. Heathcliff obviously resembles the bad half and Linton the good, but I think that there is duality within them, too. Heathcliff has both a good and a bad side as does Linton. It will be interesting to see how the relationship between the two pan out, and also how their own duality will eventually mesh in with the story.

Weird, intense relationships...

This book has really weird, intense relationships, compared to anything I have ever read. It's really hard to relate to any one for long. I will just start to think I can relate to one, then they do something horrible! Currently my least favorite character is Catherine. She seems so fake most of the time, not to mention crazy. The thing that is making me most angry about her is how she married Edgar. Her reasons were not valid! I mean one reason she gave for marrying Edgar was so that she could help Heathcliff. On page 82 it describes what shes means, "whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power." That is horrible!
She should have just told Heathcliff how she felt and he probably would not have wanted that. He would most likely just have her, instead he has to come back to her married and thinking their relationship can be the same, when it won't be.

I have also really grown to not like Nelly. For a housekeeper/whatever she is... she definitely causes way to much trouble. She seems to just like causing chaos with everyone in the family. I just don't like how she controls everyone and pretends to be on their side. Basically she can be just as fake as Catherine at times!

Destructive Love

We discussed in class today whether we are finding that we "like" or feel connected to any of the characters. I have to say that really all of the characters repulse me in some way, and I don't feel a strong emotional pull towards any of them. I feel more like I have a morbid fascination with continuing to discover their story.

I find the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine to be the most fascinating and the one that pulls me in the most. Although it's not necessarily a popular opinion, I believe that not all people who fall in love are meant to be together. I believe that some love can be so intense that it literally destroys the people involved; it's possible for a love between two people to be so strong that it can literally consume them. In my opinion, to find a love like that is amazing; I don't believe that many people ever find it and those who experience it for any length of time are lucky. But at the same time, it can't last.

If two people with such an all-consuming love stay together, there are two outcomes. Either it will bring them pain, which I think is evidenced by Heathcliff and Catherine. Even though they are not "together", simple proximity draws them to each other. They are still living out their relationship and that relationship is causing each of them to implode in different ways. Or if the two people are going to be together successfully, they have to channel their all-consuming love into a productive love that has other outlets for their passions.

complex characters

So far along in the book I have noticed that the relationships between the characters is complex. The personalities of the characters is interesting too. Lockwood makes assumptions quickly, for example, he thinks that Heathcliff is a good guy, but I disagree, he is a cruel man. Maybe his love for Catherine frustrates him, and causes his cruelty towards the people around him. I hate Catherine. What I took out of the first part of the reading is that she loves both Heathcliff and Edgar. The only reason Catherine has to love him is because he is a wealthy man and has a high status in society. Heathcliff, on the other hand, was adopted and worked his way up from having nothing as an orphan. Heathcliff and Catherine are characters I have a hard time understanding.

not getting out of class what i was hoping for?

I was not sure what to expect from this class at the beginning. What i am finding out is that it forces me to search my own sole. I am constantly questioning my personal beliefs in regards to relationships and societal norms. I am also finding out that I may be as guilty of disregarding love for societal and family pressures. I am discovering that I am not quite as internally flawless as a person as i have led my self to believe. I am still having a hard time getting into these books. I am coming to the conclusion that it is because of how the stories are driven and not by what they are about. I notice that both of the books we have read and or are reading are by female authors and that the subject matter is focused on the female as well. I see the writings and speech patterns in the book mimic the daily interactions of women. The way women typically communicate and the importance that their desires play in their thought process is evident in the readings. This style is quite difficult for the male mind to follow and receive fulfillment from. I would imagine that if a romance novel were written in the adventure style and follow a logical sequence then more men would be better educated on the inner workings and desires of women. As with the last book every scene or interaction seems to not lead to any great conclusion. It tells a back story or details an event and they accumulate. Then out of the blue it seems the point of the story is revealed and then it ends a few chapters later. As a male reader it is very frustrating and uneventful to read in this fashion. If the only thing i get from this class is a deeper understanding of myself through the class discussions, then it will be a very fruitful experience.

