This time, I asked:
If you could introduce two characters from two different Austen novels, who would you introduce and how would their meeting go?Answers from:
Juliet Archer in red
Alyssa Goodnight in orange
Jenni James in green
Susan Kaye in light blue
Talia Vance in purple
and ME in pink
Prepare yourselves for a another very...colorful conversation. ;P
*Please note, I have taken some liberties for the sake of flow.
JENNI: Ooh! Ooh! I just answered this [in the Austen's Bad Girls discussion]! Definitely Caroline Bingley and Augusta Elton. My goodness how those girls would “out-class” the other. Or try to! Caroline would be refined elegance and witty backbiting snobbery, of course. While Augusta would prove outloud, to any that would listen, how much of a better person she was than any other present. It would be a great show of one upmanship which I believe Caroline would win, but Augusta would never see it and always fully believe she was the best. Hehe! It would be great!
TALIA: Who doesn’t want to see a Caroline Bingley/Lucy Steele cage match?
ME: Hmm, everyone wants to get their hands on Caroline...Or at least watch the sparks fly when other people get their hands on her. Personally, I think I'd like to see her in a room with Mary Crawford... Who else?
JULIET: Forget When Harry Met Sally – what about When Mary Met Freddie?
Don’t worry, dear readers. I’m not suggesting anyone other than Anne Elliot for Captain Frederick Wentworth. Here, ‘Freddie’ refers to Captain Frederick Tilney – and oh, how I’d love to throw Mary Crawford in his path. Glamorous, self-absorbed and completely mercenary – don’t they just deserve each other?
ME: Ohh, another interesting pair-up for Mary...
JULIET: I’d expect Mary to get exactly what she wants out of the relationship. Although she has twenty thousand pounds of her own, she intends to marry serious money: as she says, ‘A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.’ She’s clever enough to wind bullying General Tilney round her little finger, while luring lusty Frederick and his inheritance into marriage. On her terms.
SUSAN: I would introduce Frederick Wentworth from Persuasion [to someone]...
ME: Oh? Do tell. ;)
SUSAN: Emma Woodhouse of Emma. I’d introduce them because he’s been to many parts of the world and she’s never left Highbury. I don’t know if he could persuade her to get out more, but I am certain she’d never convince him that staying home with an aged parent would be the ideal life.
ME: I could see them keeping each other on their toes... Alyssa, how about you? Who are your picks?
ALYSSA: How wonderful would it be to have Mrs. Elton come across Mr. Collins?! The overbearing obsequiousness of the one, played off of the self-righteous ostentation of the other. Perfection! Their conversation would amuse and delight us all!
ME: Oh, my...That would certainly be a scene to witness - but I don't think anyone would be able to stay in one room with both of them long enough to witness it! As for me, I think I'd like to get all of the stubborn, under-handed, over-bearing characters in one room - Mrs Norris, Lady Catherine, Sir Elliot, Fanny Dashwood, Augusta Elton, etc... Lock 'em all in a room with one of those 2-way mirrors so you can observe them without getting caught in the fray... Can you imagine all of them on a trip to Box Hill? *shudder*
Many thanks to Juliet Archer Alyssa Goodnight Jenni James Susan Kaye Laurie Viera Rigler and Talia Vance!!
** Are you an Austen author who wants to weigh in on the remaining discussion questions? Check them out here and email me your answers!
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Mrs. Elton and Mr. Collins! What a terrible dinner party that would be. How about throwing Miss Bates and Mrs. Norris into the mix, just to make sure no one could possible get a word in edgewise.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised no one matched up the heroines. Wouldn't you love to hear a conversation between Anne Elliot and Elizabeth Bennet? The very best company, indeed!
The book "Second Impressions" has Anne and Elizabeth as friends. Also the very first mix up of Austen novels from the early 1900s (I can't recall the name at the moment) also has many characters mixed together. I think instead of the outrageous ones who get too much face time I'd introduce Fanny Price and Henry Tilney. Catherine is okay but I think he deserves a bit more maturity and frankly I think Fanny deserves a bit of fun thrown into her life somehow. It needs balanced out. I loved the Mary and Frederick Tilney suggestion. heehee great one
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