Sir William Lucas & CLASS | What is a Knight? Jane Austen PRIDE AND PREJUDICE social class analysis

[@DrOctaviaCox]

If you like the work I do, then you can support it here: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=D8LSKGJP2NL4N Thank you very much indeed for watching my channel.

[@vivianp1618]

Thank you so much for these videos. Are you able to do a video explaining the distinction between the terms "fashionable" and "respectable" in Austen novels?

[@darthlaurel]

Elizabeth's lack of awe for Lady Catherine is another way that Austen shows she is a fit wife for Darcy. She takes rank in stride and is confident in her own just as he is.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Yes, great point. Perhaps learnt from the Gardiners? All three are confident in themselves, and in their abilities (even if Lizzy is slightly knocked by the Darcy / Wickham affair), which we can see when they visit Pemberley together.

[@glendodds3824]

Hi. All in all, as the daughter of a country gentleman with a large income, Elizabeth had good reason to feel confident.

[@sarah4hp]

@@glendodds3824 not really, as she is clearly very aware that the fact that their father's estate is going to Mr. Collins is something that makes them a lot less likely to make a good match. She simply refuses to let that make her feel less than, and to allow that money and rank is a reflection of worth, which is impressive.

[@glendodds3824]

As Lady Catherine de Bourgh acknowledged, Elizabeth was 'very genteel' and she was thus not overawed by Lady Catherine or intimidated by rich people of lower birth than herself like the upstart Bingley sisters. Moreover, although Elizabeth's circumstances were certainly not ideal, as a pretty, intelligent and vivacious daughter of a country gentleman she had decent prospects of marrying a man of substance, either a fellow member of the gentry or at least a lawyer or well-to-do business associate of her uncle, Mr Gardiner.

[@rachelace6102]

So I suppose it's easy for a monarch to hand out knighthoods left and right if it can't be inherited by his family. It's flattering, but it really doesn't elevate his family at all.

[@iluvmusicals21]

Charlotte learned how to "suffer fools" by living with her father, so she knew she could put up with Mr. Collins.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

I'm not sure she suffered fools gladly necessarily, but I agree with you - I think she was well versed in coping with them.

[@cedarcottagefarm2885]

Charlotte is 27 with no prospects and no money. Mr Collins has a respectable job. I never put the absurd father and absurd husband connection together. I will look at Charlotte differently now.

[@iluvmusicals21]

@@DrOctaviaCox not gladly, but Charlotte is very pragmatic.

[@stannieholt8766]

Good point! I never connected the two before. (I will say, Sir William strikes me as kinder and more easy-going than Mr. Collins, who is very judgmental. And while he’s a doofus socially, he must have enough wits to have prospered in business.)

[@kirstena4001]

But Mr. Collins and Sir Lucas are silly for very different reasons. Mr Collins does not have that same discomfort with his station or 'situation in life'. His extreme deference to authority apparently came from his difficult relationship with his father, who was not an easy man, I seem to recall from the book.

[@annarita333]

I always felt that Austen criticizes Sir William for caring more about rank than money. His fortune is not enough to provide a good dowry for Charlotte or to allow her a season in town. She was 27 when she married. He was so eager to leave trade that he used to much money to buy Lucas Lodge (Speculation). He should have done it like late Mr Bingley: send the oldest son to university and let him purchase an estate while he himself would grow the money with good business.

[@erp1293]

I note the Bennet family fortune won't provide a good dowry for their daughters or a season either. Also buying land assuming they also bought land that could be rented out to farmers (and may have rented out their former house in Meryton) was a relatively safe investment in England at that time though it probably would have been wiser to wait till the sons were adult. Buy the estate for the eldest son and have the younger sons take over the family business. The Lucas's are at least economizing by having their daughters contribute to the household economy; Mrs Bennet comments that Charlotte works in the kitchen. It was the fate of daughters and younger sons of the gentry especially those in large families to have limited resources since the bulk would go to the eldest son (and some families could be quite large, I have one ancestor born 1764, a daughter of a Welsh baronet; she had 11 siblings who reached adulthood [daughter number 8, Octavia, only just], I doubt she had much of a dowry and she married a well-to-do tradesman [and a sister married his brother]).

[@rebeccam7717]

@@erp1293 At 2,000 pounds per year income, Mr. Bennet could certainly have managed to set money aside for his daughters' dowries, he was simply too irresponsible and disinterested in his family's wellbeing. Furthermore, had he cared to apply himself to the effort, he might have even been able to legally break the entail on his estate - although not easily done, there were ways to do that. It really wasn't lack of resources, it was Mr. Bennet's lack of character.

[@dottiewi661]

@@erp1293 I think the Bennets were “older” gentry, but because Mr Bennet married a wife that wasn’t good with money and he valued his amusement at his wife higher than trying to influence her, to result in financial stability for his children, they didn’t have a dowry. So both Mr Bennet and Sir William could have done “better”.

[@glendodds3824]

With a large annual income of £2,000, I think Mr Bennet could afford to take his family to London for the social season, especially as the city was only about 25 miles from his home. However, we are told that he disliked London. Moreover, in Sense and Sensibility another country gentleman, Colonel Brandon also has an annual income of £2,000 and does spend time in London even though it is much further from his country estate in Dorset than is the Bennet estate at Longbourn. At the very least, Mr Bennet could have taken his daughters to London for part of the season but he was too self-indulgent to do so.

[@juniper617]

@@rebeccam7717 It’s unlikely he could have broken the entail, but he very probably could have made better use of the land, and he certainly could have been more careful about his expenses

[@InThisEssayIWill...]

I love that the novels give us a wide variety of attitudes within one class. I can condone poking fun of sir Lucas and Mr Collins for groveling, but it's so important to note that nothing happens in a vacuum. Would they be so apt to placate if the authorities that be, (the lady Catherine's) did not require and relish the performance? It's almost a natural extension to some extent, wherein as a tradesman one needs to keep a certain pleasant rapore with ones trade clients. 🤷 It's easy to disdain their behavior from a distance, but when those people hold the puppet strings to the course of your life.. can we blame them for dancing?

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Great point Rachel - it's all an ecosystem in which one thrives (or struggles) by participating in that system. We might think of Mr Perry in 'Emma', for instance. One wonders what he might actually say about Mr Woodhouse when out of the hearing of the inhabitants of Hartfield!

[@tessat338]

Yes, Darcy doesn't encourage or reward that kind of sycophancy when Collins and Sir William try it on him, and he does make a small effort to be reasonably polite when discouraging it. He coolly shuts it down by giving only nods or short replies.

[@ophilliaophillia5918]

Mr Darcy is a snob full of pride and prejudice. He knows he has an elevated position in society- which he did not earn like Sir L- he was born into it. Mr Darcy just looks down on everyone

[@mimiadams247]

@@ophilliaophillia5918 He doesn't look down on everyone else though. His behavior to the Gardiners is respectful, warm, and kind. His best friend is Mr. Bingley. Both the Gardiners and the Bingleys are of decidedly lower rank. He IS full of pride and prejudice, but the interesting thing about the book is that nearly all of the main characters are. All of them make mistakes, miscommunications, and misinterpretations because of their own prides and prejudices.

[@maargenbx1454]

@@mimiadams247 Darcy tells Elizabeth that his behaviour to the Gardiners was meant to show Elizabeth how much he has changed. Yes, he was proud and supercilious before she took him down quite a few pegs.

