An Unequal Marriage: What happens after Pride and Prejudice?
A review of a novel by Emma Tennant (born 1937), which describes the marriage and misunderstandings of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Mr. Darcy is one of the most desired romantic heroes of all times and every female reader of Pride and Prejudice can't help but to dream her own melancholic and arrogant Mr. Darcy. But as much as the reader would wish that he and Elizabeth Bennet would live happily ever after; it is hardly a surprise that these powerful characters can't maintain the balance in their marriage, even if the scene is the beautiful estate of Pemberley.
The novel by Emma Tennant was originally divided into two parts; Pemberley and An Unequal Marriage, the former describing the life of newly wed couple, and the later the happenings 20 years later. But even as an experienced couple, who had shared many happy years together, still the misunderstandings shape the life of Elizabeth and Darcy, as they did when they had just met.
The early years of the marriage are shaped by the troubles Elizabeth is facing when trying to be a good mistress of the impressive estate, her worries of not being able to give an heir to the Darcy family; and hosting the more or less unpleasant members of each family. And it doesn't help that even though Darcy seems to have soften during their marriage, the old arrogance show's its ugly face and they end up in quarrels. Here Tennant's Elizabeth is very different from Austen's, who would have easily overcome arguments with her witty and smart manner. But Tennant's Elizabeth is more like a martyr who refuses to find out the intentions of her husband, then wallow in her own uncertainty and self-accusations and finally end up in some minor accident which gains Mr Darcy's concern and his affirmations of love.
Both characters seem to maintain the defects of their nature even they have reached middle age. The concerns of their life have changed as they now have a troubled son and a daughter with unwished suitor to worry about. It is probably no surprise for readers, that even though the charm and charisma of Mr Darcy can't be compared, his narcissistic personality hardly makes the best possible father material. Thus, their son Edward, who is to inherit the whole estate, does not get the full and uncompromised affection of his father and ends up into trouble in the temptations of London. This leaves Elizabeth bitter as her husband doesn't share the problems and decisions with her, but acts upon his own impulses. Here again, Austen's Lizzy would have travelled to London to find out what is the problem, but Tennant doesn't let her to leave Pemberley where she spends her time with her unpleasant thoughts in the garden and hosts unwished guests. The old relatives Lady Catharine and Mrs Bennet, the spiteful sisters of Mr Bingley, as well as always so charming Mr Collins, contribute to the misunderstandings with the couple as the letters and rumours seem to reach everybody but Elizabeth. Of course this story reaches to the happy ending, but Tennant holds the excitement into very last moment.
In spite of the some drawbacks of this novel, in general it is very delightful reading to anybody who enjoyed Pride and prejudice. There's just one unsolved mystery the author leaves, namely where did Georgiana, Darcy's shy and beautiful sister disappeared? In the first half of the book she was happily living in Pemberley with the young couple, but in the later half, there was no mention where life had taken her.
