Smiles in P&P

[anghraine]

[reposted from wordpress]

I was reading this review of Amanda Grange’s Mr Darcy’s Diary, when I happened across a rather perplexing assertion:

Also, Darcy smiles far too much. He says, “I smiled at her.” Or “I felt like smiling.” In the first part, at least, it’s a little out of place. Darcy didn’t smile at Elizabeth, that’s why she felt so weird about his staring at her. He could not possibly be happy or enchanted by what he saw!

I’ve always had the impression of Darcy as wry and snarky – which is probably why I’ve never been able to wrap my brain around the the idea of ‘brooding Darcy.’  He’s too – well – snide for that.  However, just to be sure, I went and checked.

There are, unsurprisingly, a lot of smiles in Pride and Prejudice associated with a number of different characters.  So, just for kicks, I tracked down them all, with these results:

 

Elizabeth Bennet – 27

Fitzwilliam Darcy – 11

Jane Bennet – 9

Mrs Bennet – 4

Caroline Bingley – 3

George Wickham – 3

Mrs Gardiner – 3

Catherine Bennet – 2

Lydia Bennet – 2

William Collins – 2

Lady Catherine de Bourgh – 2

Sir William Lucas – 2

Mrs Annesley – 1

Mary Bennet – 1

Anne de Bourgh – 1

Mr Denny – 1

Colonel Fitzwilliam – 1

Edward Gardiner – 1

Louisa Hurst – 1

Charlotte Lucas – 1

Maria Lucas – 1

Pemberley gardener – 1

Merytonians in general – 1

———————————————————

By comparison, here are some of the other Austen heroes:

Edmund Bertram – 13

Henry Tilney – 10

Frederick Wentworth – 4

Colonel Brandon – 2

Edward Ferrars – 1