My Thoughts/Noticings/Ramblings:
Ch. 9
Mrs. Allen is the world's worst chaperone. Not only does she have a bizarre habit of announcing every little thing to the room ("Oh, look, a speck of dust on my dress!") but she is totally unable to pick up on Catherine's silent plea for help when Mr. Thorpe comes along to take Catherine out for a ride. Really, she should be all over that--it's not a great idea to begin with and Thorpe is clearly a jerk. CHAPERONE BETTER, MRS. ALLEN.
Mr. Thorpe somehow finds a way to be even less charming than before: "Old Allen is as rich as a Jew--is not he?" (132). Now, I ain't sayin' he's a golddigger...but he is anti-Semitic and terrible at holding a conversation in which other people are actually permitted to speak!
Ch. 10
Can I just point out that Mr. Tilney's joke about everyone saying that Bath is great for six weeks and then it's boring is almost precisely what Isabella and James were so thrilled to find themselves agreeing upon earlier in the chapter? It's like if your best friend came running over to you going, "OMG, I've been talking to the guy I like, and he says he hates when people cut him off in traffic! I hate that too! We're meant to be!"
Ch. 11
AGH I can't with this chapter. It's viscerally uncomfortable for me to read it. Mr. Thorpe is the WORST. He tells Catherine that he saw the Tilneys headed off in their carriage and then--when they drive past them on the street--he refuses to stop and let Catherine out. This chapter makes me want to set this book on fire (NOT that I condone burning books! It's just an impulse I have!)
My Takeaways:
Turns out Isabella is not a great friend, at least not when someone more interesting is around. And her brother is my least-favorite fictional person ever. And Mrs. Allen is pretty useless, so thank goodness for the Tilneys! Although it's going to take some explaining on Catherine's part to account for not being home when they came for her. Grrrr.
Vocab/Clarifications:
Ch. 9
It is noted that Mrs. Tilney (Henry Tilney's mother) was given twenty thousand pounds when she was married. This can best be translated into "a whole BUNCH of money." The relative prices of things have changed so much that it's hard to really compare amounts between then and now, but she's on par with the wealthy Bingley sister from Pride and Prejudice so we have a sense that she comes from a great deal of money (and so was unlikely to marry anyone who didn't.)
Ch. 10
Ok, if you haven't seen a film based on an Austen novel (they've all got dancing!) here's an example of what these country dances look like. Starts about halfway in.
Ch. 11
commerce (p. 184)--a card game, which the group plays instead of going out to a public entertainment.
Ch.9
ReplyDeleteMrs.Allen really is the worst chaperone. However her uncontrollable tendency to announce things like there is a speck of dust on my dress reminds me of what a distant relative may say when he/she talks about.come on Mrs.Allen pick a side, do you not see that Catherine wants to be with Tilney, but no, if you want to go child, you can go. Thanks a lot Mrs.Allen.
Mr.Thorpe is another story on his own- what is it with his incessant talking about his horse and then he starts to talk about the wealth of Mr.Allen. He really needs to start listening and do less talking.
Questions:
1)The pump room is mentioned as a meeting spot often, when people went to Bath was the pump room the place they often spened their time? Was it required that they went there?
2)On page 46, when Isabella is waiting for her she turns to James and says "what a sweet girl she is! I quite dote on her." What does Isabella mean by this?
Ch.10
move over Thorpe, Tinley is here to save the day. I was really rooting for a fight. Why does Thorpe think that Catherine only belongs to him? Was this a common way of thinking, are you only supposed to have one dance partner when you go to these balls?
Ch.11
ugh, how dare Thorpe sabotage Catherine's friendship with the Tinleys. And here he goes again talking about his horse. I really hated the one Thorpe acted but I was even more annoyed with Catherine's way of trying to make him turn around. Oh Mr,Thorpe please please turn around. If you want him to stop I am pretty sure there are more effective ways to do this. This was a really tiresome chapter.
The Pump Room was one of the public spaces used by visitors to Bath for a number of reasons. Mr. Allen goes there to drink the mineral water that made Bath what it was--drinking and/or bathing in the water there was thought to have medicinal properties. But there was music, and people to see, and space to walk around...have you ever gone to the mall just to hang out with your friends, not to shop? Kind of like that.
ReplyDeleteIsabella's comment about Catherine is just another one of her over-the-top professions of friendship. To "dote on" someone is to be crazy about them; Isabella never stops talking about how much she cares about Catherine (but very seldom acts like it, when push comes to shove!)