英语论文网

. "A curious degree of sexual attraction often goes with a lively, unreliable disposition, which may either be somewhat superficial but perfectly well-meaning,ordriven by circumstance which it has not the strength to withstand, become that of a scoundrel." (Douglas Bush 591)Wickhame was well on the way to being a scoundrel; but his sexual fascination was so great that Elizabeth Bennet, who was normally of a very critical turn of mind, saw at first absolutely nothing in him but made him seem the most charming man he had ever met. Wickham's constant attention to Elizabeth made her feel sure that she was in love with him. Wickham's love, however, was short-lived. Soon after he was reported to court another lady, Miss King, who possessed ten thousand pounds. A sharp contrast emerged between his agreeable appearance and mean character. He regarded love as nothing but a tool to acquire wealth. His elopement with Lydia is very sudden. It really leaves us some rooms to contemplate his real motivation. Lydia was not rich. It seemed that Wickhame's elopement with her was beyond understanding. Nevertheless, further reading clarifies the obscurity and tells us his whole character. There are two motivations behind it: 1. He was a dissolute man who never ceased seeking sexual passion. 2. He availed himself of a chance to flee his creditors. His flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances rather than by his affection to Lydia. Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, a favorite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officials, to whom her uncle's good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. Lydia was an empty-minded and uncertain flirt who never ceased seeking her own fun and sexual excitement. The only interests in her life were to flirt with red-coated officials in a militia regiment in the neighborhood. Lydia's minds were more vacant than their sisters', and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conservation for the evening. And "Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Caption Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London." (Jane Austen 58) She was so temperamental that she cried bitterly when she heard that red-coated officials would leave the local town and rejoiced when some new red-coated officials come in. As Lydia was young and empty-minded, she never give love a serious and proper consideration. Her thirsts for carnal desire and unrestrained life determine her sex-oriented marriage, Wickhame was seductive and pleasing outwardly, but mean and dirty inwardly. While Lydia, foolish and dissipated, only enchanted by his glorious appearance, see nothing of his real intention and personality. "At the opposite extreme to Collins and Charlotte, Wickhame and Lydia, who yield almost completely to personal claims" (Mark Schorer 72) The combination of pleasant Bingley and mild Jane leads to a happy marriage. Bingley was a popular person in the novel. He had a pleasant countenance and easy unaffected manners. We soon found that he was agreeable both in appearance and character. In the first ball at Netherfield, we began to make acquaintance of his personality through his behavior. " Mr Bi