Unlikely pairings - moved from MAIN again :)

[Carol]

Alla wrote:
<snip>

> By the way, speaking about Pride and prejudice, I remember Neri 
arguing at some point on Main that reversal in Lizzy's views happens
after the letter from Darcy pretty much and not that very dramatic at
the end. Um, anybody can tell me why this is not true?
> 
> I reread the book not that often last time, but watched BBC series
and latest American adaptation recently. Lizzie is shocked when she
gets the letter and that causes reevaluation, not that she is one
hundred percent sure in his innocence, but neither is she sure in his
guilt any more. Does anything more dramatic happen after that? I mean
sure before the letter she thinks of him as villain who did not treat
poor Wickham well, but after that she is just not sure?  And even when
he helps Lidia, I did not feel it was more shocking for Lizzie than
reading the letter.

Carol responds:

"Pride and Prejudice spoilers follow. If you're one of the five people
alive today who haven't read the book or seen the movie, please stop
here. 

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"Pride and Prejudice" has a classic plot structure rather like that of
a three-act or five-act play. The first half of the book is rising
action leading up to the climax (the letter), and the second half is
falling action leading to the resolution or denouement (Darcy's
proposal and Lizzy's acceptance). That doesn't mean that Lizzy has
nothing more to suffer (Wickham's elopement with Lydia) or discover
(Darcy's role in getting them married and providing them with an
income) in the second half, and it takes awhile for her embarrassment
over her misjudgment of Darcy to fade and for her to recognize her
love for him. He, of course, has to overcome the sting of being called
ungentlemanly and develop gentler manners (off-page) and they have to
overcome a few obstacles (the elopement, Lady Catherine, etc.), but
there's no end-of-the-novel climax as in more modern novels, where the
reader expects the tension and complications to build until almost the
end of the book (as in all the HP novels).

Carol, hoping that this twice-interrupted post is coherent and almost
ready to fall asleep