Modern Austen's Guide to Cads
The bad lads who get a bad rap for deceiving even the most sensible modern heroines.
Neither a good romantic partner nor friend does a cad make. But because he tends to make an agreeable first impression, it isn’t easy for modern heroines to realize when we’ve made one’s acquaintance, no matter how good our judgment & reason. We end up falling for a cad’s deceit, & it’s several chapters into a novel before we discover their debauch natures.
This guide is here to improve your cad detection skills, so you’ll never fall for George Wickham’s pleasing countenance, Mr. Willoughby’s ability to read with spirit, or Frank Churchill’s worldliness again. You’ll learn how to pick up on the hints a cad drops about his true nature and get a well-informed reading of his character.
You’ll be a better modern heroine for it.
#1 A cad looks good in regimentals
“I remember the time when I liked a redcoat myself very well—and, indeed, so I do still at my heart,” Mrs. Bennet tells her husband in Pride & Prejudice when he criticizes their two youngest daughters for being uncommonly silly about the militiamen.
Mrs. Bennet & her daughters don’t realize it, but there’s a warning in that reminiscence that should be heeded: Loving a redcoat is a passing phase. So, no matter how cute you think a guy looks in his regimentals, it’ll pass.
As for men like George Wickham, they only join the militia to ascend in society & get under your petticoat. You’re much better off with a man who wears long, sweeping coats & cravats.
#2 A cad is always despised by the man you hate most
It’s easy to love a cad when the man you despise (at least at the moment) hates his guts. A cad is also likely to talk shit about the guy you hate, & you believe every word because you know him to be a complete jerk. But you must overcome your prejudice & not lose sight of the fact that the cad is trying to play you.
Be on your guard when you encounter a man who
is very willing to share a painful personal story in which it appears he’s been wronged by the man you hate.
seeks to feed your poor opinion of the man you hate every time you meet.
You’ll have to use your reason, modern heroines: Could such a story be true if you know that this guy you despise has friends who respect him?
Mr. Darcy puts in best in his letter to Lizzie:
“I know not in what manner, under what form of falsehood, [Wickham] has imposed on you; but his success is not, perhaps, to be wondered at. Ignorant as you previously were of every thing concerning either, detection could not be in your power, and suspicion certainly not in your inclination.”
Except that detection could be in your power if you’re willing to put your prejudice aside.
#3 A cad makes himself agreeable to everyone
Any man who is instantly liked by all is probably a cad. Your mother will think him charming. All the women of marriageable age in the village will find him dashing because he loves to dance. But remember that a cad seeks his own pleasure by pleasing others. He cares nothing about the lives (usually women’s) he ruins with his lies.
How can one know if a man’s charm is genuine? Rely on your sense, modern heroines. Reserve sensibility for a more prudent love.
#4 A cad drops hints about who he really is, but you never pick up on them because he has such a nice smile
A cad can’t always stay on top of his charade, no matter how suave he may be. It’s inevitable that his true character will poke through, but you have to be willing to receive the hints.
The cad will flatter you, of course, & tap into your vanity, making it impossible for you to think ill of him. Take Mr. Knightley’s attempt to point out the deficiencies in Frank Churchill’s character to Emma. She refuses to listen & claims that Mr. Knightley is determined to dislike Frank.
Dear Emma, it’s you who is determined to like Mr. Churchill despite his insensible behavior.
Ultimately, you’ll have to accept that you’ve made a blunder in judgment.
If you happen to be had by a cad, the consequences are likely to be dramatic—cads are known for running off with the younger, unmarried sisters of the women they’ve deceived, after all. Don’t dwell on what you could have done differently. You’ll need to pull yourself together to help salvage what you can of your sister’s ruined reputation.
You’ll have to accept that you aren’t able to read people as well as you thought. And now you’re better equipped to detect the next cad who comes along.