Map of Netherfield Drawing Room

Topic 79 of 89 (austen): Solving disorientation in the Netherfield drawing room Response 4 of 4: Ann Rydberg (Ann2) * Wed, Dec 11, 1996 (00:57) * 40 lines

Comments on sketch of Netherfield drawing room:

Five scenes in P&P2 take place here. The walls and the tablecloth are yellow. The windows seem to be covered in the evening. And pedestals with chandeliers of prodigious dimensions are placed in front of them and in the corners.

1) After the Meryton assembly.

There is coffee on the round table and Miss Bingley moves with her cup to Mrs. Hurst on the sofa exclaiming ``And so none of the Hertfordshire ladies...'' Bingley is in the big armchair near the sofa and Darcy is standing at the fireplace. Mr. Hurst is snoring on couch. (He had to sleep a lot after all the food and wine he devouted his life to. Here his position of the white whale is repelling. He was probably able to sleep in chairs too, as his wife might have daily proof, and we saw at Pemberley, where his position is as if in a chair.) Bingley rises to ask Darcy why he is determined to think ill of everybody. And the latter feeds the malice of the evil sisters with his: ``sooner call her mother a wit.'' (Rather boyish look on his face there.)

2) The card evening.

Darcy enters through Door A, walks up to Lizzy asking about Jane, then withdraws to his table. Lizzy is on the sofa. Around the table are: Caroline Bingley chair A; Mrs. Hurst chair B; Mr. Bingley chair C; Mr. Hurst chair D. Thus the couch is empty as we get a glimpse of it right in front of Darcy as he enters.

3) Mrs. Bennet's visit.

Caroline closes door C and proceeds to the sofa, lamenting of the invasion. Mrs. Bennet enters through Door C, advances to the middle of the room, then goes to a window (no. 2). After that she returns to the armchair near the sofa and sits down. Kitty and Lydia remain standing behind that chair until Lydia steps forward to ask Bingley about his Ball plans. Mr. Hurst, who stands by the fireplace at first, manages to escape through door C.

Mr. Darcy is seated near his table reading, but rises as the visitors enter; then he moves forward, until appalled by the beneathness of his company (with some exceptions...), he resumes his familiar position by a window (no. 1). Mr Bingley starts in the armchair near the sofa , rises with Darcy and stands in the middle of the room. Lizzy enters with her mother and sisters. Then she moves in the middle like Bingley, rather symbolically(?) as they are the links between Darcy and the rest. Lizzy seemingly trying to prevent her mother's rudeness from reaching its object even with her body.

4) A turn about the room.

Mr. Darcy is in his chair reading and Miss Elizabeth Bennet is at the round table in chair C reading too (improving their minds no doubt). Mrs. Hurst is sitting in the armchair near the sofa, yawning and looking bored. Mr. Hurst is asleep on the couch (what else, when there was neither food nor cards to be had...). Mr. Bingley stands leaning on the mantelpiece but soon goes to sit on the sofa looking rather absentminded.

Miss Bingley walks about the room pretending to read volume two of the book Darcy has chosen. But soon she throws her book aside (on the lower cupboard beside the fire) and after some bending and stretching -- rather obvious wouldnt you say? -- asks Miss Eliza to join her and take a turn, which Lizzy does out of sheer politeness I guess. After Darcy's comment on their figures, she stands by the fire to tease and -- if possible -- laugh at him. Miss Bingley stands a bit aside and (as she observes the reaction Lizzy is able to get from Darcy, oh how different from what she herself has ever managed...) finally hurries to the pianoforte for some music.

(Error I have not been patient enough to correct: Mr Hurst's couch should be nearer to the window wall, almost in front of door A.)

5) I have recently observed that even the eventful Netherfield Ball supper takes place in this room, though some rearrangements of the furniture are made. Tables put in and Mr Hursts couch probably placed somewhere else (where he could rest his weary body after the many dances he no doubt indulged in.) The pianoforte, as we all know, is available for the various performances of Mary Bennet and Louisa Hurst.

At the pauseknob, Ann2.

Thanks to Ann2 from the RoP. (Reference: P&P2BB message #25570. Posted on the P&P board at the Republic of Pemberley on July 29, 1998 at 10:09.26)

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