Usage of Word "Sensibility"

jordansdream

When Jane used the phrase "the horses gibbed," I saved and looked up the term. Happily there was an online secondary reference to the OED which for anyone else who wondered but didn't look I quote here: "By the way, a verb “jib” was originally used in the early 19th century in reference to horses. The OED says to “jib” was “to stop and refuse to go on; to move restively backwards or sideways instead of going on; to balk stubbornly. The first written reference, according to Oxford, is from a letter written by Jane Austen in 1811: “The horses actually gibbed on this side of Hyde Park Gate.” (All the subsequent OED citations are spelled with a “j.”)"

However, earlier in the game when Jane discusses marriage settlements with Aunt Catherine, I thought the use of the word of "sensibility" curious. Aunt Catherine talks about the necessity of being practical and getting everything in writing in spite of how much trouble that is for the poor contract drafters, then Jane says that Aunt Catherine is all sensibility. What? Was Jane being unpleasantly ironic? Even sarcastic? Aunt Catherine's statement seemed to me to be all sense with very little sensibility. I am hoping that one of writers will comment on this.

As the dialog(ue) I have referenced does not impact the story one way or the other, I have not used spoiler tags. Hope that's okay.

VFK_Mintie

@jordansdream I would be glad to ask the writers and see what comments they have on this.  They loved researching that era, so I'm sure they will be very happy to answer your question!

-Mintie

P.S.  The use of whiting the background instead of a spoiler is just fine!

Vogue

Thanks for posting this @jordansdream!  I was wondering about jib, but didn't look it up.  One "Austen" reference I loved in Peril in Pemberley, but haven't seen mentioned on the boards yet, is the painting of Edward Austen-Knight where Jane Darcy says "That's the brother of Mama's friend", which would suggest that Jane Austen was Elizabeth's friend in real life.  I thought that was kind of fun and cool  :D

dazzlerdream

I'm so happy everyone has been paying attention to detail!  I have a question!

I have been putting together a family tree for Radcliffe, Miss Allen And Clement to see how they are all related and because of all the inheriting of estates.  Although I can't remember for the life of me how the line comes down to clement and what the names of them are.  I've looked all around and I know I read it somewhere but I can't find it.

any help would be much apreciated!

MistyMew

@dazzlerdream His line comes down through the sister of Mr. Lambley (the owner of the estate)  who was "Mrs. Mary Radcliffe"  and the grand mother of Clement I think it works like this:

Mr. Lambley Mrs. Mary Radcliffe (sister of Mr. Lambley)

| |

Mr. Lambley Jr (dies in India the father of Miss Allen) Daughter who becomes Mrs. Weatherby

| |

Miss Allen Clement Weatherby 

And of course Radcliffe is related to clement through the Radcliffe line!

I can't wait to see your tree dazzle if you post it!

P.S. you can find this information in the Will of Mr. Lambley in your fathers papers in the library.

Gracie_DeForest

Hi @Jordansdream,

Thank you so much for your inquiry!

Writing and researching Peril in Pemberley was a real joy.

I think this is the dialogue in PIP you were referencing:

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Aunt Catherine: It is always such an inconvenience when marriage settlements are put off.

Jane: A great inconvenience indeed!

Aunt Catherine: Only recently, I have felt such pity on the poor clerks who were required to engross the deeds at the last moment.  And the counsel for either party who must deliberate, with attending objections, to each of the points in the marriage settlement.  But it does lay the foundation for a successful marriage.

Jane: You are all sensibility.

Aunt Catherine: I am always attentive to the most minute details.

-----------------------

Our thinking on the point you have mentioned was somewhat related to Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility."

In Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen portrays Elinor as the "Sensible" sister, who never indulges her feelings, while Marianne who is "Sensibility" somewhat over indulges her feelings, rather than hides them.

Taking this understanding of "sensibility" from "Sense and Sensibility," in conjunction with the OED definition: 

"The ability to appreciate and respond to complex emotional or aesthetic influences; sensitivity."

Here are some examples from "Sense and Sensibility", which can give us a sense of how "sensibility" was used at the time:

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Elinor saw, with concern, the excess of her sister's sensibility; but by Mrs. Dashwood it was valued and cherished.

But it would have broke MY heart, had I loved him, to hear him read with so little sensibility. 

They read, they talked, they sang together; his musical talents were considerable; and he read with all the sensibility and spirit which Edward had unfortunately wanted.

He was recalled from wit to wisdom, not by any reproof of hers, but by his own sensibility.

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So, taken together, it seems that the word "feelings" gives us a modern sense of how "sensibility" was often used in that era.  

The meaning we were trying to convey when Jane says "You are all sensibility." is that Aunt Catherine has a good understanding or feeling for what the clerks experience when rushed to complete a task where so many emotions and real property are involved.

And yet, we felt that Jane would have inherited some of her Mother's liveliness and so in some respects her answer would have been delivered with a certain amount of impertinence or archness, being rather deliberately playful and teasing.