[@nicoleallen3079]

This is fantastic!!! I always thought that this is one of the reasons that Charlotte is resigned to marry Mr. Collins. She knows that is something she can bear by living through the years with her father. Not a bad man, just ridiculous.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

I think you may well be right. I've always wondered if it is little joke of Austen's that she gives Sir William Lucas and Mr Collins the same self-referential phrase: "my situation in life". When he is proposing to Lizzy, Mr Collins refers to "My situation in life, my connections with the family of de Bourgh" (ch.19). And Sir William (as I quoted in the video) refers to "that knowledge of what the manners of the great really are, which my situation in life has allowed me to acquire" (ch.29). And then - revealingly - Austen also gives the same phrase to Charlotte Lucas when she is explaining why she has accepted Mr Collins: "considering Mr. Collins’s character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state" (ch.22).

[@nicoleallen3079]

@@DrOctaviaCox, I never even thought of the direct association to Mr. Collins in that way! It’s funny because I read Pride and Prejudice about twice a year. I’m always finding something new every single time. Listening to your talks makes me able to see them more clearly. I would love to see more close readings on Sense and Sensibility. I’m not as deeply in tune with that book.

[@murraycallahan3716]

I have a question that isn’t germain to this discussion, I’m afraid. I was wondering if Mr. Darcy’s behavior was in any way affected by the fact of his betrothal to Lady Catherine’s daughter.

[@rebeccam7717]

@@DrOctaviaCox And is it not ironic that both men have the same first name: William?

[@rachelport3723]

@@murraycallahan3716 I don't think Darcy really felt himself betrothed to his cousin or anyone else. He certainly acted and was treated socially as a free agent. I think the betrothal is in Lady Catherine's mind.

[@HRJohn1944]

Having just re-read (for the umpteenth time) P&P, I am beginning to feel slightly sorry for Caroline Bingley despite her being singularly unlikeable. But consider: her main objective is (to quote that lovely spoof "Lost in Austen") "to get her paws on Darcy". When Lizzy seems to excite D's interest, she develops a secondary, related objective - trying to diminish that interest. Her problem, however, is that in spite of being "educated in one of the first private seminaries in town", she's really a bit dim, and has no idea how to achieve either objective (forgive the anachronism, but Jeeves could have helped her with the advice he often gave Bertie Wooster - "study the psychology of the individual") and every time she opens her mouth in persuit of her objectives, she puts her foot in it. Commenting on L's appearance after walking to Netherfield "I am afraid, Mr Darcy, that this ..has .. affected [your appreciation of] her fine eyes" "Not at all....they were brightened by the exercise". D's remarks about what constitutes an accomplished women (he claims to know six), and L's reply "I rather wonder you know any" are followed (after L has left the room) by Caroline accusing her of using "a paltry device, a very mean art" of undervaluing her own sex to attract the other, D replies "Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable". Later, when she comments on D's handwriting, she says "You write uncommonly fast", he replies "...I write rather slowly". The remarks continue "Pray tell your sister that I long to see her" - "I have already told her so once, by your desire." And so on, whenever we meet Caroline. It's sad that she is so obvious - she is "rather handsome" and has a considerable fortune: what a pity that she understands so little.

[@glendodds3824]

An excellent comment.

[@michellerhodes9910]

There is also a comparison between the Bingley sisters and Charlotte Lucas in their upbringing because the Bingley ladies have had the right kind of education (languages, music, deportment etc.) but Charlotte obviously learned the skills necessary for a tradesman's daughter and is required at home at one point to bake the mince pies.

[@Marie-mo9id]

You answer literary questions I didn't even know I had! Thank you!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Ha! - it's my pleasure.

[@dianaarneson6590]

It struck me that, in a way, Sir William Lucas is a bit like Miss Bates in "Emma." Except that he strives to be affable because he wants so much to raise his status, and she does it because she's trying so hard not to lose the little status she has left.

[@writerscollaboration5259]

i feel a great affection for Miss Bates, she really got the short end of life's stick.

[@kirstena4001]

no wonder Sir Lucas was so pleased that Charlotte married Mr Collins, who despite his ridiculousness, is still 'gentry'. Like the Bingley sisters, she comes from a family of trade, so this is a step up for her in terms of class, which further strengthens the position of the rest of the family through the connection.

[@tessat338]

Lady Catherine is an interesting contrast to Jane Fairfax. Lizzy isn't awed by Lady Catherine, but Emma feels oppressed an criticized by the weight of Jane Fairfax's accomplishments. Highly accomplished Anne Elliot doesn't feel the need to drop everything to run after Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carterett because she sees nothing of distinction in them.

[@dottiewi661]

I always thought that Mr Darcy didn’t like his aunt very much. And that he only visited her rather as a duty. He doesn’t care for people above him, he doesn’t go to St James, like Sir William thought he would etc. And this he shares with Lizzy. And with Anne Elliott. I always thought, Darcy wanted to find someone like Anne Elliott, kind, intelligent, witty in her way, respectable social status, and unimpressed by rank. But he found someone with a different kind of wit in Lizzy, and less passive. And was probably surprised by his feelings. I think, if Anne and Lizzy had met, they could have been good friends.

[@jolmerbolleman6601]

I always read it that Sir William received his knighthood for being a successful mayor of a market town to the extend that he got the King himself to visit. Who then gave a nice speech to clinch the honour.

[@sarahmwalsh]

You mentioned in another video the similarity between Sir William and William Collins, in that their elevation (Sir William to the knighthood, William Collins to the living in the parish at Rosings) gives them a puffed-up sense of their own importance, but I think you make it very clear here that it is what one does with that elevation that really matters. Mr. Collins is insufferable and often hurtful in his tone and attitude toward others; Sir William, on the other hand, is completely harmless and just wants to host parties and have lots of company around him.

[@harpo345]

@@i.b.640 Mr Collins has a rather unpleasant streak, he's clearly happy about the impending scandal over Lydia and goes to the trouble of visiting them to gloat over it.

[@harpo345]

@@i.b.640 I think Jane Bennet would be of your opinion. If I remember she defended him to Lizzie as not being 'vicious', which I suppose means not having vices such as drunkenness or philandering. That's certainly true. I think his main problem is being very stupid which, unfortunately, is hard to cure!

[@angelwhispers2060]

Yes I think Sir William Lucas is certainly the better man of the two of them he host parties he's nice to everybody he goes to the common public Assemblies of Maryton and he's doing his very best to be just nice and pleasant to everyone because he thinks that's what he should do. Throwing a ball is not a cheap thing. so the fact that he throws them kind of regularly yes in part it's obviously to get his own children married off. But it's also just a nice neighborly thing to do if you have the money to do it. I feel like he's genuinely excited for Elizabeth when she gets engaged to Darcy. Calling Elizabeth the brightest Jewel of the country I think as a genuine compliment to Elizabeth, he's not being hyperbolic here. Yes his effusion and way of expressing it is probably more than a little dorky but he generally wants good things for his neighbors which is not the worst thing to have. It's Mr Collins who chooses to slight the Bennett family after Elizabeth rejects him and sneak off with Charlotte lucas. Sir Lucas had nothing to do with that he's just happy to have his oldest daughter married off, he's not trying to be an ass. His wife scheming about how long Mr Bennett's going to live that is tackless and nasty and proves that she's very much like Mr Collins. And materially that does devalue Sir William Lucas a little bit the fact that he's married to this woman but it doesn't change what his personal character is. The truth of the matter is I think Mr Collins was already attracted to Charlotte Lucas more than to the Bennett girls because she knows how to cook and he knows his situation at the personage is going to require a woman that knows how to cook. And once he is free from his moral obligation of proposing to one of the Bennett girls which Elizabeth is so adamantly lets him free of with no consideration that hey Mary might want him. And in putting him off on Charlotte Lucas she's actually taking benefit away from her family and giving Mr Collins the impression that she wants him to marry her friend instead. To Mr Collins this would feel like permission to go after the woman he preferred anyway. He made it very clear in his attention to the Bennett girls that he believed that the oldest daughter should marry first and therefore that meant if he married one of the Lucas girls he would be obligated to take Charlotte. Charlotte had been tolerably encouraging. If there had been no entail to obligate Mr Collins to make an offer to the Bennett girls and he for some reason had still come to Longborn looking for a wife but with no obligation to pick one of the Bennett daughters; I think he would have naturally chosen Charlotte Lucas because she knows all of the things he wants a wife to know, she's an oldest daughter, her father's a Knight. Her brother will be a Gentleman when her father dies that checks all of Mr Collins's want boxes.

