Essay #4: Rectangle

A male friend recently inquired why the majority of women he knows cite Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as their favorite book. Before you Austenphiles can become too vexed, he has read it. He just didn't see much literary merit in it--does social commentary on 1800s England hold any relevance today, however wittily written?

I know there are scores of critical texts lauding the brilliance of Jane Austen, so I'll avoid any panegyric here. I can only attest to my own reasons for listing P&P as one of my favorite novels. Yes, it's a love story, but it's really about, well, pride and prejudice. It's a story about the disillusionment of two people accustomed to thinking themselves superior to those around them. The center conflict for these two characters comes when Elizabeth realizes that her judgment about two men was entirely mistaken, a failing she would have laughed at in someone else, and Darcy realizes that he has been arrogant and rude, traits he finds abhorrent. These revelations allow them to relate better not only to each other, but also to others in their social circle. It's a timeless study of hubris and judgment. Plus, there's comedy, scandal and yes, romance.

Specs: 33mm 1/60 f/4.8 camera-mounted flash bounced off ceiling