Pride and/or Prejudice
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife…but what of the wife? What is she in want of?
Elizabeth Bennet--but do call her Lizzie as 'Elizabeth' implies a certain degree of stodginess she'd rather not be associated with--has a theoretical answer to this question. Or, answers. A single man might be in want of a singular wife, but a single woman has a far more wide-ranging imagination and the answer differs from day-to-day; from woman-to-woman. For example, when taking a sampling pool of her sisters and mother, Lizzie receives the following answers to the question 'What must you be in want of?,' recorded in her journal as the following:
A fulfilling day helping the poor (a prototypical Jane answer), a new piano (Mary), a new spool of ribbons (Kitty), a handsome man with a fine…derriere (Lizzie was forced to censor Lydia's full reply), some goddamn peace and quiet (Mother)
Of course, none of these answers helps the swirling questions plaguing Lizzie's mind. You see, while a single woman might be in want of many, even Lizzie could not deny the truth: there is little concern placed on what females want, when station and life and English society prescribe a standard of needs. A roof over one's head, a respectable reputation, and--most bothersome of all--a husband. This, my dear reader, is the conundrum Lizzie faces: the many wants but singular needs of an English gentlewoman. It's all rather restrictive, isn't it? However, fret not, for historical accuracy has been endeavored to be ignored while creating this tale and it now entirely depends on you, dear reader, to decide what Lizzie wants and Lizzie needs.
And, most crucial of all, how she gets there.
Elizabeth Bennet--but do call her Lizzie as 'Elizabeth' implies a certain degree of stodginess she'd rather not be associated with--has a theoretical answer to this question. Or, answers. A single man might be in want of a singular wife, but a single woman has a far more wide-ranging imagination and the answer differs from day-to-day; from woman-to-woman. For example, when taking a sampling pool of her sisters and mother, Lizzie receives the following answers to the question 'What must you be in want of?,' recorded in her journal as the following:
A fulfilling day helping the poor (a prototypical Jane answer), a new piano (Mary), a new spool of ribbons (Kitty), a handsome man with a fine…derriere (Lizzie was forced to censor Lydia's full reply), some goddamn peace and quiet (Mother)
Of course, none of these answers helps the swirling questions plaguing Lizzie's mind. You see, while a single woman might be in want of many, even Lizzie could not deny the truth: there is little concern placed on what females want, when station and life and English society prescribe a standard of needs. A roof over one's head, a respectable reputation, and--most bothersome of all--a husband. This, my dear reader, is the conundrum Lizzie faces: the many wants but singular needs of an English gentlewoman. It's all rather restrictive, isn't it? However, fret not, for historical accuracy has been endeavored to be ignored while creating this tale and it now entirely depends on you, dear reader, to decide what Lizzie wants and Lizzie needs.
And, most crucial of all, how she gets there.