We don’t know Mr. Wickham to be a killer, but he certainly seems to be, in 21st century terms, a little psycho. Some of interpersonal and behavioral characteristics he has are:
- Unconcern for the feelings of others/Lack of empathy
- Disregard for social rules, regulations and norms
- Incapacity to maintain long-term relationships
- Incapacity to suffer from guilt
- Prone to blaming others/Offer rationalizations for behaviors
I love his initial conversation with Elizabeth (Volume I, Chapter 16), simply for all the falsehoods he strings together. Here are some great tidbits:
- “Oh! no — it is not for me to be driven away by Mr. Darcy. If he wishes to avoid seeing me, he must go. ” [and he later leaves for London to avoid the Netherfield Ball]
- “His behaviour to myself has been scandalous; but I verily believe I could forgive him anything and everything…” [Darcy has not been the least bit scandalous to Wickham; rather, the other way round!]
- “But I verily believe I could forgive him [Darcy] anything and everything…” [a.) Wickham has nothing to forgive Darcy of and, b.) Wickham has not done any forgiving]
- “The church ought to have been my profession — I was brought up for the church…” [I wonder if he was worried about his church profession when he took Darcy’s money!?]
- “A man of honour could not have doubted the intention [to give Wickham a living in the church], but Mr. Darcy chose to doubt it.” [Darcy only doubted it when Wickham told him he had not intention for a life in the church.]
- “Till I can forget his father, I can never defy or expose him [Darcy].” [Excuse me? All he has done in Hertfordshire is defy and expose Darcy!]
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