Alright, alright, let’s talk about them fellas in Jane Austen’s stories, the men, you know? What kind of guys were they? Well, some good, some bad, just like real life, I reckon.
The Good Ones, Maybe?
You got your Mr. Darcy type, real proud and stuck-up at first. Snobby, you know? Thinkin’ he’s better than everyone else. But then, he kinda softens up, falls for that Elizabeth Bennet girl. Shows he’s got a good heart under all that fancy talk and big house. He ain’t perfect, mind you. Still got that pride, but he learns, he changes. That’s somethin’, ain’t it?
Then you got your Mr. Knightley. Now, he’s a good man, steady as a rock. Always there for Emma, givin’ her good advice, even when she don’t wanna hear it. He’s older, wiser, you know? Not flashy, but dependable. The kind of fella you want by your side when things get tough. He ain’t perfect neither, a bit bossy maybe, but he means well.
- Mr. Darcy: Starts off proud, learns to be humble.
- Mr. Knightley: Steady, reliable, good advice-giver.
The Not-So-Good Ones, Watch Out!
But then, oh honey, you got your stinkers too. Like that Mr. Wickham fella. Smooth talker, handsome, charmin’ the ladies left and right. But rotten to the core, that one. Lyin’, gamblin’, runnin’ off with other people’s money and sisters. He’s the kind you gotta watch out for, the kind that’ll break your heart and steal your purse. Don’t trust a pretty face, that’s what I always say.
And then there’s Mr. Elliot, from Persuasion. Now, he’s a sneaky one. All polite and proper on the outside, but inside, he’s just lookin’ out for himself. Wants to marry Anne just for her money and connections. Cold as a fish, that one. Don’t care about nothin’ but his own gain. These smooth talkers, they always cause the most trouble. Just you wait and see.
What’s it all Mean, Anyway?
So, what’s this Jane Austen tryin’ to tell us with all these different kinds of men? Well, I reckon she’s sayin’ that people are complicated. Nobody’s all good or all bad. Even the good ones got their flaws, and even the bad ones got somethin’ that makes ’em tick. It’s what they choose to do that matters.
Them Changing Times
And see, back in them days when Jane Austen was writin’, things were changin’ for men. Used to be, you were a man if you had a big house and lots of land. But now, money was startin’ to matter more, and manners too. You had to know how to talk to the ladies, how to dance, how to be a gentleman. Some of them men, they got it, some of ’em didn’t. Just like today, I guess.
Looking Deep Down
Jane, she was real good at lookin’ deep down inside people. She saw what made ’em tick, what they wanted, what they were afraid of. And she showed us all that in her books. Them men, they ain’t just characters on a page, they’re like people you know, people you might meet in your own life. Some you’d trust with your life, others you wouldn’t trust with a chicken.
Strong Women, Strong Men… Sometimes
And the women in them stories, they ain’t pushovers neither. They got their own minds, their own opinions. They ain’t afraid to stand up to them men, even when it ain’t easy. And that, I reckon, is what makes them stories so good. It’s about figuring out who’s worth your time, man or woman, and who ain’t.
So, there you have it. Them men in Jane Austen’s books. Some good, some bad, some in between. Just like real life, I tell ya. Just like real life.
A Final Thought, If You Will
Jane Austen, she understood people, that’s for sure. And she showed us that men, well, they’re just men. Flawed, complicated, sometimes wonderful, sometimes terrible. You just gotta learn to see ’em for who they really are, and make your choices accordingly. Don’t let a fancy coat or smooth talk fool ya, listen to your gut.
Tags: [Jane Austen, Men, Masculinity, Characters, 19th Century Literature, Social Commentary, Relationships, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma]
