George "Tiger" Wickham
I'm currently reading Henry Fielding's Tom Jones. And you know what I realised? It's the story of Messrs. Darcy and Wickham growing up together at Pemberley, told from the more interesting character's point of view.
There's the Good Boy. Conscientious, non-troublemaking, obedient to authority (Messrs. Square and Thwackum in Tom Jones' case, his father in Mr Darcy's case), with no inner life or creative spark to speak of, no sense of humour, no particular interest in girls...
And then there's the Bad Boy. "Adopted" by a rich man, undutiful (Tom sells his bible and is friends with the game keeper!), not respectful of his elders and betters, dissipate, too much interest in girls, tries it on with the girl who is out of his league, joins the regiment...
And yet, we know from Tom Jones that nothing is as it seems. I bet George Wickham was not the evil dissolute scoundrel he was made out to be, either. It's not his fault he was charming and had easy manners!
There's the Good Boy. Conscientious, non-troublemaking, obedient to authority (Messrs. Square and Thwackum in Tom Jones' case, his father in Mr Darcy's case), with no inner life or creative spark to speak of, no sense of humour, no particular interest in girls...
And then there's the Bad Boy. "Adopted" by a rich man, undutiful (Tom sells his bible and is friends with the game keeper!), not respectful of his elders and betters, dissipate, too much interest in girls, tries it on with the girl who is out of his league, joins the regiment...
And yet, we know from Tom Jones that nothing is as it seems. I bet George Wickham was not the evil dissolute scoundrel he was made out to be, either. It's not his fault he was charming and had easy manners!