[@EffieStephens33]

I cannot express how happy I am each time I see you’ve posted. I thoroughly enjoy your insight-but it isn’t only that. I find your videos very relaxing. Much needed in these crazy times!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoy my videos.

[@gowrinandana8999]

I knew I wasn't the only one who felt this.

[@MalloryNewcomb]

Yes!!! Very relaxing

[@melissapagonis5940]

I'm a high school science teacher now, but my bachelor's degree is in English literature, and watching your videos brings me back to the joy of literary analysis. Thank you so much for them!

[@thepresence365]

Lol. I feel a kinship somehow: I started in science, and now teach high school English.

[@amybee40]

Dr. Cox, I love your analysis. In the best sense, it makes me feel like I'm back in college -- like my brain is firing on all cylinders! You have a real gift for close reading, bringing out the nuances without injecting any agenda of your own, letting the author's intent and genius shine more clearly. Thanks so much for putting your scholarship and giftings on youtube for the edification of the intellectually hungry!

[@melanietyler2723]

Thank you Dr Cox and @amybee40 - my sentiments exactly!

[@helenannedawson3694]

A really interesting point about the 'performance' around people of rank. It reminds of a line towards the end of Persuasion, where Austen describes Sir Walter and Elizabeth, flattering and following their titled cousins, but miss being flattered and followed by Mrs Clay - and Mrs Clay's behaviour is a lot like Mr Collins and Sir William to Lady to Lady Catherine - so it's like chain up the social strata, which Lizzy Bennet gets out of by laughing at everyone and Darcy gets out of by ignoring everyone or being rude.

[@daniellescrochet]

Thank you for making these videos. They really help me to understand better what everyone reading Austen's stories and other classic literature when they were first published would have automatically known. Especially as an American, I find ridged class and rank structures a foreign concept, because we are often taught there is upward mobility potential. (Whether that's really true could be debated, but it's what we are taught.)

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's my pleasure. It's so fascinating to me too to think about what Austen's contemporaries would have taken from her novels that might be different to our readings today. Upward mobility, yes, but also the worry of downward mobility too - we might think of poor Miss Bates (and indeed Mrs Bates) in 'Emma'.

[@dottiewi661]

Or Mrs Smith in Persuasion, betrayed by the now wealthy friend of her dead husband, whom they helped so much before.

[@rachelport3723]

@@DrOctaviaCox Miss Bates" situation is closer to Austen's than any of her other characters, except that she, Cassandra, and their mother had richer relations who helped them.

[@SmilingAlone]

"Your common or garden knight". Love it.

[@ariochiv]

It's amusing how much the Bingley sisters look down at Sir William, since he's not one but two levels in the hierarchy above them.

[@AD-hs2bq]

I listened to this again and conclude that Sir Lucas is not a snob based on Merriam Webster’s definition. Thank you for bringing his character to life with context Austen would have intended for readers of the day. You are careful and thorough-much appreciated.

[@a.westenholz4032]

Indeed. I love how Austen ever so gently laughs at her character's foolishness, yet at the same time time does with a rapier sharpness. In P&P, I think it sometimes causes a bit confusion as to when Austen's narrative voice is distinct (sorry!) in its POV from that of Elizabeth's POV, and the times when they are in agreement. Elizabeth tends to somewhat kinder sometimes in the views she expresses about Sir William Lucas, especially to Charlotte naturally, that can often lead to the general impression of him being just a rather foolishly socially bumbling man trying to be nice to everyone. But it is clear that both Charlotte and Lizzy are aware of the faults of the Lucas parents (the little we see of Lady Lucas doesn't indicate that she is any different in this regard than her husband). That this is something that can be read between the lines in the conversation between them; that they are two intelligent girls all too aware of the faults of their parents, and it is likely a huge reason for their friendship despite the difference in age.

[@betsyprigg5276]

I found your comments about the conversation between Darcy and Sir William most interesting - Darcy does not 'perform' (for others), as he tells Elizabeth (at Rosings Park).

[@deannajoy6131]

These videos all make me appreciate the BBC miniseries all the more, because they do an excellent job representing the characters and capturing a lot of these nuances.

[@kimhyde565]

I'm curious about the Hursts. The movies portray Mr. Hurst as a drunk, poor manners, poor table etiquette, poor social etiquette, a slob, etc. Yet "the sisters", Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy do not pay him any attention or harrass him about this behavior. If the sisters are so quick to snub the Bennetts, then how is Mr. Hurst excused from his behavior? And why would Mrs. Hurst marry him in the first place. Certainly not to raise her social status as discussed in your Bingley status video.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Yes, indeed - Mr Hurst is a curious character. We are not told very much about him - but everything we need to know! All we are told when introduced to him, for example, is that "Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman" (ch.3). Brutally damning! And later that "he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards" (ch.8). Mrs Hurst's reason for marrying him, we're told, is "fashion" - a terrible reason! "Mrs. Hurst... had married a man of more fashion than fortune" (ch.4). But he has a house "in town", meaning in London, in the very, very fashionable Grosvenor Street ("She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly, and of their meaning to dine in Grosvenor Street, where Mr. Hurst had a house" (ch.21)) - so he's not poor. Being "fashionable" granted one a different kind of social status. But obviously it was more precarious than other forms of social cachet. Perhaps it is this precariousness which means that Mrs Hurst is so keen for her brother to establish himself more firmly by purchasing an estate.

[@annelyle5474]

@@DrOctaviaCox I think it's worth bearing in mind that the leader of London fashion at this time was Prince George (later the Prince Regent), who was infamous for his dissolute lifestyle. If Mr (and Mrs) Hurst aspired to be part of the Prince's set, it would explain his indolence and her anxiety to have some solid claim to be "gentry".

[@dottiewi661]

Maybe they married, when Mr Bingley senior was still actively in trade? But it wouldn’t show Mr Bingley senior not in a good light to support a match with such a man…? In general, I’m puzzled how the Bingleys can be siblings…

[@carmenaguado492]

@@dottiewi661 We don't know much about Mr. Bingley senior. He might not have been a good judge of character.

[@iloveprivacy8167]

@@dottiewi661 In a more compassionate light, they may have married not long after Bingley Sr's death? I could understand someone of "fashion" showing the bereft girl a much-needed good time, and she mightn't have had the support system to push her in a better direction.

