“Well, my comfort is, I am
sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has
done.” Mrs. Bennet opines to Elizabeth in Pride
and Prejudice.
And so begins Bewitched, Body and Soul: Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The Bennets’ third born daughter Mary posits the notion of one
dying from a broken heart to Elizabeth when writing to her of their eldest
sister Jane’s relentless malaise.
A broken heart, heartbreak, both are figures of speech
used when describing the intense emotional distress, pain, or suffering one
feels after losing a loved one, be it the result of death, divorce, breakup or
even physical separation. Constant anxiety and romantic rejection also bring
about this malady.
There exists a medical condition,
known as “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy” (broken heart syndrome), where a traumatizing
event, such as one of those cited above, triggers the brain to distribute
chemicals that weaken heart tissue and result in among other things, acute
heart failure. So yes, suffering a broken heart might very well have life
changing consequences, including death.
Fear not for although Jane’s
heart is broken, all is not lost. Bewitched,Body and Soul is a happily ever after story where Elizabeth goes to town intending
to remedy Jane’s disappointed hopes and her ensuing heartbreak by clearing up
the misunderstanding that led to Mr. Bingley’s precipitous departure from Hertfordshire—subsequently
reuniting him with her sister.
One will recognize this story
for in comparing it to Pride and
Prejudice, a reader remarked,
“In
essentials I believe it to be very much the same...”
Indeed, it is. By the same
token, it is decidedly different in ways one might not expect but will find wonderfully
diverting. Elizabeth is as engaging as ever in this twist on Jane Austen’s
timeless classic. She is fiercely loyal to her beloved sister Jane, and as in
the original novel, she is far from impressed by Mr. Darcy owing to his remarks
at the assembly and Mr. Wickham’s lies.
She bends a few rules in
pursuing her mission. On more than one occasion, Mary cautions Elizabeth on the
frailties of the female’s character by ‘parroting’ Fordyce’s Sermons.
“I need
not remind you how tender a thing is a woman’s reputation—how once lost, is nearly
impossible to recover.”
Similarly, Elizabeth is
rather fond of her opinions and she does not hesitate to speak her mind,
especially when the facts (as she knows them) are on her side, as in the
following remark to her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner.
“From what
I know of Miss Darcy, I cannot conceive how it might be true. She is far too
young to entertain notions of marriage. If anything, I suspect Mr. Darcy is
more interested in having Mr. Bingley as a brother than Miss Darcy is
interested in having Mr. Bingley as a husband.”
And what Pride and Prejudice
‘what-if’ story would be complete without frequent verbal skirmishes between
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy?
“I tend to think otherwise, Mr. Darcy. Our history suggests you rather enjoy provoking me.”
With a confident grin, he acknowledged the veracity of her charge. “Perhaps, but I wager the joy I receive pales in comparison to the pleasure you get in rising to my every challenge.”
In Bewitched, Body and Soul, Elizabeth’s going to London in Jane’s
stead may have been a catalyst in the ultimate mending of her sister’s broken heart,
but it is also the means by which she ends up losing her own.
P.O. Dixon
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