What would happen if Mr. Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth was not delivered? Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), written and directed by Isobel McArthur, asks the audience to reflect on our unacknowledged erasure of servants as characters in novels, plays, and other cultural representations. Not quite a musical, this play nevertheless reimagines what an adaptation can do by turning to karaoke, with the actors grabbing microphones and singing modern songs to further the plot. The show originally opened in Glasgow in 2017 at the Tron Theatre, before gaining the support of eight regional producing theatres to produce a nationwide tour of the show. It officially moved to the West End on…
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Most Ardently: Pamela Aidan’s Mr. Darcy in An Assembly Such As This
Pamela Aidan’s An Assembly Such as This, A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman (2003) is a partial retelling of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) from the perspective of Mr. Darcy. It is the first in a series of three novels by Aidan that follow the story of Pride and Prejudice, and this volume covers the first part of Austen’s famous novel once the Bingleys have moved into the neighborhood bringing their friend, Mr. Darcy, with them. Aidan’s novel covers the events that take place from the Netherfield Ball up until Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley’s departure to London through Mr. Darcy’s perspective. She creates a character who looks…
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Yours Forevermore, Darcy: Exploring the Feminine Side of the Romance Hero
Mr. Darcy, the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice (1813), has become the model for many romance heroes. According to Deborah Kaplan, the romance hero is characterized by being “self-assured, hot-tempered, capable of passion, and often mysteriously moody” (171). All of these qualities are evident in Darcy’s character. Yet, despite Mr. Darcy’s undeniable status as a hero, his narrative remains a point of intrigue for readers and writers. Darcy’s shift from the “arrogant young man” at the beginning of Austen’s novel to the “polite gentleman whom Elizabeth marries” has generated an ongoing debate about his true character (Moler 491). The mystery surrounding Darcy might be why KaraLynne Mackrory’s novel, Yours Forevermore,…
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Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) is a staple of many Christmas movie diets. Its popularity and appeal are no wonder as the film constitutes a melding of the well-loved genres of Christmas films, rom-coms, and Austen adaptations. Although its heroine Bridget (Renée Zellweger) bears very little similarity to Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice (1813), there is one significant continuity at the heart of each work: each protagonist experiences challenges making a good romantic match in a society which systematically devalues them- albeit for disparate reasons. While Elizabeth experiences pressure to marry due to her lack of dowry and is critiqued as a result of her family’s dysfunction, Bridget’s primary issue-…
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Christmas at Pemberley Manor
Spoilers ahead! Hallmark’s Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018) is an entertaining retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813). The movie follows event planning assistant Elizabeth Bennett (Jessica Lowndes), as she organizes her first solo project, a small-town Christmas festival. An issue with the venue leads her to approach Mr. William Darcy (Michael Rady), the owner of Pemberley Manor, and convince him to let them use the property for the town festival. Elizabeth’s main goal is to find her “one true love,” and Pemberley Manor’s caretaker, who is revealed to be Santa, wants to help her make this wish come true. The movie explores the disparity between demanding bosses and…
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Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe
Pride and Prejudice is one of the most recognizable stories of the literary canon, but does it truly fit in the holiday season? As a result of the popularity of the story, it has been adapted many times and has taken a central place in holiday movie culture. The Hallmark Channel’s Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018) attempts to bring the plot of Pride and Prejudice to small-town Ohio with a gender reversed casting that pits Darcy Fitzwilliam (Lacey Chabert) against Luke Bennet (Brendan Penny). Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe quickly strays from the plot of the novel, the only similarities come from the names of characters, Darcy Fitzwilliam for Mr. Darcy…
