A contrasting analysis between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy
- Main male character
- 28 years old
- Unmarried
- Wealthy owner of the famous family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire
- An archetype of the aloof romantic hero à Handsome, tall, and intelligent
- Not convivial, cold and aloof
- uncomfortable around people he doesn’t know very well
- seemingly arrogant character masks a sincerely generous and upright nature
- early condemned as proud and gloomy à but after Elizabeth's refusal of him, he takes her reproofs to heart and tries to change
- Income: £10,000 a year
- Primary residence: Pemberley House near Lambton in Derbyshire
- Sister: Georgiana Darcy
Scenes:
- Mr. Darcy begins his acquaintance with smug condescension and proud distaste for all the 'country' people
- Mr. Darcy slights Elizabeth, saying he won’t dance with a woman that other men reject
- Mr. Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth explaining his actions. First, he says he steered Mr. Bingley away from Jane because he believed Jane did not love him, and because the actions of Elizabeth’s family were boorish.
Second, he explains that he did not cheat Mr. Wickham out of his inheritance; rather, Mr. Wickham squandered the money that Mr. Darcy gave him and tried to seduce his little sister
- Mr. Darcy is pleasant and inviting when he meets Elizabeth and the Gardiners on his estate, Pemberley. He introduces Elizabeth to his little sister. His entire character and manner have changed
- Mr. Darcy comes back to visit the Bennets with his friend Mr. Bingley, and finding that Elizabeth has learned to love him, he proposes for a second time and she accepts
Mr. George Wickham
- A liar and in debt à he must be paid to marry her
- An old acquaintance of Darcy from childhood
- An officer in the militia unit stationed near Meryton
- Superficially charming
- Slanders Darcy and tells that Darcy has cheated him of his inheritance
- On the outside, he is a very pleasant young man, but it’s all a mask disguising his fortune-hunting, immoral, and deceptive ways
- preys on young women with money
- His lovely manners and easy-going nature fool everyone into believing that he's a good man whom Mr. Darcy has cheated out of wealth and a career
Scenes:
- Mr. Wickham arrives in Meryton with his regiment. He entertains Elizabeth with stories about the despicable Mr. Darcy, who denied him his rightful inheritance and made him a penniless beggar who had to join the military for his living
- Mr. Wickham had tried to seduce Mr. Darcy’s fifteen-year-old sister the summer before
- Mr. Wickham and Lydia run off together
- Mr. Darcy pays Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia
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