The Method Behind the Madness

Since we began reading Wuthering Heights, I've been trying to get my head around the characters and their actions. Right now, the character I'm most puzzled over is Catherine: I've been trying to understand why she's so - for lack of a better word - crazy.

As of right now, I have only one theory: she has a psychological disorder. Right now I'm thinking she has either bipolar disease, schizophrenia, or a mixture of both. Most likely she has a mixture, which can be a lethal combination. Why do I think this? Well, as a person who's always been very interested in psychology, I've taken a few classes, therefore have studied the symptoms of these disorders.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme highs and lows of mood, which Catherine definitely has. Proof of this is how depressed she got when Heathcliff left the first time, how excited and giddy she was when he came back, and the stupor she sunk into at the end of our reading.

Proof that she may have schizophrenia is everywhere in the book. It can be characterized by extreme changes in mood, like bipolar, and by delusions and hallucinations, which she definitely had at the end of our reading.

So so far, I think I have quite a bit of support for my theory, but I will just have to wait and see if I'm even anywhere close to being right, I suppose.

Wuthering Heights

I really like this book, much more than Pride and the Prejudice. I love the character Heathcliff, he just has something about him that draws me in. I however, can not stand the character Catherine. Her selfish behavior and temper tantrums, completely drives me nuts. I think that is part of the point, I don't think she's meant to be a lovable character. Her biggest priority seems to be herself, everyone and everything else comes second to that. Maybe she'll develop more as a person as the story continues but so far, I'm doubting it.

The parts with the child abuse in this book is really hard for me to stomach. The part where Hindley almost kills the child, Hareton, was the worst so far. I had to stop reading the book for awhile and come back to it later in the day. I do think it adds a certain, hero like quality to Heathcliff when he saves Hareton. I think the author does this purposely, by having such a dramatic scene, with the savior of the little boy being due to Heathcliff. She's drawing you in to like Heathcliff, despite his angst and overall rough demeanor. So far, he is definitely my favorite character.

I like the narrative perspective of Nelly. In some situations, I do thinks she eggs on the drama and deliberately puts her nose in every one's business. But her life has always been so centered around these people, it's obvious she has no other family of her own. I don't despise her for this nor can I really blame her. It seems to be a way of entertainment or purpose to a life that is really, not her own. I think I've grown to like her because of her kind treatment to Hareton and how she tried to protect him from Hindley when he was a small child. Maybe as a mother myself it easy for me to relate to this behavior, hence the reasons why I tend to like her as a person in that scenario.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this book. I tend to like the more mysterious, dark romances as compared to one such as Pride and the Prejudice. I just think it's more eye catching and easier to become enthralled by the story.

What is dirty or is it all the same?

In class a few weeks ago we discussed the difference between the romance novel and a love story and how people mix the two up and take them for one in the same. Just as people confuse love and sex as meaning and being the same thing, which we all know to be two completely things and mean two different things. When you are young you take your infatuation with someone and mistake it for being in love, same thing happens when you start having sex at a young age you mistake sex for love or having sex with someone means that they are in love with you and you them. But that is not always the case. You learn the true meaning of love and what it means to be in love as you grow older and learn from your past mistakes. The same can be said for the meaning of sex, you learn that you do not have to be in love with someone to have sex with them and that just because that person wants to have sex with you does not mean that they love you being love with the person you are having sex with is just a bonus and a great one.

The romance novel and the love story are similar to what I was talking about in the last paragraph they are often mixed up and people are lead to believe that they are one in the same which we all know them to mean and be two totally different things just as sex and love are two totally different things. We are lead by stereotypes and society to believe that a romance novel and a love story are just two phrases used to explain the same type of book. Just as society makes the romance novel out to be this dirty obsession that many women in America have. That again implies the double standard with men and women; men have their Playboy magazines, Maxim, and Hustler that are sold almost everywhere you go and that is ok in societies eyes and men to not get looked down on or talked about in any way for buying them or reading them in fact it is a great showing of their manhood and masculinity. But on the other hand women can’t read a novel whether it be a love story or a romance novel without some sort of snide remark or a disapproving look, because to society women are reading smut and it’s dirty. But if you ask me what is dirty naked or barely dressed pin ups and pictures of women or a novel where you have to use your imagination, I’m going to go with the pictures and pinup magazines. The main reason for me is the fact that all you have to do is open the magazine to see the pictures with the novel you actually have to read!