[@rmarkread3750]

I think a lot of "Pride and Prejudice" is powered by the various characters' willing suspension of disbelief in the ostentations observance of class distinction. The Author displays none and constantly requires the reader to do the same, saving reverence for qualities of character. Lizzie is seen to be aware of it: she consciously gives herself permission to dislike Caroline Bingley's scornful snobbery and is aware of being diverted by Sir William's obsequious behavior. Her scorn for Mr. Collins is far less reasoned. Mr. Darcy, I think, finds himself tormented by the antics of the all-too-believing fools around him (he must encounter hundreds of them!). Perhaps he finds Lizzie to possess "fine eyes" because he sees that she sees what he sees.

[@coloraturaElise]

"Her scorn for Mr. Collins is far less reasoned. " I think it makes perfect sense: she's her father's daughter, and has been trained to despise people like that, and since Collins will eventually be taking her father's place at Longbourn, she has even more reason to feel that way.

[@rmarkread3750]

@@coloraturaElise I agree with you entirely. Lizzy has every reason to dislike Mr. Collins. What I meant to say is that Lizzie is less deliberate in her reaction to Mr. Collins than in her reactions to Caroline Bingley and Sir William. Probably because he poses a threat that neither of the others do.

[@edsepe2258]

Brilliant!

[@Marianneduetje]

Thank you so much for these lectures that you make available to us all. Being from the Netherlands, I definitely appreciate your use of the English language, that is easy to follow for me!

[@thepresence365]

I am so happy to have found this channel! It makes my Janeite soul bubble over with glee 😊 I got my Masters with a thesis about Jane Austen fanfiction 😁

[@elmerl.fairbank7778]

Capital! Capital! Nice presentation. Thank you.

[@dsr8223]

😂

[@jodhaaakbarfantuomey8103]

Sir William Lucas might be a victim of social insecurity, however his 'snobbery' is different from Caroline Bingley and/or Lady Catherine. He doesn't wish to put others down. He isn't disgusted by merchants, (he associates with the Gardiner's at the Phillips' soiree.) I found his snobbery more self-directed, than to the world around him. Then again, he's just so honestly nice to everyone, that it makes his faults more palatable. Mr. Collins isn't a genuinely nice person so his buffoonery is grating. So is he what I would consider to be an awful snob? No. A victim of taking rank a bit too seriously? Yes. But in the end as Mr. Bennet says, "The good-natured gossiping Lucas" are just that good natured, and inoffensive. I truly love your videos.

[@TsunamiBrook]

There's a scene in the BBC mini-series where the Bingley sisters make fun of Sir William Lucas after he suggests to introduce them at St. James' and they mockingly say "He must have kept a good sort of shop before his elevation to the knighthood". I suppose this doesn't make much sense then because they are in a way of a lower status than him, but maybe it's still appropriate to their characters since they are snobbish without much logic to support it to everyone.

[@Izabela-ek5nh]

Yes, but this scene was not in a book :)

[@TsunamiBrook]

I know, that's why I daid it didn't make sense.

[@Izabela-ek5nh]

@@TsunamiBrook yes :) I'm sure they could say so. Very probable :)

[@carmenaguado492]

I think there is some logic to it, though. They understand that the knighthood was awarded as a courtesy rather than as recognition for something with actual merit, so even though on paper he's a higher rank than them, in practice the knighthood is worth little. He's gentry, but he's poor, and he's retired, so they'd feel justified in making fun of him because he's stuck in the class that he is, while they have a chance to move up, and when they do they'll be way above him.

[@dominaevillae28]

I don’t think it’s out of place. Status in Jane Austen’s time is a complicated layer cake of money, titles, property, education, and connections. Miss Bingley’s comment in the film actually helps illustrate this and may have been taken from this line in the novel “They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother’s fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.”

[@catrionahall9444]

Lady Catherine is in a slightly equivocal situation herself. She is the daughter of an earl but one with a modest fortune, she did not marry a peer. Sir Louis De Bourg was, before his demise, most probably a knight, there is no male heir with the title. He was certainly a wealthy man and seems to have built Rosing, he paid an interesting sum for the windows. He may even have won his fortune by trade before his marriage and knighthood. Irony percolates throughout this book.

[@glendodds3824]

Sir Lewis was a knight but came from a rich old family, as Lady Catherine states towards the end of Pride and Prejudice: ''My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the father's, from respectable, honourable, and ancient, though untitled families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid.' (Volume 3, Chapter 14.)

[@catrionahall9444]

Certainly the Darcy family were known to be of antiquity and wealth, Sir Louis is a bit more uncertain, wealthy certainly, but only Lady Catherine ever claims anything else for him. Curiously he paid an impressive sum for the windows of Risings, implying he was the one on who had it built, therefore the most lavish house is not of great antiquity at all.

[@SJRD18]

Why do you think Lady Catherine's earl father had a modest fortune? That is never mentioned in the book, afaik.

[@kamunurkamunur3468]

​@@SJRD18 I would think it because both sisters married below their class. They by birth belonged to titled aristocracy (daughters of an earl). But they both married men of gentry class, not aristocrats. There must be a reason for that, especially on Lady Catherine de Bourg's side considering her pride and obsession with rank preservation. Small fortune of their father might be the reason. So the daughters of the earl married men of the lower class (gentry) but with superior fortune.

[@SJRD18]

@kamunurkamunur3468 in the book, Lady Catherine describes her and her sister's family's fortune as "splendid." They are very wealthy and they married equally wealthy men.

[@laurahihaha]

Have been absolutely binging your videos for us. They put the BBC's 'In Our Time' to shame! Love the personability as well as information you teach us. Would love to understand any further commentary you might have for French literature, if possible. The Count of Monte Cristo has alot to unpack as well as your insight on the topical and formidable 'A Journal of the Plague Year' by Defoe... :) x

[@Cat_Woods]

I read A Journal of the Plague Year at the height of the AIDS epidemic shortly after my best friend was diagnosed with AIDS. I somehow needed it at the time. It seemed the only thing appropriate to the situation. It somehow validated how I felt, what was really happening, while so much of the world went on as usual. This was despite the fact that Defoe himself sometimes downplayed the severity of the plague and wasn't a fastidious historian. Anyway, thanks for mentioning it. I've never heard anyone else talk about it, and it was really important in my life for a time. (I lost that friend 2 years later, a few years before the antiretroviral drugs became available, and I felt that loss for a great many years, so that book is a kind of memorial marker for me.)

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Aaaah, thank you! Oh gosh, French literature is a bit beyond my ken, I'm afraid. Defoe on the other hand... a fascinating writer. Journal of a Plague Year might be a little close to the bone at the moment! - but I could definitely do a video on Moll Flanders, perhaps, or Robinson Crusoe.

[@laurahihaha]

​@@DrOctaviaCox My apologises! I assumed that your penchant was in classical literature spanning all Europe :) Regardless, we are grateful for the refreshing, millennial perspective you give on English lit, as opposed to the dusty, received pronunciation pov that is often mutually exclusive with sub-genre :). Rob Crusoe! A classic, yet one I am not deeply invested in... mainly because I found it profoundly boring :D. HOWEVER, I wouldn't put it past you to make a strong defence and flip my pov at a 180. And as for Moll Flanders... AgainI would never pass up a Defoe lecture (as you can tell :P). In addition, If i can petition another idea(s)... a little bit of love for our Gaskell! It would be fascinating to cross-compare North and South to Austen's P&P, given the immense overlap between the two. And/or, the wonderful Eliot novel on Daniel Deronda, again possibly cross-comparing with Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice and the take-aways of anti-semitism (or pro-semitism? It is my understanding that we are still 'not sure' if Shakespeare was an anti or pro-semitism....:O) Again, lots of love

[@amybee40]

@@DrOctaviaCox Would LOVE for you to tackle Robinson Crusoe, as I have been looking for an excuse to re-read it. I found it fascinating when I read it as a child, but I am sure that I missed a lot of nuance. What I did not miss, even then, was the astonishment at how Crusoe meets Friday and automatically thinks of him as a servant. Shocking to my young sensibilities.

