Why Did Hastings and Miss Neville Plan to Elope?
She Stoops to Conquer is a notable literary work by ___. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of She Stoops to Conquer.
Answer
Why did Hastings and Miss Neville plan to elope?
In “She Stoops to Conquer” (1773), George Hastings and Miss Constance Neville are in love. But they face many problems. Constance’s aunt, Mrs. Hardcastle, does not want them to marry. She wants Constance to marry her son, Tony. That is why Hastings and Constance plan to elope and marry in secret.
Strict Guardian: Mrs. Hardcastle is Miss Neville’s aunt and guardian. She wants Constance to marry her cousin Tony Lumpkin. She also wants to keep Constance’s fortune in the family. She says,
“Indeed, Constance, you amaze me. Such a girl as you want jewels! It will be time enough for jewels, my dear, twenty years hence, when your beauty begins to want repairs.”
But Constance and Tony do not love each other. Mrs. Hardcastle does not listen to Constance’s wish. So, Constance decides to run away with Hastings.
True Love: Hastings and Constance truly love each other. Hastings does not care about her money. He only wants to marry her. He is ready to marry without the jewels. But Constance is careful. She wants to keep her fortune. So, she plans to take the jewels with her before they run away.
Tony’s Support: Tony also helps them. He does not want to marry Constance. He knows his mother is wrong. So, he steals the casket of jewels and gives it to Hastings. When Hastings asks how he got the jewels, he says,
“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs,”
Tony’s help shows that he wants them to be happy. But later, by mistake, the jewels go back to Mrs. Hardcastle again.
In conclusion, Hastings and Miss Neville plan to elope because they want to escape control. Mrs. Hardcastle’s greed and pressure make them act in secret. They wish to marry freely. Their plan shows their deep love, courage, and cleverness.