Ellen, good or bad?

Ellen, or Nelly... is not put out there to be but is a very important character in the book, she is the narrorator and a sort of a puppet player too. Though a good story has to include some drama, I dont get why she didnt step in more situations that could have been avoided. Whether she took the power or not she was like a mother to most of the children, though they didnt treat her that way. She aided in raising them and they would go to her in times of trouble. Yeah she was considered under them but why didn't she push the "label" aside and use the power to her advantage. She shouldn't have even cared about the "label" seeing as how there was so much crazy business going on. Like with Hareton, instead of being a by-standard and almost getting him killed, she could have took the baby and ran. Or with Catherine telling her of the love she had  for both the kids, it's was obviously showen that she was more inlove with Heithcliff and instead of saying that to Catherine she was vain and because Catherine treated her badly she didn't care to give proper advice.

Love is getting in the way of wealth!

Wuthering heights, this book unlike pride and prejudice is more adventure and mysterious and I like It. In a way I can kind of get into this book, because I find that you really need to focus and follow along. There’s one thing that really gets me in this book and that’s figuring out who the characters are. Is Catherine and Cathy two different people? That’s one of my biggest questions in this book. These is also another confusing point in the book and that’s who is Nelly talking to. Is she telling a story to someone, or is she just telling a story? In the beginning Catherine goes to Wuthering heights and then when she gets back home she’s sitting by a fire and Nelly starts talking, so is she telling this whole story to the Young Catherine? In class we keep talking about how Cathy is leading on Heathcliff, but I think that the only reason is because back then just like pride and prejudice money and wealth was more important then anything. My favorite quote in the book was somewhere in chapter 9. Cathy said she loved heathcliff but if she married him she would be a beggar and with edger she will be rich, and that her love for heathcliff is like rocks underground it’s unnoticeable but useful. These two sentences really in a way help me not think that shes leading on heathcliff because back then you didn’t search for love you searched for money and rich families. But in a way love is getting in the way of wealth.

could be interesting....

I'm not quite sure what I think of the book yet. It always helps out a lot when we discuss the issues in class. At first this book was a little confusing to me, but now its to the point where I would like to read more and be able to understand where it is trying to take me. I really agree with the big romanticism ideas. I've read all of the twilight books, and I know a character like Edward Cullins isn't right but it still really catches my interest because the characteristics are so mysterious. I think that a mysterious side always makes a more interesting character. I want to read about a character or story that will always keep me guessing. When you can predict what will happen in a story, it makes a boring and predictable ending. The mystery and all of the ups and downs really make a good love story because I think that's what love is about. You never know what will happen next.....

It Is What It Is

STRESS!!! i feel like i'm behind in every class and im freaking out. Especially after to day in class i found out we needed FOUR love letters not just one so i quickly added 3 journals to the end of it and hopefully it counts. Anyways its thursday and its my last day of school so i'm kicking in to carefree mode.

Back to the book, absolutely hate it. It is the scum between my toes, it makes me want to vomit. Love Travis.. now Little Rascals, thats a love story thats interesting :D im hoping that like many other books i have read in Dr.J's classes such as truck, will get better the further the book goes on and the more the story can develop. The things i wish i could change about the book is make it easier to read because right now i feel like i am reading a book that is wrote in the language that sloth speaks on the goonies.. ridiculous. hopefully its not just because i'm dumb but i think its more the book. i,m keeping my fingers crossed on this book so wish me luck!

Stay Classy San Diego

I think I get this book ...

I am rather confused in a good, bad and intriguing way with this new book, Wuthering Heights. In a good way because it captures my attention; I want to know what is going on and why Emily Bronte writes in this way. Why these characters act the way they do, why the place is so dark, the setting is like ... a horror film. i.e. when the 'ghost' came into the picture I was confused. Is the ghost real or not? The ghost was bleeding, which means it is not a ghost but a real person? Plus it sounds like a good horror movie because I am into horror films.