[@rachelport3723]

@@laurahihaha Didn't Shakespeare live while the Jews were still in exile from England? The question would indeed be whether he knew any Jews rather than how he felt about them except as stereotypes. Considering that they had been expelled, it would have been hard for him not to be an antisemite. Although I've read that there was a family named Lopez that had managed to return and that one of them was a physician at Queen Elizabeth's court.

[@Sarah_Grant]

Mr. Collins and Sir Lucus are the PERFECT duo when it comes to being awkward but also overwhelmed by those of higher ranks....lol.

[@smell-of-rain-and-coffee4041]

Your videos are so interesting! I wish I had known this when reading the books for class. I went to school in a different European country and the class distinctions were neither known nor taught. So I read about characters navigating a social world I didn't understand, and missed most of Austen's brilliance - but its never too late to learn! Thank you!

[@charlottefasi3557]

Thank you again for revealing the fine distinctions between Jane Austen’s great characters in Pride and Prejudice. Have you analyzed Darcy’s great letter to Elizabeth? If so, and I cannot imagine that you haven’t, I’d love to read it.

[@maureenball6733]

I've always quite liked Sir William for not being supercilious.

[@l.rhymes606]

I'm obsessed with your lectures, I've watched most of them twice

[@victoriabishko4359]

Agree ❤

[@laurenlundgren252]

I am loving your deep and thorough analyses of characters, social context, and the subtleties of Austen's language.

[@kansmill]

I greatly appreciate your investment of energy and time in these videos. It’s been a joy to learn of the subtleties of Jane Austens books. I have loved her books since a friend made me watch the BBC 1995 videos. More recently her books have been one of my safe havens away from COVID and politics to the point that my 7, 9, & 11 year old daughters know all the principle characters as well as the majority of basic relationships.

[@dominaevillae28]

I have a daughter in a classical education school. She likes Beowulf, but not Jane Austen; I know she’s at least read Emma and P&P while waiting around after state testing, and she’s reading P&P for 10th grade this year. I’ve sent her links to Dr. Cox’s & ElliDashwood’s videos; my daughter likes to have that “extra” knowledge to show off or make the class more interesting for herself so I’m trying to appeal to her vanity😁. Sometimes I can get her to listen to things I expect will be helpful while she is animating. She doesn’t like to watch adaptations before being tested on a book because she’s afraid it will confuse her. Perhaps I’ll try showing her the 1980 Northanger Abby; I feel safe that her school won’t put it on the book list, and the weirdness of the movie might appeal to her🤔. I was a history major and participated in a study abroad with my university’s English department. We went to Bath and I didn’t know anything about Jane Austen😱-I didn’t know why my flatmate was so excited. My supervisor at the school I worked at gave me a copy of P&P before I left England & I have been a Jane Austen lover ever since🥰.

[@owamuhmza]

44 mins of Dr.C? Oh joy💃💃💃 my weekend just rolled right in☕️☕️☕️☕️

[@melodie-allynbenezra8956]

At 28:25 - It occurs to me that Sir William Lucas and Mr. Collins are two sides of the same coin, one with a title, and one serving a titled person. Both are ridiculously obsequious to people they believe above themselves. While Charlotte might not be happy with her husband, Mr. Collins is very much like her father; she is used to this behavior from the men in her life.

[@maargenbx1454]

Darcy’s comment “every savage can dance” shows how supercilious he is. He considers Sir William and the present company to be as much beneath him as the English consider “savages” to be beneath them.

[@rossanaluna7800]

I love your videos -- they are most enlightening. I would love to see a video about Lady Russell from Persuasion in the future.

[@einahsirro1488]

I think Sir William gets treated too harshly. He's a man who has been elevated above his natural station, and rather than turn into a jerk, he struggles to fulfill it as correctly as he can, given that he doesn't know how. I like Sir William, and I relate to his awkwardness. He (and I) are as J. Alfred Prufrock describes himself: Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times, indeed, almost ridiculous- Almost, at times, the Fool.

[@RuiNa42]

I love this. I feel like I can excuse Sir Lucas far more than Lady Catherine because he is awkwardly trying to be what he knows he is not, while she thinks she already is. The system is ridiculous, and makes them both become so. But Sir Lucas retains his kindness, which is more than can be said for most.

[@kmcq692]

These close readings are so fascinating! The journeys here are informing how I retrospectively view other favorite novels, including Little Dorrit, Brideshead Revisited and Howard’s End! Thank you!

[@impo55iblegirl96]

I love your videos! Have you done any analysis on North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell? It would be so interesting to hear your comparison of Mr. Thornton and Miss Hale to Jane Austen's lead characters.

[@louise-yo7kz]

I cringed when he , Sir William approached the Bingley sisters about putting in a good word for them at St. James'. 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@cedarcottagefarm2885]

And their snobbery comment to think we need his assistance.

[@louise-yo7kz]

@@cedarcottagefarm2885 Both were shallow

[@rachaeldiviney712]

that moment is really funny to me in the context of this video. It's 2 groups obsessed with their elevated class clashing against one another. Sir William is able to maintain his world view but his offer for introductions really highlights the Bingly's situation. Yeah they hang out with more high class people than Sir William but at the end of they day they rely on those people for their own distinction. Sir William has a house of is own and a title so no matter what they think of him, he is above them

[@zillie8167]

But he - however pompous - was trying to be kind, while they were only sneering, with no positive intent

[@freedpeeb]

Thank you for these insightful videos. It is like getting a little new Jane Austen each time I listen to a new one of your talks, no small gift.

[@shhhhquitethyme]

Could you please, please answer this question. In Sense and Sensibility, Edward Farrers is kicked out of the family as Heir apparent when it is discovered that he secretly engaged to Miss Lucy Steele. BUT then she switches her adore to Robert, he has no consequences. How does Edward get the boot while Robert doesn't?

[@a24-45]

Dr Cox, thanks for providing (yet) another great video showing how Austen dissects and critiques - quietly, precisely, with the brief tongue-in-cheek phrase - social ambition and rank in her novels. When I first read Austen many decades ago, it was common to hear that her novels lacked relevance to today's readers -- because the class system in which her characters lived no longer exists. But who says that about Shakespeare? and he wrote nearly 2 centuries earlier. Austen's attitude to class is subversive - in every Austen novel, character, ethics, and compassion are demonstrated to be more important to happiness, and to be more intrinsically desirable, than high rank. It's all exposed in these close readings. .

[@MissLisers]

I wish I had an English Literature teacher like you! You’re amazing and a joy to listen to and I love your lectures and have learned so much. Thank you! Love-a big fan from NY. P.S. Been to England twice and I can say that England forever has my heart.

[@surfinggirl007]

Yay been waiting for this!!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Ha! - well, I hope it satisfies.