An example of what we were hoping to illustrate can be seen in this excerpt from Pride and Prejudice:

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"Oh!" said she, "I heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say 'Yes,' that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all — and now despise me if you dare."

"Indeed I do not dare."

Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

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I hope this gives you some insight in to what we were thinking and we'd be glad to hear thoughts on this or any other questions you might have!

Regards,

Gracie

dazzlerdream

@MistyMew thank you sooo much!  when I read your post it was like (Face palm)  'Of course knew it was there!'  I'll definitely post it when It's done!  Thank again for your help

Also, Hi @Gracie_DeForest!  

jordansdream

Gracie, that was quite a satisfying explanation of your thinking. I had seen in Aunt Catherine's charmingly self-satisfied health advice elements of Mr. Woodhouse in Emma. I had not considered the exchange between Jane and Aunt Catherine on the plight of clerks as Xerox machines set on enlarge from the more subtle perspective of what Jane Austen shows us of Elizabeth Bennet's character perhaps because I have reread Emma more recently than Pride and Prejudice. I do reread Austen every few years--sometimes nothing else will do--so I plan to keep an eye out for any references to engrossers.

As both a point and click adventure gamer and an Austen fan, I find to my surprise and bewilderment that I am as immersed in Peril in Pemberley as ever I am when reading Austen, maybe more so. Sure, some of the dialog rings as too modern and this is underscored by less than perfect accents. I can deal. Fully developing Austen's universe is going to take more than one game just as worthwhile television series require more than one season to mature. None of the modern novels spinning off Austen's have ever ensnared me past page five. 

The writers, designers, and artists did something remarkable in creating Peril in Pemberley. Like the reader of an Austen novel, the player has to give the game a bit of time to build up momentum. Once that time is given, the game is gem. I am actually hesitant to like it too much because well loved games and characters therein have a way of disappearing: Gabriel Knight lasted only three games with one remake, and Tex Murphy vanished for 16 years to name but two classic series. The fact I am mentioning Peril in Pemberley in the same breath as those games shows how highly I regard it.

jordansdream

@Gracie_DeForest 

I never review on Amazon or anywhere else for that matter but I went over and gave PIP five stars and praise.

Gracie_DeForest

@jordansdream thank you so much for your kind review.  Also, we really appreciate your feedback as that is the best way to enhance the series.  

On a personal note, when I was younger and was first reading Austen's work, I also read The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was so romantic and exciting.  Then, some years later, when I re-read it, some of the shine or lustre had faded, but of course I still loved The Scarlet Pimpernel.  However, when compared with Austen's work, I discovered, as Elizabeth Bennet opined "people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever."  And so, it seems, I always find something new and fresh in Austen's work and her characterizations every time I have a chance to read them. 

As Miss Clue is timeless and an integral part of our studio's long term plans, we all look forward to celebrating a 10th, 20th and beyond anniversary of the Miss Clue series!  And of the plans we have for upcoming episodes of Miss Clue, having Lani Minella involved is definitely one of the most exciting!

Make sure to let us know if you think of something that you particularly imagine would help in creating Austen's universe!

Gracie

jordansdream

@Vogue noticed

Vogue said:

One "Austen" reference I loved in Peril in Pemberley, but haven't seen mentioned on the boards yet, is the painting of Edward Austen-Knight where Jane Darcy says "That's the brother of Mama's friend", which would suggest that Jane Austen was Elizabeth's friend in real life.  I thought that was kind of fun and cool  :D

I noticed this, too, so I checked. The latest book on the subject, by Dr. Susan Law, identifies

Spoiler:

John Parker, Earl of Morley, as Darcy. John Parker was at school with Jane Austen's brother Henry and Jane Austen herself was a close friend of Parker's second wife. The brother in the portrait is not Henry but Edward Austen Knight who changed his name at the request of childless relatives and became their heir. Besides John Parker, Earl of Morley, other candidates for Mr. Darcy are Thomas Langlois Lefroy and Dr, Samuel Blackall; there are probably several more. I am a casual Austen fan and by no means an Austen scholar; however, based on Game Jane's statement "That's the brother of Mama's friend" even if in reference to a different brother we get a hint that PIP is drawing on historical speculation about Mr. Darcy's identity.

I thought he clincher on the identity of the Darcys in PIP wasn't the portrait of Edward Austen Knight but

Spoiler:

elsewhere in the hall where we see three other family portraits. Jane remarks that the family never tells whether the one in the middle is her father or grandfather. The portrait to the left is identified as Jane's mother. I believed that was a portrait of the Countess of Morley by Frederick Say but it is not, rather it is of Anne Frances Bankes by Thomas Lawrence, a woman who in terms of expression and appearance certainly fits the verbal picture painted .by @Gracie_DeForest of Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet much better.

I will keep looking.

I should add that I don't want the fun of hunting down ambiguities and innuendos and portraits thrown in for the sole and excellent reason that they look great to be explained by the writers. The thrill is in the chase.