The heroines I find the most edifying of these period novels all have the common factor of maintaining high characters while dealing with difficult situations. Somehow associating with and being respectful toward those around them whose conduct falls short, yet continuing to behaving themselves in the most gentle-lady of ways, keeping their reputation of uprightness despite the compromising situations they find themselves in.
In the case of Molly Gibson, it was a step sister’s compromising conduct that caused Molly woe. In standing for what was right and stepping out to aid her step sister in mending her reputation, Molly herself was put in compromising situations, subjected to horrible gossip, and suffered her reputation to be tarnished.
How was she able to bear it? What got her through? She refused to defend herself out of refusing to betray her sister’s confidences. Interesting that she put her own reputation on the line to protect the reputation her sister who didn't seem to value her won reputation. Molly exhibited great amounts of uprightness and steadfastness of character. And she did it merely on the behalf of holding to good morals and good breeding of being a gentlewoman, not out of a faith or devotion to God (though I find faith and good breeding to be intimately connected and rarely can you possess one without knowing the other). Was it because she had a completely selfless heart that she was not tempted to defend herself? Was it an unusual strength of will and determination being focused on refusing to lower herself to defending, which, in so doing would betray the very reputation she sought to protect? Is this sort of uprightness attainable by any who would aspire to it? Where did she get such an understanding of these morals which seem so lost on today’s society?
Just watched Wives and Daughters for the first time. I was inspired and even convicted. Best movie I've seen in long while.
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