The role of the visit to Pemberley by Elizabeth and the Gardiners would most closely resemble a modern visit to a museum or a tourist attraction. I remember visiting Newport, RI some time ago and visiting the Vanderbilt’s Mansion and the Aster’s Mansion on the island and touring the grounds of the estate the same way that Elizabeth and the Gardiners visited Darcy’s home.
We viewed the rooms filled with crystal and walls made out of Marble that had been imported from Europe in awe. These excursions reminded me of millions of dollars in this world, yet at the same time, in the great scheme of life, the number of really wealthy people is small. Likewise, when we (and Elizabeth) are introduced to Pemberley, we see money like we have not seem with any of the other characters in this book. Darcy’s worth super exceeded any of my expectations of ‘how rich was he really’. Darcy has the power, as he later shows with the Lydia situation; he has the freedom (he goes anywhere he wants and stays there months at a time) and the social class that money as bestowed on him.
The one contradiction I found has to do with the way people in Longbourn viewed Darcy once they all agreed that he was not liked. Money did not ‘buy’ him their good favor like Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins. Perhaps Darcy was too modest to show his full monetary worth but the town knew that Darcy was indeed wealthy.English Essays
