More North & South squee and cut-throat pricing of anime

[dangermousie]

Here's the dialogue from Thornton's first proposal as a reason for why I am so crazy for it (and jusr cause I think it's hot. bijoux typed it up in a pic post):

Thornton: Miss Hale, I didn't just come here to thank you. I came because... I think it very likely... I know I've never found myself in this position before. It's difficult to find the words. Miss Hale, my feelings for you are very strong.
Margaret: Please, stop. Please don't go any further.
Thornton: Excuse me?
Margaret: Please don't continue in that way. It's not the way of a gentleman.
Thornton: I'm well aware that in your eyes at least I'm not a gentleman. But I think I deserve to know why I am offensive.
Margaret: It offends me that you should speak to me as if it were your duty to rescue my reputation!
Thornton: I spoke to you about my feelings because I love you. I have no thought for your reputation.
Margaret: You think that because you are rich and my father is in reduced circumstances that you can have me for your possession? I suppose I should expect no less from someone in trade!
Thornton: I don't want to possess you. I wish to marry you because I love you! cue Dangermousie fainting from the guuuh.
Margaret: You shouldn't because I do not like you and never have.
Thornton: One minute we talk of the color of fruit... the next of love. How does that happen?
Margaret: My friend Bessy Higgins is dying.
Thornton: And that, of course, is my fault, too?
Margaret: I'm sorry -
Thornton: For what? That you find my feelings for you offensive? Or that you assume because I'm in trade I'm only capable of thinking in terms of buying and selling? Or that I take pleasure in sending my employees to an early grave?
Margaret: No! No, of course not. I-I'm sorry to be so blunt. I've not learnt how to... how to refuse. How to respond when a man talks to me as you just have.
Thornton: Oh, there are others? This happens to you every day? Of course. You must have to disappoint so many men that offer you their heart.
Margaret: Please understand, Mr. Thornton...
Thornton: I do understand. I understand you completely. *walks off*

I need N&S fic. Really. (ETA: found an archive here though no idea how good it is.)

Also, when I was hunting around various Borders branches for North & South I checked out the anime section with newly awakened interest. Crazy. Each volume of InuYasha or RahXephon or Fushigi Yuugi (those were the only ones I recognized) was around $30 each. FY had 8 volumes ergo the cost would be $240 for the whole set which is insane (I have no idea how many voluems IY or RX had, but it's still crazy). Who buys this? If you go on ebay (as I did out of curiousity), you can get IY and FY complete set for around $40 shipping included and RX for less than $30. Seriously, who buys these?

Comments

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

And poor Thornton. You stick your heart on the table and someone stabs it a couple times with a butterknife.

For some reason, this gives me a cooking image. :P

But yes, I think Margaret is being horribly harsh to him (of course, she ends up getting plenty of cosmic payback later, but that's another matter). When she said that what he said was offensive, I went: ???????? How? How is a guy telling you he loves you and wants to marry you offensive? But then of course she is sensitive that he is only doing it out of obligation (and hey, she likes him so it galls her doubly hard) and of course jumps to the worst possible conclusion (as she does throughout the talk) because she is so confused.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

The part that gets me is that not only does she refuse him, she insults him and acts like he did something wrong. It's like a guys worst nightmare. Totally not on the level of Elizabeth's refusal, since Darcy really did insult her when he proposed and she had a legitimate beef.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

she insults him and acts like he did something wrong

And if it wasn't for her irrational emotional flusteredness, I'd say she is completely insane. I mean, how does a guy ever propose to anyone again after this?

I have to say, to propose back in Victorian times (or earlier) certainly took guts since they didn't have dating and you really took your heart in your hands when you proposed. I mean, when my husband proposed to me, we've been together for a couple of years so it was pretty clear what I was going to say and he was still nervous. This? This must have been horrifyingly nerve-racking.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I suppose the marriages that were sort of arranged for everyone's benefit weren't that big of a deal, since you sort of knew that even if the woman wasn't wild about it, she'd probably jump at the chance for stability. Proposing to women with some fire though, that had to be horrifying.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, leads one to see how one could prefer a mealy-mouthed wilting flower. Heee.

I have to say, much as I deplore Margaret's method of rejection (horribly hurtful), I am somewhat impressed at her passing up the chance to marry (at least financially) well. Because once her parents die, what will she do?

And of course, a practical part of me does think she should have accepted, if not Thornton (who throws her so off-balance that I can see rationality deserting her) but then Henry who proposes to her early in the story and is a most eligible match. I am afraid I am not romantic enough. Starvation or marriage? Marriage all the way!

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Sadly enough, me too. Even the insulting Darcy proposal sounded pretty good to me.

I've got to think it takes a very stubborn personality to turn down men like Elizabeth and Margaret did. You know there aren't any career options there for them, so they're turning down their best chance at livlihood. What gets me too is that they actually LIKE the guys they turn down.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup. I'd be tempted to take Mr. Collins, actually. Well, maybe not because Lizzy isn't that desperate yet (not as desperate as Margaret anyway). But I always sympathized with Charlotte in P&P.