“What excellent boiled potatoes!” Wrong, Mr. Collins — what an excellent gentleman! And yes, by “gentleman” we mean Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice (later adapted into film and TV).
This story follows Elizabeth Bennett and her chaotic family while chronicling her journey of falling in love with the wealthy aristocrat Mr. Darcy. Over the years, the tale has been retold countless times, and in celebration of the 2005 film adaptation’s 20th anniversary, a special re-screening will be hosted at a Regal Cinema near you.
If there’s one thing I’m always harping on to my friends, it’s how yearning has lost its place in modern society. I blame instant gratification on social media, but who’s to say the exact reason? Anyone who has come across Tumblr at some point is more likely than not to have already come across posts declaring Mr. Darcy one of the pillars of the temple of yearning. This is, indeed, mostly in claims to the 2005 film-adapted Mr. Darcy.
But just what about him is so swoon-worthy? We already know he is, but let’s break it down. (PSA: These are not listed in the order they appear in the film)
Mr. Darcy, Awkward Much?
For those who have yet to see the film, it may be surprising to learn that, initially, Darcy takes no particular interest in Elizabeth. It is only later on that his true feelings for her become evident. One of the first notable scenes of yearning (or at least leaning towards it) is when Lizzie visits her older sister, Jane, while she is sick. As soon as she steps into the room, Darcy awkwardly waits for a few pauses before standing to greet her. He responds to her questions hastily, and his unease subtly reveals the beginnings of his interest.
Similarly, when he visits Elizabeth at her distant relative, Mr. Collins’ home, he appears entirely out of his element, sitting stiffly and visibly uncomfortable. Through his body language, Mr. Darcy makes it clear that Elizabeth unsettles him — she leaves him at a loss for words.
Today, it is quite common for people to say that they would prefer to “skip the awkward stage” or navigate as far from it as possible. Discomfort has now been turned into something so detrimental for society when in reality, it is something that can prompt new discoveries and opportunities. Fortunately for us, Darcy is a welcome party for all the awkward interactions, and his awkwardness is a multiplier for his charm.
Hand Flex
How could I ever continue without mentioning the iconic hand flex moment? How else is a man ever to express his burning passion for a woman? After helping Elizabeth into the carriage, following her and her family’s visit to his friend, Mr. Bingley’s residence, Mr. Darcy flexes his hand as if he had touched a hot stove. While there are different interpretations for this mannerism, the one that sticks out the most is that his adoration and yearning for her is so much that he finds it difficult to contain.
Much like yearning itself, being openly expressive has become more of a taboo than simply a “quirky” personality trait. Social media users have deemed that being “nonchalant”— or acting indifferent with little reaction — is what can best assist when romantically pursuing another party. But, as Mr.Darcy shows here, acting like you care can be pretty intriguing! Even though he tries to be discreet, his affection for Elizabeth is so profound that it betrays him.
He Listens?
Another heart-aching yearning experience is when Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance at the ball. At the first ball, Darcy proclaims that he will not dance under any circumstances. However, when asked what she finds most meaningful when trying to convey interest in someone romantically, Elizabeth answered, “dancing,” which makes the interaction all the more significant. Not only is he forcing himself to partake in something that he so clearly holds resentment towards, but he is also doing it so that the woman he likes will notice the interest he has in her — all while showing that he was listening to her. The bare minimum — dare I say — is the minimum that has everyone swooning. How iconic of Mr. Darcy to listen and remember!
Fixer-Upper
Mr. Darcy’s making amends so Elizabeth would forgive him and hopefully reciprocate his love was the ultimate yearning move. Without spoiling the entire film, Elizabeth initially harbored some bitter feelings towards Mr. Darcy after hearing certain things about him from other sources — things she believed to be true. Although some of these claims were false, Mr. Darcy did what many women dream of experiencing with their boyfriends: he admitted to his wrongdoings. He also further explained to Elizabeth the full context and reasoning behind those situations. But even without those explanations, he made up for his past actions by helping Elizabeth’s family in different instances without even telling her directly. These acts of service were done simply for her to notice, which is even made clear by Mr.Darcy himself later on. Doing something for your crush just so they will say something to you — it’s giving yearning. I’ve only seen that through Instagram thirst traps, though!
I Love You x3
Aside from the hand flex, one of Mr.Darcy’s most iconic moments is his (second) love confession to Elizabeth. During his speech, he sounds almost exasperated, and this is on top of his words already explicitly conveying his yearning to such an extent that it rots your teeth. One of my favorite lines from Mr. Darcy’s confession is when he says, “…you have bewitched me body and soul and I love… I love… I love you.”
The stutter? The admittance? It’s all around just so heart-wrenching that it’s hard to imagine not having Mr.Darcy as your ultimate yearning icon. The outright vulnerability to confess after already being rejected once was almost as astounding as the words, but it is also just how pained he looked — as if one more rejection from Elizabeth would be the bane of his existence, but she was also the resolver for all of this.
Mr. Darcy knew the true meaning of “above and beyond” and went well past it. Through verbal expression, physical expression, and acts of service, Mr. Darcy shows his longing for Elizabeth and leaves readers without a doubt that he loves her. He is the yearner of yearners and the ultimate example of the lost art of yearning.