In the BBC Television mini-series of Pride and Prejudice based on the novel written by Jane Austin, there is one section that I really noted as religious. It is a long film, about 5 hours, and so I am only going to discuss the part dealing with Elizabeth, the second of five daughters, and her cousin’s patronage Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine is wealthy, lives in a daunting mansion-like home as well as the aunt of one of Elizabeth’s admirers, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy has been promised since birth to Lady Catherine’s daughter but he has no interest in her. Although the plotline is hard to describe in just a few minutes I want to describe to scenes in which I noted a transition from profane to sacred time for Lady Catherine de Bourgh due to Elizabeth’s character. Elizabeth is visiting her cousin for a long time and goes to dinner at Lady Catherine’s at least twice a week. At these dinners, instead of being awed by her majestic home, muted by her domineering nature, and ashamed of her poorer circumstances, Elizabeth is outspoken and set in her ways. It is in these conversations that the movie focuses on Lady Catherine’s face as she is shocked by what she sees as impertinence, and her eyebrows raise and makes her dislike for someone standing up to her. She is always in control of the conversation and people grovel at her feet, normally, but not Elizabeth. This is the first scene that I think the time goes from being the everyday experiences of being honored, to sacred when a time of decision is made, she is either going to allow disrespect of nip it in the bud. Elizabeth, in the end gives in and lowers her head and allows discussion to continue.
Skipping to a later, Lady Catherine hears rumors that her nephew, Mr. Darcy, is engaged to Elizabeth Bennett. Lady Catherine’s life is yet again being disrupted by Elizabeth and is forced to take matters into her own hands. She goes with all her majestic 6 horse carriage, barouche coach, and manservant to deal with Elizabeth. The film focuses on all of her grandeur and her disdain for Elizabeth’s poor family. All of Elizabeth’s sisters and mom are amazed by the horses and carriage and the presence of the Lady herself, but Elizabeth is unfazed. She instead refuses to give an answer to Lady Catherine’s demands to know if she and Mr. Darcy are engaged until severely pressed. In this process, Lady Catherine is no longer in her normal place, her routine has been thrown off and she had been placed in the position of having to make a decision in order to save her daughter’s marriage to Mr. Darcy. Her attempts to shock and awe Elizabeth with her surprise visit, although ruffle her feathers, does not give her what she sought.
It is in these scenes between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth that both are experiencing sacred time. Elizabeth realizes people are talking of her and Mr. Darcy, whom she is gaining affection for secretly, and that Lady Catherine is dependent on her. She is forced to step out of her lowly family connections compared to Lady Catherine, and stand up for herself.
I absolutely love this movie and it was interesting to analyze these two characters under the lens of religious time. I just love when the tables are turned and they are walking outside in The Bennett garden instead of in the darkness of the de Bourgh dining room. The stark differences are also symbolic of the freedom that Elizabeth experiences and the constraints that Lady Catherine feels due to society and personal choice of pushing people away.
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