A bad way because I don't know what is going on at all. There are so many characters that sound or start alike. I don't know who is who and it confuses and frustrates me because ... I just want to know who is who, what is what and what is going on in this story. It is supposed to be a romance or love story novel, but it all seems so dark and the total opposite of what most romance novels are.

Intruiging because it lures the reader in to know what is happening, why and how come the author writes in this way. Of course, I am frustrated with the dialogue and point of views, but I will continue to read this book. I like how it intruiges me, minus the fact that it makes me so frustrated with all the characters where as in Pride and Prejudice I was able to catch on with the characters even though there were a lot of them.

But at the moment, I can kind of sense the 'love' in this book because of (if i am correct) Heathcliff & Isabella thing and Heathcliff and Catherine and Catherine and Edgar thing? It's kind of like ... a love triangle between all of them, if they are present characters at the moment.

I just hope this book is as good as it sounds! :s

The True Love Story

I recall the class prior to beginning the reading of Pride and Prejudice, the subject was brought up about whether people would see this novel as a romance/love novel. It has all of the subject matter that would be part of an excellent "romantic" novel(at least it enticed my emotions). The problem with today's culture(and what I assume takes part in the majority of modern romance fiction) is the overuse of sex, lust, and the two being the greatness of love. Yes, I can see where the readers would enjoy that, but I felt more suspense and thrill from the tensions(roller coaster ride) of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship. Also, isn't one of the great ideals of the romantic, "love conquering all"? If so, than the political/social message involving the book and them still saying "screw" the rest of the world we are in love, being the best example of "love conquers".

Another little tide bit I want to add before I finish.... I do think the ending was perfect. The blunt and simplistic ending fit. One huge reasoning being my whole last paragraph.

Changes in marriage

After discussing in class we came to a conclusion that marriage and its rituals has changed significantly over time. As we read in Pride and Prejudice the marriage proposal from Mr. Collins to Elizabeth was way different from what we expect now. Back then marriage was not all about being in love, but to make sure that one would have all of the essential equalities of being a married couple in society. Today marriage is based off of love and not based on the status one would get in society. As Elizabeth turned down the proposal from Mr.Collins, this is not something that we would see as often today. Today when marriage is forming it is usually a for sure that the wife will say yes. In Pride and Prejudice no marriage is a guarantee. After realizing how different things are now today from back then it starts to raise questions. How have these changes been made? Who made these changes happen? Maybe people like Elizabeth who did not just marry because her parents wanted her to, but married because she was in love had effects on others and got them thinking. There are so many possibilities that could come into effect as the generations change.

On the rise

Back in the days of Jane Austan, women were educated differently than men. Education can also change due to social status and wealth. If a family was not that wealthy the boys were apprentices to business men or the crafter; like the blacksmith or the shoe maker. The women probably did not get an education at all, they learned everything from their mothers.

If a family was of wealth and fortune, they hired a tutor. But most of the time the girls learn different skills from their Governess than the boys did from their tutor. Women learn the cooking and the cleaning, sewing and entertaining.  Women would learn how to sing or play an instrument or more like the piano to entertain the guest that their husbands have invited. The more educations and the more knowledge and skills a women had, the more appealing she was to marry. More education most likely mean wealthy.

Even when women were allowed to go to college, no one took them seriously and women still get paid less for doing the same job as a man. But more and more women are continuing there education onto college. In this chart of years 1972 to 2001 the number of females going to college has been increasing, and it still is increasing.

Where will we be in another 10 years? Another 20? Maybe women will rules the world and only women will be allowed to go to college and maybe men will stay home.

Pride and Prejudice ending.

I really enjoyed reading the Pride and the Prejudice, much more than I thought I would when I started the first few chapters. I normally am picky about what type of romance books I read. I loved the eloquent conversations and word use throughout the book. That's something I really feel we're losing in our society (if we haven't lost it already). It is refreshing to read a story of when the simplicity of a conversation was so well thought out and vocabulary enriched every sentence. Even the more minor, ostentatious characters (like Lydia) had an excellent vocabulary. Of course, Jane Austen is an amazing author, her books are well known for a reason, she was immensely talented.