[@surfinggirl007]

Indeed, these videos just make me love Jane Austen‘s books even more. I now have an even richer experience when I re-read scenes and character sketches. Thank you for starting this channel!

[@harpo345]

I love these lectures, thank you so much. I think there is also some similarity between Sir William Lucas and Mr. Bingley. Both are very obliging and courteous - and easily manipulated; neither seem very comfortable or sure of themselves in their social position. Bingley's over-reliance on Darcy and willingness to be separated from Jane, which I always saw as a sign of his moral weakness, can perhaps be explained by this uncertainty.

[@heyho1576]

I'm always looking forward to watch your new videos. Thank you🥰

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's my pleasure - thank you very much indeed for watching.

[@glendodds3824]

In the BBC's 1995 adaptation of the novel (the best version in my opinion) the Lucas family home is grander and more sumptuous than the Bennet residence, Longbourn. But whether that was the case in Jane Austen's imagination is uncertain. In Volume 1, Chapter 5, she merely tells us that Sir William had made a 'tolerable fortune' through trade at Meryton and had thus retired 'with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge.' Evidently, the house had less extensive parkland than the Bennet home, for when Lady Catherine de Bourgh haughtily said that the Bennets had a "very small park", Mrs Bennet replied: “It is nothing in comparison of Rosings, my lady, I dare say; but I assure you it is much larger than Sir William Lucas’s.” (Volume 3, Chapter 14.)

[@veronicaj.bailey7459]

Thank you for your precis of class in this. I had been confused about why Miss Musgrove could marry Charles Hayter, but if Harriet Smith married Robert Martin, Emma could not visit her. You've made me understand that it's because Charles Hayter owns his land (is gentry), but Robert Martin is only a tenant farmer. I do wish that you'd do an episode on the university connection in Austen. Her mother had a family connection to Oxford, her father and 2 brothers went there, and her father tutored boys to go there. (BTW, Austen had Charles Hayter go to university, which also helps to make him a more acceptable suitor.) And Austen's first publication was in "The Loiterer." I think being at the centre of thought at the time by the university connection makes the characters more meritocratic.

[@TheTeamDavey]

Your videos are amazing. I just love the deep dive into class and rank as well as subplots and so much else. I am enjoying Jane Austen all over again on many of different levels. I’m going to donate to your channel!

[@yasminhando]

Currently re-reading pride and prejudice and I am LOVING your insights, the way you articulate your thoughts is so engaging, it's a reminder why I love studying literature even if college made me doubt that a little bit

[@patriciaduncanjimenez6019]

Thank you for explaining why so many fictional characters and their non-fiction counterparts are obsessed with class distinction. The British Higher Rankers' disgust and contempt for those who earn their living through actual labor still baffles me, though, as does Americans' snobbish disdain for folks working at McDonalds. What's up with that?

[@roseg2188]

Hi Dr. Octavia! I would love to see you do an analysis of Dr. Thorne by Anthony Trollope. It's one of my favorites and I would love to hear your take on the Scatcherds.

[@stannieholt8766]

I’d like that too! I love that novel and I am very fond of the good doctor… even though I think “Dr. Thorne” is full of plot holes. (Really, nobody ever guessed Mary Thorne’s parentage? Roger Scatcherd’s killing Dr. Thorne’s brother for getting his sister pregnant must have been the subject of gossip in Barsetshire for years. Alternately, nobody ever speculated that Mary was the doctor’s own illegitimate daughter? And how is it ethical for Dr. Thorne to treat Roger’s sickly son, while secretly aware that his death would let Mary inherit the Scatcherd fortune?) Aside from that, I second your suggestion of focusing on the Scatcherds. Roger S is an example of that classic Victorian figure, the massively successful tradesman and builder… but I think Trollope’s own snobbery is what leads to him being portrayed as a coarse, pushy social climber who’s a failure in his personal life.

[@Mike_C_64]

Dr. Cox, I very much enjoy your analysis of Jane Austin's works. They reinforce my belief that Miss Austin was quite an astute observer of human nature. The details you point out are fascinating and really show her detailed thought and true genius. I have long thought that Jane Austin's two novels "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice" are related. P&P being an expansion of the study and comparison of sense and sensibility started in S&S. It seems to me that Jane sought to show how sense was better than sensibility in the first work by comparing Elinor and Marianne's respective fortunes, but came to the realization that there was potential good and bad in both behavior types. Too much of either leads one astray. In P&P she seems to expand the two character types into a "good" and "bad" versions. Jane and Mary being the good and bad sensible characters, and Eliza and Lydia being the good and bad sensual characters. Margaret and Kitty being the third sister, and not part of the character study. I look forward to more of your analysis. Kind regards, M Canaday

[@bobhingston5449]

Playing Sir W in a play this month and listened to your insights with great interest. Helpful it has been. Your analysis on the various characters' status puts that extra dimension in my portrayal, I hope.

[@littlebrookreader949]

It is so much fun to listen and think about these characters! JA has given us a rich world to consider and enjoy. Thanks!

[@cathryncampbell8555]

Thank you so much for your videos, Dr. Cox. I always pay attention to Austen's use of "seems" in any scenario. If someone or something "seems" to have an attribute or trait, you may safely bet that that assumption will be overthrown later in the novel. Mr. Darcy may "seem" to resemble his snooty aunt (in Elizabeth's prejudiced perception) -- but in the end, Darcy radically diverges from Lady Catherine.

[@littlebrookreader949]

I admire your choice of background. The colors so well coordinated, lines the same. Interesting how the curve of your head matches the arches of the windows, in line and in spacing. Also, the muted world outside the windows, like the world to be discovered in the Jane’s world of. characters and the world they live in, contrasted with the present time where we meet, you being like the window we look through into Jane’s world. Thank you!

[@MaryanneNZ]

This is so interesting! Thank you! So many more nuances in the social dynamics. My tuppence - "disgust" I'm thinking comes form the French "gouter" to taste, so it means distaste. Which would be a less powerful word, but less pretentious. Probably pushing it with that one but I love playing with words and love how you talk about how Austen does!

[@hammysauce]

I'd love if you did a video examining when exactly Lizzie's feelings towards Darcy changed (not just with the letter) and when she actually fell in love /realized she was falling in love with him. We know her attitude changed once she received his letter and of course with how he acted at Pemberley with the Gardiner's but I'd love to hear your analysis on it and see all the text that supports it. Love these videos!

[@bouquinsbooks]

Fascinating, as usual!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Oh, thank you very much!

[@nolan1640]

This has been very enlightening. I did not understand, until after your description of the class system and the ranking, that although less wealthy Elizabeth was born into a higher class than the Bingley sisters who look down on Elizabeth. Elizabeth states that she is not leaving her sphere (her rank) to Lady Catherine near the end of the book, but until now I did not quite understand it.

[@TheKatietwin2]

Thanks for the video!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@SailorMoon-in-Cancer]

I think it’s easier for Lizzy and Darcy to scoff at class “performances” because they’re already secure in their own class of gentry. The Bingley sisters can only hope that either Charles stops playing around and purchases some land or a gentleman marries them. They have no outlet for their desire to rise above their current positions, so all they can do to feel somewhat confident is badmouthing those they deem beneath them. As a man, Sir William actually has and already used the means to lift himself up, that’s why he has no need to be irritated at others’ “unfair” rank. But he also feels insecure of his relatively recent rise and now uses every chance to support the existing class structure and show that he’s indeed worthy of his new status. So I can’t really blame them for their rudeness or silliness, it’s all a byproduct of their society setup.

