Whilst most girls fantasize about their favourite celebrity or perhaps the latest Oscar winner, I myself see no qualms in imagining what life would be like with some of those well-known names from between the pages. You see the benefit of a literary character is that you can imagine them however you like, (i.e. as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as you like). But the question is, in an ideal world and with all this perfection at my disposal, how would I choose between the dreamy Darcy and charming Gatsby?
So letās start with Mr Darcy. Heās good looking, mysterious, wonderfully rich and great on horseback; I imagine most people would be more than willing to just go ahead and marry the man, but is that all there is to him? I canāt help feeling as though the famous novel wasnāt entitled Pride and PrejudiceĀ for nothingā¦
Okay so heās a bit of a snob, but isnāt that just another word for fabulously wealthy? Call me shallow, but I think I could put up with a little bit of āprideā if it meant I could show someone a picture of Pemberley and say, āYeah, thatās my houseā.
And I mean letās consider Gatsby in this: heās got heaps of cash, and because he didnāt inherit it along with an in-built air of haughtiness like Darcy did, you canāt deny there had to be some dodgy dealings involved. Plus his success was all in the name of this one girl he hadnāt seen for yearsā¦ isnāt that a little creepy?
Oh and speaking from the benefit of hindsight, I definitely wouldnāt want a share of all that āfast cashā with an economic disaster looming on the horizon.
But all money-matters aside, could I deal with the āprejudiceā of Darcyās breed? As a mere commoner of no significant birth right or great fortune, Iād be instantly shunned by almost his whole social circle. And getting along with your boyfriendās friendsā¦ even more so his familyā¦ is pretty important isnāt it?
See you wouldnāt have this problem with Gatsby. He was a lowly peasant once too, and itās the roaring twenties! Anything goes.
Admittedly, however, this āanything goesā notion has been known to be taken a tad too far by Mr Gatsby. The relentless parties would surely prove too much for anyone after a while. What if I just want a nice quiet night in? Without showgirls running around and drunken strangers getting off in the garden! I think Iād rather sip tea from a gold-plated tea cup, whilst gazing contently through the window at the beautiful gardens at Pemberley. That sounds more like it.
The truth is Iām a country gal at heart. A gallop through the fields and meadows sounds like a hell of an afternoon, whereas the hustle and bustle of a booming New York City just seems a bit too much. However I must admit, a ride in Gatsbyās car would be a treat wouldnāt it? Just give me some red lipstick and a pair of sunglasses and Iām there.
Living in a slightly more liberal society than capitalist 18th century Britain is also quite appealing, and I totally understand why you might decide to ditch Darcy for this simple reason.
Nevertheless, getting involved with Gatsby just seems like a recipe for troubleā¦ I donāt want to end up in an obsessive relationship, and I certainly donāt want to venture into those darker corners of the roaring twenties.
And so after much thought, and regardless of his being dubbed Gatsby the āGreatā, Iām afraid I choose Darcy.Ā