Sir Walter Elliot has had a long and steady friendship with
Lady Russell that dates back to his wife's lifetime. Indeed, Lady
Russell was the particular friend of Lady Elliott and through that friendship was introduced to
Sir Walter. It is this association that plays a part in how he views his friendship with Lady
Russell.
Firstly, he respects and admires her for having been the
friend of his good and sensible wife. Secondly, when he lost his wife, Lady Russell stepped up to
fill the gap of level-headed adviser. Thirdly, Sir Walter was determined never to remarry (after
having been rejected once or twice) and so leave his estate undivided and intact for his
daughters, especially Elizabeth:
Sir Walter, ... (having met with one or two private
disappointments in very unreasonable applications), prided himself on remaining single for his
dear daughters' sake.
Therefore,
though society thought it an inevitability, Sir Walter kept--and was encouraged to keep--his
emotional distance from Lady Russell, with both parties acting for the sake of his
daughters.
Thirteen
years had passed away since Lady Elliot's death, and they were still near neighbours and intimate
friends, and one remained a widower, the other a
widow.
When Sir Walter associates with
Mrs. Clay, circumstances are different altogether (and he has
forgotten his one or two early rejections). His two still unwed daughters are situated in a new
social circle and may have renewed prospects for marriage offers, perhaps even from the coveted
cousin William Elliot. Sir Walter has all of Lady Russell's good counsel no matter whatever else
occurs because she is and will remain faithful in discharging her obligation to fulfill Lady
Elliot's dying request to look after them all.
In addition, Mrs.
Clay is a very different sort of woman from Lady Russell. For one thing, she can talk such
silliness as carrying on a discussion about the efficacious (good) effects of Gowland face
lotion, a favorite topic of Sir Walter's. She is a flatterer and can make herself agreeable by
flattering Sir Walter's vanity. Furthermore, she is very interested in receiving a marriage offer
that she would not reject--unless someone better asks her first.
In
summary, his two friendships with Lady Russell and Mrs. Clay are
seen by Sir Walter as being very different because (1) Lady Russell is superior to him and
advising him while Mrs. Clay is inferior and flattering him; (2) Lady Russell is sensible and
tries to make him be sensible while Mrs. Clay is as silly (though conniving) as he is; (3) Lady
Russell isn't interested in marriage to him while Mrs. Clay decidedly is
interested.
There was
one point which Anne, ... would have been more thankful to ascertain ... which was [of] her
father's not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it
....
No comments:
Post a Comment