Mr. Darcy’s Letter
Personal Memorabilia
Mr. Darcy’s letter of explanation to Elizabeth is a turning point in their love story. After Elizabeth rejects Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal, he writes a letter that addresses two accusations she made against him – his treatment of Wickham and his separation of Jane and Mr. Bingly. After reading his account in the letter, she realizes that her impressions were entirely wrong in those two cases and many more. She lets go of her prejudices and begins to fall in love. He let go of his pride enough to explain himself to her.
Mr. Darcy
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Marrianne Dashwood's Piano-Forte
Instruments
Marrianne brings her piano-forte from Norland to their new cottage. Fanny Dashwood is disappointed that such a fine instrument should go to a family with such inferior wealth, but Marrianne has a special connection to the instrument. At various times, she plays with great joy and sorrow, using music as another way of expressing her intense emotions and sensibilities. Those who truly appreciate her music, like Colonel Brandon, truly appreciate Marrianne’s spirit.
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Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Lydia Bennet’s Bonnet
Accessories
Lydia purchases her new bonnet while waiting for Jane and Elizabeth in Hartfordshire. Even though she, herself, does not like it and her wiser sisters insist it is ugly, she is happy to spend her money on it. She then needs to borrow money from her sisters for lunch. This is representative of Lydia’s carelessness toward finances, which she brings into her imprudent marriage to Mr. Wickham. It foreshadows her and Wickham’s lifelong dependence upon Elizabeth’s and Jane’s families for money because of their mismanagement.
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Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Lock of Marrianne’s Hair
Personal Memorabilia
During a trip to Barton Cottage, Willoughby cuts a long lock of Marrianne’s hair from her head and puts it into his pocket-book. Margaret spies this action and the Dashwood women consider it as further proof that Marrianne and Willoughby are secretly engaged. As this is not the case, the gift is an illustration of Marrianne’s impropriety in her affection for Willoughby. Such a token is only appropriate for an engaged couple. When Willoughby returns the hair to her, it signifies the end of his and Marrianne’s attachment.
Marrianne (Dashwood) Brandon
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
John Thorpe’s Gig
Land Based Vehicles
When Catherine first meets John Thorpe, he is recklessly driving his new gig through Bath. He is very proud of his new open vehicle, boasting about its worth and demanding admiration for it. The pressure he puts on Catherine to take a ride in it when she had already committed to walking with Mr. Tileny sets up the conflict between Catherine’s two suitors. When Catherine learns from Mr. Allen that is was inappropriate to ride in an open carriage with a man, she realizes Mr. Thorpe does not have her best interests in mind.
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Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Jane Fairfax’s Piano
Instruments
Jane Fairfax’s piano is an anonymous gift, leading all her acquaintance to speculate on the giver. Frank encourages Emma to believe that Mr. Dixon gave it to Jane, evidence of an improper attachment, but Frank was her actual benefactor. The piano demonstrates the pains that Frank goes through to keep his and Jane’s engagement a secret, even to the point of hurting her feelings and reputation. The gift also revels Frank’s impulsivity and lack of foresight, because Jane does not have the resources to maintain it. Throughout the novel, Jane’s accomplishment on the piano is compared to Emma’s, which wounds Emma’s pride.
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Emma, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
High Cedar Chest
Furniture
On her first evening at Northanger Abbey, Catherine discovers the large heavy cedar chest tucked away in her room. The chest has a tarnished silver lock and broken silver handles. Catherine struggles to open the chest, believing it to hold a dark secret, only to find it full of white cotton bed sheets. This mistaken assumption is the first of many she makes about Northanger Abbey’s mysteries, and though she vows to learn from her mistake and tame her imagination, she does not follow through.
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Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
High Black Cabinet
Furniture
Catherine discovers a high black cabinet of black and gold Japan wood in her bedroom, and it reminds her of a gothic mystery Henry told to tease her. Before bed, Catherine opens the chest and pulls out a manuscript that she cannot read in the dark. She spends the night believing she has found a secret document only to discover in the daylight that it is a laundry list. This is her second mistaken assumption about Northanger Abbey, but it is still not enough to stop her from imagining herself in a gothic novel.
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Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Harriet’s Portrait
Paintings
Emma paints a portrait of Harriet because she believes it will draw Mr. Elton’s attention to Harriet. The painting embodies the misunderstandings that take place between the three of them when Mr. Elton praises Harriet with the intent of pleasing Emma. Mr. Elton compliments the painting because of Emma’s talent, but Emma is convinced that it is because of Harriet’s beauty. When Mr. Elton take her painting to London for framing, Emma is certain he is showing Harriet’s picture to his family, but his only interest is in pleasing Emma. The painting is one of several situations that Emma completely misunderstands when she is determined to set up Harriet and Mr. Elton.
Emma (Woodhouse) Knightly
Emma, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel
Harriet’s Box of Treasures
Personal Memorabilia
Harriet keeps a special wooden box with mementos from her days with Mr. Elton. She has a small piece of cloth that he discarded and the stump of a used pencil. The insignificance of the objects demonstrates the lack of real evidence of Mr. Elton’s attraction and Harriet’s own naiveté. Harriet’s choice to keep the box after she realizes Mr. Elton is not interested in her shows her continued hope, and her choice to destroy the objects signifies that she is no longer secretly longing for Mr. Elton.
Tunbridge-ware
Emma, Jane Austen
Brianna Sumption
Novel