[@dottiewi661]

It’s true, the Bingley sisters can’t be active in this to a degree, to cement their status as gentlewomen. But Mrs Hurst already married a gentleman, she is a gentleman’s wife. But we don’t really see a reason for their snobbery in the direct behaviour of others toward them. Nobody said anything bad to them because they’re from trade. Jane Austen only laughs at their snobbery.

[@SailorMoon-in-Cancer]

@@dottiewi661 I was under the impression that Mr Hurst was wealthy but not a gentleman, but perhaps I remember it wrong. If that’s the case, it explains Louisa’s middle ground position: she’s not as mean as Caroline because she’s not as desperate, but she also hasn’t reached Sir William’s level of contentment because by helping himself, he helped his entire family unit to rise, while Louisa’s immediate family is “in the trade” to this day. We don’t see anyone judging the Bingleys in that particular provincial town, but we can assume they have been put in their place elsewhere (in London?), given the rigidity of British class structures. The sisters are angry that they can’t cross the barrier despite being wealthy, fashionable and living “in the right place.” That’s why they look down on the Gardiners, they want to be “distinguished” as Dr Cox put it. And then there’re people like the Bennets, who have no money, manners, education or connections, yet enjoy their secure position and don’t have to jump through hoops to get above their heads. To top it off, Charles is considering marrying one of them, essentially being the one to marry up instead of purchasing land for the entire family’s sake like he was supposed to, and Darcy too is smitten by Lizzy and sees her as his equal despite her disheveled appearances and lack of education. So the sisters see this situation as unfair and try to find some stability by reminding themselves how superior they really are, but it all comes from having no confidence in their position.

[@dottiewi661]

@@SailorMoon-in-Cancer from this perspective it makes more sense, true. But would a brother married to a gentlewoman and a sister married to a gentleman also help her position? (About Mr Hurst is said that he is a man of more fashion than fortune, with a house in town, Grosvenor street). Maybe not as much as living in her brother’s own house, but Charlotte’s marriage with Mr Collins also helped her family. I do not condemn her wish to rise, but the methods. She’s mean to those below her and to those just above her, like the Lucasses and the Bennets, even though she’s financially more secure. And I have just remembered, that they said that they didn’t need Sir Williams introduction at court, which means, that they aren’t looked down upon as much? Status is what they want, and it was very important in this class, but even Mrs Bennett’s fears, silly as she is, are more real and simple, her fear that she and her daughters living after Mr Bennett’s death,even though it was in part her own fault of not saving money for them.

[@dottiewi661]

Darcy and Miss Bingley have different views on education, and she didn’t notice that. She is valuing accomplishments, he real knowledge of different topics, acquired by reading.

[@glendodds3824]

Actually, Mr Bennet had an annual income of £2,000 (which was a very large income for the time) and Lady Catherine de Bourgh states that Elizabeth Bennet was "very genteel."

[@creativecolours2022]

Hi Octavia. Mr Darcy didn't have a title, he was just very rich as an owner of an estate. In other words Mr. Darcy belonged to the landed gentry as the Bennets did so, something that Elisabeth pointed out to his aunt, Lady Catherine when she confronted her. Darcy's aunt btw was the one who made a marriage below her class because she was the daughter of a Lord ( that is why she was Lady Catherine and not Lady "her husbands family name"), who married into the Landed Gentry ( land owners without titles). So I'm impressed that Jane Austen didn't comment on Darcy's social rank the way she did for Sir Lucas who at the end of the day earned his title as a reward for his services. With this title Sir Lucas became socially equal or a click higher than his relatives.

[@katdenning6535]

Interesting read. I always saw Lady Lucas as a mirror of Mrs. Bennet. They are both merchant class raised to gentry by husbands, but both are ill bred, uneducated, and gossipy souls. They are catty women who pose as friends while ruthlessly undercutting each other’s family prospects. I never gave much thought to Sir Lucas.

[@dottiewi661]

Thank you for your insightful unpicking of these stories, further and further. I can never tire of hearing Austen’s novels and listening to you, explaining background information about the regency society. I like Sir William for the amusement and his niceties. But I think, he was really disgusted by his former job, at his own and his family‘s expense? Because he quitted his job and settled as a knighted gentleman, but still his money was not enough to keep his children „out of the kitchen“ according to Mrs Bennet. And Charlotte didn’t have much dowry either? (Nothing wrong with no dowry or being in the kitchen, of course) But maybe, he was „disgusted“ a bit too soon, for his family? But we never really know what kind of trade, the tradesmen in Austen’s books trade in, really. And maybe, in Meryton, he couldn’t really get any wealthier, maybe? We don’t really know of the potential/prospects each tradesman had, in the novels.

[@dottiewi661]

If he could have quitted trade later, if he he had the chance of gaining more, maybe his children would have a better financial standing as gentlefolk? Because there always would have been, advisers like Mrs Ferrars, General Tilney etc who would “advise” a possible spouse against a partner with less money. My favourite parents are the Gardiners and the Morlands, they don’t try to be someone they’re not, while trying to make their family happy and financially stable.

[@amndanoxlley_]

this really helped with my revision of the text (i'm doing my A Levels and because we're doing another text now we haven't touched the text in almost a full year), thank you dr cox!

[@elizabethboldt5064]

I really love your videos! I absolutely love psychology, literature, and analyzing people, stories, life and delving into the deeper, subliminal things. Here are some topics I'd love to hear your take on: - How Jane Bennet compares to gothic heroines. - Even though we see Lady Russell through Anne's biased, almost filial heart, she personally seems silly and ridiculous to me...from her caring about distinction of class, to her being easily deceived by Mr Wallis and then also by Mr Elliot, her reasoning about stuff, her inability to see things from Anne's (logical) perspectives or validate Anne's feelings about things, among other things. She's portrayed as such a logical, thoughtful, smart, almost wise character, yet besides Anne's bias, and the relative comparison to the rest of the even worse characters surrounding them, I see little to support such a recommendation. And while I think Wentworth's grudge is a bit petty, I also don't blame him much for struggling to respect her or to wonder at Anne's being guided by her. What do you think? - Persuasion in general. There's the obvious persuasion of the broken engagement, but it's always struck me that it's a much deeper topic and moral to the story that Austen is trying to discuss. Just like P&P and S&S don't just describe the main two characters, but all the characters and the theme as a whole, I feel like Persuasion has more to undig about people and persuasion. I'd love to hear analyses on Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore, North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell, anything more on Austen, especially Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Marquis' Secret (sequel to The Fisherman's Lady) by George MacDonald, and anything by Thomas Hardy, especially Tess of the D'Urbavilles. Do you do more modern literature such as JRR Tolkien or CS Lewis or Harry Potter? I'd love to hear about them too from a literary analysis standpoint. Thank you so much for these videos, they're so educational and engaging and I really love them!

[@shoshannasofaer3903]

Sir William appears to have hurt his family, or at least his daughter Charlotte, by ending his involvement in “trade.” No trade must have affected his income. What do you think, Ms. Cox?

[@Sapphonouveau]

Thank you so much for another great (free!) seminar. I learn so much from these. Your context for Lucas' knighthood made me think about potential commentary on monarchy which leads me to ask - is there anywhere else Austen makes a similar explicit mention of the monarchy directly impacting the characters' lives? There's something fascinating how distant they are in settings which do primarily concern the stories of the aristocracy and nobility.