I thought the ending was well suited for the story. It was simple and to the point. Like in the article we read for class, most aspects of a romance novel is the build up to the actual uniting between the hero and heroine. I found this to be very true for Pride and the Prejudice. After the initial time Mr. Darcy proposed to Jane I found myself just dying for him to come back into the story, especially after the letter he wrote her, justifying and explaining himself. The book builds such suspense and anticipation while you wait for these two to finally connect with each other. However, like some of the others have stated on here, I do wish that the ending would've had more details of after their marriage. Not just social class details, or living situations but affectionate conversations between the two. More apparent declaration, so to speak, of their love for each other. But then, that might not have tied into each character's personalities, who both seem to be more on the "less gushy" side. But regardless, I thought it was a wonderful book.

happily ever after? really??

Like everyone else, I thought the ending is just an easy way to end the book. With the complications that went on throughout the book, marrying off all the girls is just completely boring to me. I did not expect it at all actually. From the start, Mrs. Bennett just wanted all her daughters to get married and get away from home, it was her soul purpose at that point in time. I can't believe Jane Austin actually made that happen. It's a very disappointing way to end the story. It's actually a good thing that the book doesn't go on because I don't think I would read any more of it. I understand that many people like seeing a "happily ever after" in romance novels, but in this case it just is not as satisfying as most would think it to be. As I was reading the book the past couple of weeks, I admit, I hoped all the Bennett girls would find men to marry, but since it happened I was surprised that I was hoping for a more exciting ending.

Happily Ever After?

In class today, we were talking about the ending to Pride and Prejudice and how some people in the class didn't like how it ended or that it seemed to take so long to build up to the engagement and the ending was not as satisfying as they thought it would be.  Well, that got me thinking about movie endings that are from the romance/drama genre, especially since we mentioned the movie Titanic and how that ended with the character of Rose walking up the grand staircase to a waiting Jack.  It was mentioned in class about the book being more about the buildup and not about the engagement/wedding.  I have noticed that it happens frequently in other books I have read and movies I have watched.  Off the top of my head I can think of 2 movies, Letters to Juliet (2010) and When in Rome (2010), that are more about the buildup than about the ultimate happy ending and what happens after the couple finally ends up together.  I think if books and movies had less buildup storyline, meaning less drama for instance, I think the story would be a lot shorter and have less drama.  It seems that people don't always like that buildup and would prefer to just get to the ending or to have more of what happens after the engagement/wedding.  I actually think that the buildup is what makes the story and while I want to see what eventually happens, I enjoy reading about the conflicts and what leads up to the ending.  I can say that I was glad that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy finally put aside their prides and prejudices so they could have that happy ending.

A (not so) satisfying ending?

I thought today was an interesting class. I've read Pride and Prejudice before (and seen the most recent film version) and it is great to hear things from others' perspectives to help me see things in a new way. I have always thought of the ending of the book to be happy and emotionally satisfying, to me, at least. And beyond that, I didn't think about it much. Now hearing that others have a less than positive view on the way Austen tied things up, I am forced to really examine how I feel.

As a writer myself, I want to believe that Austen did everything deliberately. I hope she chose every word with care, every paragraph purposely. I would think she knew why every sentence was where it was and I hate the idea that she got lazy at the end. Rather, I prefer to believe she summed things up so tidily and some might say, quickly, because she had a good reason.

I think the ending is the way it is simply because, as someone said in class "it is the journey, not the destination."

BEING married wasn't all that exciting in Jane's day from society's point of view, at least not from what I can tell. Oh, no- it was the GETTING there that had everyone hustling and bustling about, gossiping, flirting and doing what they could to secure a decent marriage. So, in my opinion, Jane Austen chose the ending she did because the conclusion had been made- Elizabeth and Darcy made up, all was well and they were going to get married. Just what we, as readers, have wanted all along, right?

I do confess, the romantic in me wishes there was more to the final pages- more fire, more lovey-dovey words, more everything! What happened to the very heated exchanges made between the two at several points throughout the book? Nobody could deny that either characters lacked passion. It just seems as though this author chose to highlight their passion up until the most (or one of the most) pivotal scenes.

Love Jane Austen, love the book. The ending? I'm just lukewarm on that...

Satisfied?

