Barely Tolerable – Reimagining Mr. Darcy
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Janeite must be in want of a new Darcy! Ahead of the latest adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Shaney Lloyd turns her attention to the ever-changing depiction of Austen’s enigmatic romantic hero.
This autumn brings a new Pride and Prejudice, courtesy of Netflix, and the creators say that this adaptation will be ‘faithful’ to Austen. However, if we look beyond the bonnets and boots, does any adaptation follow in the novel’s footsteps, or does each new incarnation leave the indelible mark of its own era?
When Laurence Olivier donned Darcy’s boots and breeches for MGM’s 1940 epic, America was still under the shadow of the Depression. The country had witnessed families on the brink of starvation with the rate of unemployment reaching 24.9% in 1933*. Husbands and fathers, considered at that time to be the head of the household, felt their masculinity was under threat. A confidant Darcy was needed and thus a character as unyielding and sure in his posture as he was of his position in society, strode onto Robert Z. Leonard’s set.
In this post Depression era, Darcy wooed Elizabeth not in the ballroom, but outdoors, demonstrating his sporting prowess as he attempted to teach Elizabeth archery. In this production, when Darcy saw that Elizabeth preferred his rival Wickham, he looked on with an icy scowl rather than the expression of a wounded suitor. There were references to the hunt in Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin’s script. Darcy trailed Elizabeth as he tried to catch her and spent much of his time tracking and hunting her outdoors. In doing so, he rescued her from predator Mr Collins by displaying his athletic ability.
Olivier’s Darcy was a product of his time; energetic, unlike the wearied Depression-era man. The striking difference between this version of Austen’s hero and the men of the 1930’s is that Depression-era men were forced into whatever work was available, simply to keep their families alive, whilst the Darcy of 1940 did not yield. This Darcy, a symbolic representation of a new beginning and of a rebuilt society, demonstrated President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ post-depression era. A generation of men had been forced to endure harsh sacrifices and were made vulnerable in order to keep their families alive. This Darcy was an escape, set up as much as America’s new hero as Austen’s old one.
It was once again an athletic Darcy who burst onto our screens in the BBC’s 1995 six-part series of Pride and Prejudice. Screenwriter Andrew Davies described his decision to ‘Start with the men and so I wrote a scene […] making the whole thing much more physical, these big blokes, […] great big sweaty horses, thundering…’
When Davies’ script aired in 1995, society was conflicted regarding the role of men. In a survey conducted in the 1990s by Winter, Clark and Diamond, cited by The Centre for Social Justice, the perception of masculinity had progressed. Men were praised for their progression and for their “friendliness, gentleness and caring”. However, an ambivalent society was conflicted, with the survey discussing a “negative masculinity” where men “were no longer seen as […] savvy or assertive.”
This was in juxtaposition with a counterculture that arrived in response to the ‘New Man’. The ‘New Lad’ – the phrase coined in a 1991 Arena article by Sean O’ Hagan – was a return to a more traditional perception of masculinity. He was sporty, enjoyed a drink and time with his male friends. He was also an intellectual.
It was in the midst of all this that Davies’ 1990’s Darcy took to the screen, played by Colin Firth.
How did 90’s Darcy live up to the contemporary audience’s expectations? He was a contradiction, depicted displaying ‘New Lad’ traits and involved in traditional manly pursuits – lots of fencing and hunting – and able to partake in intelligent debates with his female counterpart. However, he also displayed elements of the ‘New Man’, hesitating and displaying nervousness through body language such as fiddling with his cuffs whilst trying to woo Elizabeth. (Similar to Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, also portrayed by Firth, in a great piece of metafiction). Davies wrote Darcy as more emotionally aware and vulnerable, paraphrasing the Austen quote omitted from Olivier’s version as he confesses to Elizabeth: ‘I feel I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers.’
There was a hint in this Darcy’s discomfort in social situations of a neurodiversity which has been discussed by academics in recent years. This was to be interpreted in more depth in Darcy’s next incarnation.
Matthew Macfadyen, as 2005’s Darcy, entered literally from the shadows as he stood on the sidelines of the ball watching others dance. At first glance, this incarnation of Darcy was full of trademark Pride. However, as we studied him, he appeared hesitant rather than haughty. Society was beginning to gain a greater awareness and understanding of neurodiversity – in 2005 the Guardian newspaper stated that 500,000 people in the UK were Autistic and that summer saw the first Autistic Pride Day march in America, as well as the arrival of organisations like ‘Getting the Truth Out’. Joe Wright’s interpretation of Darcy chimed with the times. Gone were the sporting pastimes – this introverted Darcy was not a team player. He was not seen riding with friends and frequently eschewed carriages in favour of solitary walks. He was often viewed through a window, slightly apart from large crowds. Once again, Austen’s words are used to explain his social behaviour to Elizabeth. ‘I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before.’ This time we witness his anxiety as he struggles to find the words to explain his emotions to Elizabeth.
Ultimately of course, we know where each road leads Darcy. As we look towards a new Netflix adaptation, how will the path look for Jack Lowden? Wherever he takes us, if we follow in Austen’s footsteps, we know he will be much more than tolerable and definitely able to tempt us!
Shaney has Jane Austen to thank for her English degree! It was her love of Miss Austen that took her to a Pride and Prejudice talk at her local University and within three months she was enrolled on their English course! Since graduating with a First, she has been working on an Austen retelling which brings marginalised characters to the foreground. She also writes as Rachel Lloyd and can be found on:
substack: @janeaustenpowers
Instagram: rachel.lloyd.12764
Threads: rachel.lloyd.12764
Bluesky: @austenpowers.bsky.social
- source https://www.fdrlibrary.org/great-depression-facts
