#Wickham

[bethanydelleman]

One text post for each dubious male character in each Austen novel

George Wickham, Pride & Prejudice

Mr. Elliot, Persuasion

John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey

John Willoughby, Sense & Sensibility

Henry Crawford, Mansfield Park

Frank Churchill, Emma

Bonus:

Jane Austen Text Posts

[rambleonwithrosie]

Inspirational female representation is not flawless girl-bosses. It never has been. That's another one-dimensional unattainable version of perfection same as the 50s Housewife was. We can't all be Aunt Bea or Black Widow those are caricatures of what it means to be a woman and only highlight limited aspects of femininity without character growth or nuance. Assassin is no more of a personality than cook is.

Inspirational female representation in media is women who make mistakes and are still given value even after blundering. It's Anne falling off a roof. It's Evie wrecking a whole library and nearly ending the world. It's Eowyn in a suicidal depression riding into battle with the goal of dying. It's Lizzie believing everything Wickham says about Darcy.

It's Anne learning that you shouldn't fall for a bully's bait and pride has its place and it should be kept there. It's Evie learning that maybe don't assume something is safe because sometimes it definitely isn't, whether that's ladders or big black books. It's Eowyn learning to love herself and that she doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. It's Lizzie learning not to jump to conclusions about people's character.

It's the space for mistakes and growth. These characters are loved and lovable before, during, and after their mistakes. While they learn from the mistakes they make there is no pressure that from that moment on they are perfect and do nothing else less than perfectly (the mummy sequel doesn't exist here because they made Evie into a cardboard cutout of who she had been in the first film and stripped her depth and warmth). These women are allowed to fail, learn, and grow. They are also some of the most resonant characters in the history of women in literature and film. Who here consumed the media where they are represented and didn't feel akin to at least one of them in some way?

[oswincoleman]

Jenna Coleman as Lydia Wickham in Death Comes to Pemberley, episode 2

[mametupa]

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Propaganda :

Willoughby : ...

Wickham :

[ardentlyinlovedarcy]

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Howards End (1992, James Ivory)

11/11/2024

[your3fundamentaltruths]

turn around, bright eyes — XXII

Forty-eight hours ago, he could not have imagined himself agreeing to break bread with the brother who had abandoned him.

But they have been a most enlightening forty-eight hours.

Read on AO3.

[atarsto]

By the way I drew @tanetime​‘s Wickham in October!!

This is a redraw of a much older drawing that I’m still very proud of. Which I you can see below the keep reading cut!

From late 2020!

[callmeanxietygirl]

[volcanicmudbubbles]

My headcanon is that Darcy and Wickham were good friends when they were little. Serious adult Darcy is drawn to playful people; it makes sense that as a child he liked pretty, vibrant Wickham.

But then — something. Darcy might’ve become aware of class structure and started backing out of the friendship: coldly, with no finesse, in a way that hurt Wickham. They might’ve turned on each other in a fight for Darcy’s father’s attention. Or Wickham realized he’d be relegated to a comparatively tiny house with a comparatively tiny income, and done any number of things in jealousy and resentment.

[bethanydelleman]

Searching for a Pride & Prejudice quote and I noticed something interesting about Elizabeth using the phrase "such a man"

“I am astonished at his intimacy with Mr. Bingley. How can Mr. Bingley, who seems good-humour itself, and is, I really believe, truly amiable, be in friendship with such a man? [Mr. Darcy] How can they suit each other? Do you know Mr. Bingley?”

It vexed her to see him [Mr. Collins] expose himself to such a man. Mr. Darcy was eyeing him with unrestrained wonder

In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man’s [Mr. Darcy] affection

Now she knows the truth about Wickham...

How is such a man [Wickham] to be worked on? How are they even to be discovered? I have not the smallest hope. It is every way horrible!

“And they must marry! Yet he is such a man.” [Wickham]

"Such a man" switched from Darcy to Wickham, and is clearly Elizabeth's most derogatory way of thinking and speaking about a guy she dislikes.

Jane Austen did it again! Amazing.

(Edit: I got too excited, the middle reference to Darcy isn't derogatory, though I think the two top ones are, it's about Darcy's status. But I still find this fascinating)

[tanetime]

Now that I've posted both Wyneer and Wickham I guess I can post this unfinished comic I made two years ago, based on a fic I was writing.

In which Wickham conducts research on Wyneer's masks.

Establishing direct communication with your magical alternate personalities is ill-advised.

I didn't think this was that funny back when I made it, but it was funny enough for a friend to get that Wyneer face printed on a mug and send it to me.

[veryhotsoccerplayers]

[bethanydelleman]

This is interesting, because Darcy later admits that he should have let people know about Wickham and he regrets that Lydia trusted such a worthless man.

Darcy is stronger than me I would have ratted Wickham out the minute I saw him with any of the Bennetts. No wonder he’s fuming. And the first thing Lizzie does at the ball is mention him

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

Okay so is Wickham awful ? yes! But as he is up against Willougby who is equally awful if not more so I would like to add some reasons why George Wickham is actually hotter than John Willoughby (2008)! First both may be thought of as bad people but great company yet only one wears regimentals! Wickham is friends with Denny! And we all love Denny! (And I have it in my head that in persasion it's implied Willoughby and Mr Elliot are in the same set but that may be wrong). One comes back and is all beggy and self-pitying but Wickham comes back and is shamelessly jolly - still shamelessly tries to flirt with his wife's sister- and to me personally if you are going to be a cad - be a cadddd - trying to justify it makes it worse - Wickham embraces being a bad boy and deep down we love it! So please I am begging the people save the one true Jane Austen F*ck Boy! SAVE GEORGE WICKHAM!!

As they both ran off with 15 year olds I will allow some light Willoughby bashing here but don't make it a habit people!

Willoughby (2008) Vs Wickham (1995)