[@TheCrochetCritters]

It is exactly as you say. The distinction of rank only has as much value as one gives to them. In that respect it is very logical that sir William Lucas, after given a knighthood, tries to partake in the performance so that he can elevate himself. If not, he might as well decline the title.

[@LS-qw3ez]

Love this channel and so needed a vid to relax at the end of the week❤️

[@tarah3227]

This was exceptional thank you so much for this

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's my pleasure, Tarah - thanks for watching!

[@kataw0404]

The question I've been asking for years is this, does the Bingley girls money allow them to be socially above Sir Lucas? They look down on him even though their rank is from Trade and have yet to move to Gentry.

[@gracie1785]

This video makes me want to go back through my long-suffering copy of Pride and Prejudice, cross out all instances of the word Pemberly, and rewrite Darcy Dwelling. As a nice gift for future me. 🥰

[@bboo1688]

After rewatching BBC p&p again, I wonder if Sir Lucas was low-key shading the Bingley sisters when asking them if they go St James often.

[@joycepringle149]

I have just discovered your videos and am so enjoying the careful readings that I have recommended you to my sister's, my daughter, my daughter-in-law, and two nieces. I have a question, and hope you haven't already addressed it. In Mansfield Park, Henry Crawford makes a serious attempt to please Fanny by attending to affairs on his estate. I heard a commentator take the position of Mary Crawford that, if Fanny had accepted his hand, he would have continued to improve. However, I disagree because one act does not counter a life-long pattern. After Maria has run off with Henry, Edmund discovers Mary Crawford's fault to be one of principle, and her brother's indulgence and insolence form the essence of his character. I would enjoy hearing your position on that. In the meantime, there are many more of your videos for me to enjoy. Thank you!

[@IdaHelleskov]

Thank you for this video - it is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I would be very curious to watch a video in which you look into the text to answer whether Mr. Bennet was a bad father or not. I don't know if there is enough "meat" on the topic, but it's something I find very interesting since I can only really speak based on my own modern sentiments.

[@darleehart9782]

Would you consider doing a video about why the Gardeners are some of the most admirable people in Jane Austen’s works? I’ve heard you say it several times and I agree. But I’d love to see your analysis of it, and perhaps comparisons to other characters in Austin.

[@moroshkaposters9938]

Thanks a lot for sharing your profound understanding of Jane Austen's works! I love your lections. Can you recommend any other writer whose style is close to Austen, please? Not gothic ones)) But something about life, love, people - with humour and irony.

[@triciahutchins5407]

I hope that you will see this comment, as I have a question. Several years ago I wrote a short story in the "Pride and Prejudice" universe, and was unable to find the answer to this: Once Lady Catherine dies, does her daughter Anne have the title of "Lady"? How would she be addressed? The question has been bothering me for years. Thank you very much for your informative and enjoyable videos.

[@hannahwebster5606]

I think Lady Catherine was 'Lady' because her father had a title. As such I don't think Anne would be.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Thank you! - I'm glad you enjoy my videos and find them interesting.

[@sheilamcguire633]

Thank you, Dr. Cox, for taking us back into the world of these characters. Enjoy your videos immensely.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

To answer your question... Lady Catherine de Bourgh is called "Lady Catherine" because she is the daughter of an earl (so, she has that title for life, in her own right, by birth) - meaning that she would continue to be called "Lady Catherine" throughout her life whomever she married. Her husband was merely "Sir Lewis de Bourgh", and so their daughter is "Miss de Bourgh". She will remain Miss Anne de Bourgh until she (if she) gets married, and she will then take on the title of her husband. If she married a baronet then she would become "Lady Surname" (so, if she married Sir Walter Elliot of 'Persuasion', for example, then she would become "Lady Elliot"), but she cannot ever be "Lady Anne". Similarly, Mr Darcy's mother was called "Lady Anne Darcy" because she was the daughter of an earl (and the sister of Lady Catherine), but Elizabeth Bennet will become "Mrs Darcy".

[@triciahutchins5407]

Thank you! Crystal clear... though not the reply I would've wished. Sigh.

[@sourcacti8790]

Great video! I wonder, where one could see those ideas of "the artificial distinction of ranks" in today's world...?

[@jrpipik]

I think we can safely assume that Lucas, when he was in trade, felt keenly the "distinction" between himself and the upper classes, very likely with an element of envy and self-loathing. His knighthood must've seemed a kind of salvation. I saw him as a character of fun and a satire on his class, but I didn't catch the subtleties of Austen's commentary till now. Lucas Lodge indeed!

[@p_nk7279]

These nuances you cover for us play up how well these characters are portrayed in the 1995 P&P production - magnificent! I think we also laugh at them, through Elizabeth’s bemusement, due to their vapidity and ‘little conversation.’ Having no depth, perhaps no education, nothing interesting to ever talk about - these are also scoff-worthy, at least in our minds if not ridiculing them openly. Fun video!

[@fridaschneiderlein8246]

Did Sir Lucas actually give up trade without properly saving up for his daughters like Mr Bennett did?

[@stacyrodgers5121]

Considering that he and his children were happy to give Charlotte away to Mr.Collins and that Charlotte had to do (at least some of) the household chores at Lucas Lodge, the answer would be "yes".

[@ludovica8221]

He is "Sir Willliam Lucas" or "Sir William", but never "Sir Lucas" However! his wife is "Lady Lucas" but never " Lady Lucas,., that distinction only being given to ladies of aristocratic birth (Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the daughter of Earl Fitzwilliam but had she not been of aristocratic birth, she would have been, as the wife of Sir Lewis de Bourgh simply Lady de Bourgh) One of the weird little quirks of titles I'm afraid

[@edithengel2284]

We don't really know, but it's certain possible. The Lucases' happiness in finding a suitor for Charlotte may be due to her perceived destiny as a spinster rather than the lack of sufficient dowry.

[@strll3048]

I think that you need a good ring light. Otherwise the camera shows you in a way that is unflattering. I know, because I had to do this for business meetings. Makes a huge difference. The one I use is only about $30 as recommended by a KZbinr called Clutterbug. She showed us the difference of her with a ring and without. That has helped me immensely. Good luck!

[@Callimachus33]

I am not an native English speaker, but I do read English quite a lot, and when you quoted the phrase "Observe the three ladies before her" out of the flow of the narrative, I was suddenly reminded of a similar biblical phrase (at least in the original Hebrew), I looked it up in King James Bible (2 Samuel 2:14): "And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before us." Do you thing Austen is trying to refer to that phrase?

[@lizziebkennedy7505]

I’m listening again to this and thinking of the assumption that Mary Eliot made a good or at least tolerable marriage to Charles Musgrove. I remember when Sir Walter hears of the accident at Lyme and he says ‘farmer’s daughter?’; (she is of course his son in law’s sister.) It struck me because the Musgroves senior do not speak with RP or educated English accents, and nor does Henry Hater, but their propertied status presumably negates this? And on the second time around, not only is Captain Wentworth an acceptable suitor, he is a desirable one. And as for Wickham, does the red coat negate the status of being a steward’s son, which does seem to concern Caroline B more than any of the Bennets. This is just endlessly fascinating; thank you. 👏🙏❤️‍🔥

[@paillette2010]

I love how this detail of Lucas is so revealing of the cult of “distinction” that turns people won’t work (Lucas) or can’t work (Lady Catherine) into hubris filled balloons for Austen to pop.