Preferring happy endings where the hero marries the heroine and they live "happily" ever after, and possibly, they have some children.  I was some what satisfied when Darcy and Elizabeth gets married, and Bingley married Jane.  In my opinion, those were the four main, satisfying characters, all having satisfied endings of love and marriage.  Although, Lydia and Wickham were minor characters with not much of a love-marriage, they did get married because Lydia thought she loved Wickham.  And that's what counts for me.  

Pride and Prejudice was a hard for me to read and understand.  Jane Austen's style of writing was different to me and I wasn't used to it.  I had to re-read, trying to understand what the sentence meant, and mentally visualize what I was reading.  This was probably why I picked up the book but put it back on the selves in the first place.  The reading just didn't interest me.  Overall, the story-telling, the romance, the book it-self was okay.  Would I read it again?  Probably not.  I'd much prefer to watch the movie instead.  Much easier and quicker for me to grasp and understand.  

eng 281: love stories: The Journey

eng 281: love stories: The Journey: I definately agree with the fact that the ending wasn't a big deal that it ended so soon. The point of the book was to explain the life of the people and the relationships, responsibilities, morals and social norms of this time. It is the story that should be interesting even though some didnt find it that way. I think were so used to extreme constant thrilling material that we can't settle for the trials young people go through make their future life. I enjoyed the story because it was written like you were in the story because there's always rumors and people talking. This is realistic. The falling after the climax didnt matter becuase it was just more normal life.

Elizabeth's Choice

In the supplemental reading for today, Pamela Regis discusses the evolvement from the male hero to the female heroine in the romance novel. Regis states that the heroine "rejects various encumbrances imposed by the old society to arrive at a place where society stops hindering her" (30). She further explains that during the course of a romance novel the heroine moves from a "state of unfreedom to one of freedom" (30).

To me, it seems that Regis is describing a feminist character. Although feminism was not a part of the vernacular during Austen's time, women have always (consciously or subconsciously) sought the right to make their own choices. To me, this means that in order to be a valid romance heroine, a woman needs to embody feminist actions; at some point in the story she is oppressed - often by societal influences - and throughout the book she gains enough self-assurance and self-understanding to liberate herself from whatever has been holding her back. By the end of the romance novel, the heroine feels free to choose her own choice.

In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is this character. At the beginning of the story she is oppressed by the structure of her society as well as her own self-imposed restraints. Throughout the novel, she is able to examine the world around her as well as her own self, and by the end of the novel she is able to choose the man and the life that she truly knows will make her happiest.

Reaction to end of P&P

Over the weekend I was reading the assignment for Tuesday and I decided that I wanted to finish the rest of the book. I wanted to get to the part where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finally got together. I finished reading book Sunday evening and my first reaction was "this is it?" I thought the ending was boring and I felt like there needed to be a wedding or something more than just a wrap up of everything. I don't think there should have been a wedding between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth but I think the book would have been better with a wedding between Jane and Mr. Bingley. I'm sure Jane Austen had a reason for ending the book the way she did and I think that because of the romance novels and love stories we read today that I expected there to be a lovey dovey ending.

Parenting styles and money

Its interesting to see the dramatic change in parenting skills that Mr.Bennet displays through out the story. As well as oddly indifferent ways of Mrs.Bennet .We first see that Mr.Bennet is really distant to all his children. He is what we call a permissive parent in the beginning, by letting his daughters do whatever they want and just calling them silly for it. I think through out the book he becomes a better parent through his daughters actions, he becomes aware of them for two reasons. First is that he had to learn a big lesson that instilling morals and watching your children were important because the fact that he didn't led to him having to be financially worried because of the Lynda hunband crisis. Second is that when his daughters threw him into a social world where reputation was everything, and people saw how the girls were acting, he got a glimse or a wake up call of that that wasnt the right thing to do, in the case of not letting Kitty go with her once wild sister Lynda. He was always a good father in the way he loved his children but since he put rules down on Kitty it made her a better person.

