Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Persuasion

    
       Being a lover of many English movies and period novels. My favorite is Persuasion, by Jane Austen. I love the book and the movie equally. Amanda Root as Anne Elliot and Ciaran Hinds as Captain Wentworth are just delightful and perfect they could not have cast anyone better. The onscreen chemistry is just so amazing. And just in case you are wondering. I believe that Ciaran is pronounced Keer awn. Thought you would like to know since I spent a better part of a year trying to figure out how to pronounce the guys name. And he plays an awesome Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. Just saying since that is a whole other blog.

       In a nutshell. Anne falls in love with Frederic Wentworth when she is 19. She loves him and wants to become engaged. Alas 'heavy sigh' she is rich and he is poor. And he has no connections. Remember in my last blog. Marriage was a business arrangement and love was just the icing on the cake. So Anne is persuaded by her busy body well meaning older friend, Lady Russell to give him up.

       So fast forward eight years. Anne's family is now on the brink of financial ruin and Captain Wentworth has made a nice little fortune for himself. He is quite the eligible bachelor. And has many forward young girls chasing after his newly made fortune  him. Even Anne's older sister Elizabeth, is trying to win the prize heart of Captain Wentworth. Please note that she wouldn't give him the time of day when he was just a poor sailor.

      So as in most Jane Austen novels. There is a lot of drama that keeps the two main characters apart. We finally find out that after all this time Captain Wentworth has loved Anne all this time and vice versa. Even after eight long years and many trials. 'sigh'

     And the three best parts of this movie. When Captain Wentworth declares his love for Anne. And after that when they go to an evening party and Elizabeth tells Anne that she shouldn't monopolize Captain Wentworth. That is a very bad habit of hers. Only to have him walk in a short time later to declare his love and that they are engaged. The stricken look on Elizabeth's face is priceless. Every time that I watch that movie. That is the number one best part. I never never get tired of it. And in true Jane Austen fashion, Frederick and Anne live happily ever after. 'heavy sigh'

      I guess I love this movie so much, because I think all of us single girls possibly have a Captain Wentworth. You dated when you were young. And for whatever reason it was perfect at the time. And circumstances pulled you apart. And now you just wonder what happened to that person. You wonder if he has married. And if he has, you wish him well. If he hasn't married you still wish him well.  PS. All the guys I dated in the past ten years. In my best Maury impersonation You are not my Captain Wentworth. So that there is absolutely no confusion. I was not speaking of you.

     I would love for this part of my life to be deliriously happy. Just like the ending of a Jane Austen novel. That would be fabulous.

    

Saturday, March 8, 2014

I Wish that Love was like a Jane Austen Novel (but Only the End)

    I must confess, I am a huge fan of Jane Austen's writings. Even though we lived two centuries apart. The funny thing is that she was born in 1775 and I was born in 1975. Though the similarities end there. I really love her novels. I even love the movies that are made from her novels. Although I would never fancy myself a modern day Jane Austen. I would like to think that maybe she would like to read my blog. 

     The only movie I didn't like was a recent version of Mansefield Park. I am a purist when it comes to these things. That particular movie took too many liberties. It made Sir Thomas Bertram seem like a creepy uncle and his wife a cheap floosy. I stopped watching half way through the movie.

     Even though these days her novels are mild. I would be willing to bet that a woman daring to challenge the status quo would be considered scandalous. Back then marriage was more of a business proposition. If you were a poor girl. It was your hope to marry well. If you happened to fall in love in the process that was just icing on the cake. I think many a girl married a man that they could barely tolerate. If she didn't get married to somebody (anybody) and have sons. Then after her father died, she was at the mercy of her brothers and uncles.

     Right about now I can only guess what you are thinking? Perhaps you are thinking. You want life to be hard for poor single women? You want a woman to be forced into a marriage of convenience. So that she can produce an heir and have someone to take care of her? Oh no! That isn't what I mean at all.  A marriage to someone that you cannot respect or love would be a drudgery.

     What I would love to happen real life that always happens in these novels is this. The poor girl with no connections always ends up deliriously happy by the end of the book. Whether she marries the proud Mr. Darcy or the humble Mr. Ferars. It would be my hope that every woman would end up deliriously happy, with someone that loves them madly. That my friends would be fabulous.