"My chosen representatives in the field of shagging, or, rather, courtship" ~Bridget Jones

I believe that Mr. Darcy has been erroneously vilified -- as well as romanticized -- without reason. Every woman I have ever met has, at one time, hated Mr. Darcy with a kind of hatred approaching that reserved only for people who constantly have cuter shoes than they do. Generally this hatred is generated by, and felt during, the reading of Ms. Austen's famous book. And every woman I have ever met eventually ends up lauding Mr. Darcy as the most romantic person in the world -- and why can't more men be like him?

But I believe that Mr. Darcy is an innocent man caught in a web of romantic utopian dreamsters... when, quite likely, he has no idea what is going on. Let me explain.

When Nymph and I first met, we went out once and I didn't like her at all. I didn't ask her out again, and it was very obvious that I was not interested in her. We continued to hang out socially, and quickly became good friends, but there was nothing romantic in our relationship at all, and I was perilously close to the dreaded Friend Zone (which I formerly knew nothing about, but apparently is common enough to have its own wikipedia entry), when out of the blue, I confessed my love, and, after recovering from utter confusion about my change of attitude, she was swept completely off her feet.

Well... at least... that is Nymph's version. And the version that all of her friends know by heart. But is it the truth? Does any woman really know what motivates and inspires a man? Did any of her friends and confidantes step back and say "Wait! Are you SURE that's what he feels and why he's acting that way?" Of course they didn't. Because if there's one thing all women agree on, it's men. And if they all agree, then why ruin it by asking an outsider's unwanted opinion?

I contend that Mr. Darcy is destined to be eternally misunderstood, and the poor sap will never get a chance to stand up for himself and let his side of the story be heard. Was he being rude or cruel in his attempt to save Bingley from unhappiness? Does he truly struggle with feelings of superiority, or is that just what Miss Bennet (and her sisters) believe is the case? "Lizzy" is so proud of her own acuity in social judgments, how can she really be trusted? And his "saving" of Lydia could have been just that -- or could have been a gross miscommunication on the part of "Eliza the quick."

I feel for the man; I truly do. So misrepesented. So misunderstood. What did Ms. Austen know of men anyway? Is there any proof she actually spent time alone with one? I mean, cripes, she named him Fitzwilliam! And who will stand up for our lonely champion? No man I know is willing to argue with all of English-speaking womankind over such a sensitive topic. And so the poor man sits... criticized, reviled, and ultimately glorified and idolized beyond what he deserves. And all he did was be rich, help his friend out of a mistake, and then fall in love and become stupid -- all of his decisions from that point on can be summed up as "trying to please his woman."

Kind of like my decisions with Nymph.