Mrs. Bennet on the other hand is a different story. She displays the exact behavior of her steriotype husband-money wanting woman. Through the book she doesn't change at all. It's sad that the girls could change only the father's views on life, that just opening him up to what was really happening with his family opened his eyes to change but Mrs.Bennet was always stuck in the dark because she was so driven for her goal. Becuase the change of  Mr.Bennet, the house should be more disiplined but it really didn't matter now because it is too late, now his daughters are pretty much raising Kitty becuase they have the money to do so. Its interesting to think that if the Bennets were rich from the start I think that the girls would have been more well kept in character, but would Elizabeth be the way that she was, or any of the girls for that matter. I think they wouldn't have as different personalitites that they had, but rather ones more like the Bingley sisters. If they were rich to begin with I dont think Mr.Darcey would be interested in Elizabeth but i still think that Jane and Mr.Bingley would because they're relationship and character aren't very strong.

emotionally satisfying?

Okay so I thought that I would not like Pride and Prejudice all that much because I thought it would be rather boring. But I actually did like it, I mean its not like the usual books I read but it still captured my interest. I think the ending could have been better, but for the style of book it is I think it was pretty good. It was emotionally satisfying because it really didn't leave anything for you to want that wasn't already implied. In class there was some discussion about if an ending could be emotionally satisfying without a betrothal, and I definitely think there can be. In the time of Pride and Prejudice it probably would be unsatisfying without a betrothal but with all the different kinds of love stories out there now, there can be a ton of different emotionally satisfying endings without betrothal.

Another point I wanted to talk about was about Wickham and Lydia. I think that they were definitely not in love. Maybe Lydia thought she was at first, but after a while you can tell she isn't. Wickham didn't love Lydia, he only married her because Darcy bribed him into it. On page 366 it pretty much tells how they don't love each other. " His affection for her soon sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer; and in spite of her youth and her manners; she retained all the claims to reputation which her marriage had given her."

Basically I feel like the book kind of ended with a "happily ever after" for the main couples (not Wickham and Lydia). Not the fairy tale kind obviously but a pretty good one anyways. Mrs. Bennet gets three of her five daughters married so she can relax for a while, Mr. Bennet probably then gets his time to relax since she is, and the two elder sisters have their own little happily ever afters with the men they love.

What was with the Ending?!??

Well, to begin with, the ending was a bit confusing and blurry. I didn't really understand what happened, so I had to read it again, and I began to understand it. It could have been written better, as for how the book took so long to write. Did Jane Austen just get lazy with writing the book that she just whipped the ending together? Because I honestly think that she could have made it more clear and have more of an emphasis that Darcy and Elizabeth do get married, and that their engagement is essentially the climax of the book.
Once that was clarified that they were engaged for sure, I thought that the book was alright.
I really didn't like Lady Catherine too much, she's too stuck up and snobby, because she's too prejudice and blind to see anything clearly except for things that mattered to her: money and social status.
It also wasn't really fair of her to just brush aside Elizabeth and not really see how she has a really strong and endearing personality.
Other than that, the book was decent.

All choked up!!!

Oh my Gosh... pride and prejudice is differently a book I would recommend to someone who don't find reading as entertained as it is. In pride and prejudice, its the type of book that keeps me on the edge of my set anxiously waiting to find out what happens next. I was very satisfied with this book except for one thing. I feel like we wait, and we wait for the love to come strong and everyone share there feeling and everyone marries the one that they know they can’t live without. So we get to the last chapter and that's when all the excitement happens and I felt like Jane Austen was to in a hurry to make the end on the book. don't get me wrong the end was amazing and it really put a answer to all my thoughts when reading the book and all my " I wonder if the ending will be like this " type of questions, but I think to make this book even better. Is to tell what happens a few years down the road and how they are still in love and how there love never died. I feel that would be a way better ending to really get the whole idea that the Bennet sisters really did marry and it was the right choice and how love worked its way in the end.

Not happy.

I am still sticking with my very unpopular opinion that the ending of "Pride and Prejudice" was terrible and rushed. I will also point out that the book as a whole was very slow and did not seem to move in any kind of discernible direction. We knew that Mrs.Bennett wanted her daughters married and that the story was to revolve around that. However the interactions between all of the characters were very short and seemed to lack information and resolutions. Then it was off to another scene with another set of characters and the same problems with context and meaningful events to move the story along.

I would argue that if you removed half to three quarters of the characters in this book it may have been possible to craft a very deep, personal, and engaging story while still written in the gossipy speech pattern that it was.

Jane Austen attempts to write an epic love story on a grand scale. In her attempt she has so many characters and uses their back stories to show how they are related or acquainted to the main characters. By doing this she loses the focus of the love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Then finds herself having to push for a simple and neat ending to something that was never really developed in the first place.

I found myself hoping for more from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth while I was reading. I would get a small character insight or a slight story or character arc and then be left with nothing. As soon as something of interest was there it was gone again. Unfortunately the whole read was very frustrating and disappointing. I have read several "classic" books and am usually pleasantly surprised by what is written and how the stories are told. This book is not one of those.

I look forward to seeing if it is the writing styles or the content in the upcoming books ,that I am finding so displeasing. I have watched and enjoyed love stories in the past. Titanic is one of the movies that I had no desire to see, yet when I did I was captivated and on the edge of my seat to see how the story evolved and ended.

The Journey

In class today we talked about whether or not we thought the ending to Pride and Prejudice was a "happy ending." I was surprised to find that a few people weren't satisfied. Yes, I agree that the ending was a bit rushed, but I still found it satisfying.

I actually found the sort of rushed ending that Pride and Prejudice had to be similar to a lot of more contemporary books. Most of the books I read go into great length while building up to the climax, and then. . . . It's over. There's a resolution lasting maybe one or two chapters at most, and it's the end of the book. So maybe I found it to be satisfying because I'm used to that kind of ending from what I read.

But I think that those sorts of rushed endings are quite common today. Movies, as well as books, have endings like that. Most movies reach the climax point, resolve, and have maybe one scene after the climax to resolve anything further. They don't go into detail on what happens after, because that's not as important as what happens to get them there. Like someone said in class today, "It's the journey that matters, not the destination."

Past, Present and Future

After finishing the novel Pride and Prejudice and our class discussion today I felt that there are a lot of things open for discussion or debate depending on the individual. I would like to start with the marriage of Wickham and Lydia and how for the times the fact that they ran away together not even to elope but to run away and stay together in sin as it would have been referred to was looked on as a black mark on the family and makes them or Lydia at least look bad and shameful. As a reader it would depend on the time period that you lived in how you would look upon what they did whether it is shameful or acceptable. In my eyes I didn't look at what they did with shame but then in the day and age of today what they did happens all the time and young people do not have to run away to do it. You could look at it as some sort of preview into the future of how things change and adapt over a period of time. That one thing that is socially unacceptable at one time over the years becomes accepted. I mean if you think about it if people still believed the way they did in the time Pride and Prejudice was written could you imagine what it would have been like in the 1960's free love period all the families that would have been black marked? I mean the opposition was there and it was socially unacceptable but there was no way to stop them from doing the things they were doing because there were too many of them and it wasn't just locally oriented; yes Height Ashbury was a big breeding ground but the movement was happening all over.

Which leads me to another example of show casing future events or traits? The type of woman that Elizabeth was a strong and an independent woman is what the women in the 1960's began coming into. Elizabeth was trying to be in control of her life, mind and who she was in the time she lived. The young women of the 1960's wanted the same thing they wanted to break free from the stereo type of marrying your high school and be a homemaker (the Ozzie and Harriett) and having babies. They began pursuing a college education, joining the work force, taking the pill (birth control) which was very taboo then because you just should not be having sex until you are married so these young women began to take a stand for who they are and what they wanted to do for themselves as women. Which you can see in Elizabeth they may not be the same traits but they are a form of her either wanting to or by accident becoming an independent women. You see it in the was that she speaks to Darcy and in the other things she does for example in the beginning when she walks to see Jane who is sick and gets all covered in mad and the women of the Bingley house look down upon her for what she did. I see it as a show of independence in that you won’t take me to see my sister and I don’t trust you I will make the walk on my own just to know that she is ok. That is a great example of very head strong independent women.

So as you see you could take many of the situations out of the novel and tie them into everyday life for the time period in which you live. The situations may be examples of the time it was written in but there are also many examples of how things have changed and progressed and that these novels may have helped to pave the way for those changes. They may not have downright contributed but they may have planted the seed.