MovieChat Forums > Wives and Daughters (2002) Discussion > So Why was Preston so bad?

So Why was Preston so bad?

posted 14 years ago by Ilario1
9 replies | jump to latest

For those who read the book, why was Preston so bad? I don't think the series succeeded in making him the villian he is supposed to be. Even though Cynthia alludes to it in her conversations with Molly, I haven't seen anything in his actions that showed he was that bad. The only thing he did was attempt to hold Cynthia to her promise of marriage after he waited years for her, lol. He was a jilted lover just like Roger was. She did say she loved him once. If there's more to it than that please fill me in.

[–] rebkad 14 years ago

He refused to allow Cynthia to dump him ... on the face of it, kind of sweet, but you can feel the underlying menace in him. He reminds me of Soames Forsyte, the sort of guy who can't break up in a civilized way but who takes cruel revenge. He only relents when he realises he can get Molly involved, and avenge himself by indirectly ruining Cynthia: she and her family must ruin Molly's reputation or admit to everyone Cynthia has jilted him, ruining Cynthia's reputation too.

[–] randommovies2002 14 years ago

Consider how young Cynthia would have been at the time of their engagement, and how old Preston must have been. She was a young, fatherless girl whose mother was often absent (and even when she was around, she wasn't watching out for Cynthia the way she should have been). It makes Preston's pursuit of her predatory. Remember what Mr. Gibson says to Mr. Coxe, regarding the letter that Coxe had written to Molly? "It's not the actions of a gentleman," or something like that. At the time of the so-called engagement, imo we should perceive Cynthia as young and vulnerable. She needed protection-- not someone taking advantage of the situation.

Additionally, Cynthia tried for a very long time to extricate herself from Preston. She tried over and over again to break the engagement but he wouldn't accept it. He had a kind of creepy obsession for her. He made her believe that he would tell all the scandalous details of their relationship if she didn't go through with it. So he was blackmailing her.

Another reason imo why people think badly of him as that he is a social-climber. That's the main reason why Lady Harriet doesn't like him. His behavior toward his "betters" (e.g. Mr. Hamley) is not what it should be. He often acts as though he is exempt from observing the social conventions someone of his station should express toward those who are socially higher up than he is.

[–] Ilario1 14 years ago

Well thanks for the replies. I didn't get all of that from the series though. I agree he should have let her go when she wanted to go but other than that, what I saw onscreen didn't merit the entire town's hatred toward him. Just my opinion. If there is more to him in the book, please share.

[–] Unwanted_Birdtamer 14 years ago

Really? Cynthia says that she hates him--both to his face and apparently in her letters as well, she says she has repeatedly tried to get free and he won't let her, tries to get her letters back, tries to pay him back--none of that will he accept or listen to. He instead threatens her, and when he hears she may be engaged to Roger, and threatens to use the letters as blackmail. I thought they portrayed that all that quite clearly. None of that seems very romantic to me, but rather pretty obsessive and controlling.
During this time, a woman could free herself from an engagement without any repercussions, and a gentleman was supposed to let her go willing and without pursuing her further. Mr Preston didn't do that and seemed fully bent on forcing Cynthia to the altar. Men at the time didn't loan money or give gifts to anyone but family members, fiancees or mistresses. To loan money to a young single girl without her family knowing was highly inappropriate as it signaled further intentions of intimacy. Cynthia at 16 may not have fully realized how wrong he was to even offer or what exactly he was offering, but Mr Preston as much older certainly knew better what the money signified. When Molly threatens to expose Mr Preston to Lord Cumnor in the book, Mr Preston knows at once he wouldn't have an defense for his actions and knows just how badly he's behaved: "the conduct of which he had been guilty about these letters, and the threats which he held out about them, were just what no gentlemen, no honourable man, no manly man, could put up with."
Additionally, what about how he then treats Molly once she gets involved? As was said above, because Molly is trying to help Cynthia, Mr Preston revenges himself by allowing people to think he and Molly are attached, in fact, he kind encourages it with Mr Sheepshanks, full well knowing it will damage Molly's reputation. It's only because Lady Harriet gets involved and forces him to admit the truth that Molly is saved. Had it not been for her, Molly would have continued to endure a tainted reputation, and as Mr Preston gloats when he hears about the scandal, undoubtedly Mr Preston would have been content to let Molly remain so talked about without ever dispelling the notion. Revenging yourself on an innocent girl merely because she took her stepsister's side in the affair is hardly the actions of a nice man.

Come, we must press against the tide of naughtiness. Mind your step.

[–] Ilario1 14 years ago

Unwanted Birdtamer (LOL @ the screen name, awesome!)

Now that you bring all of that up I have to say you are absolutely right about Preston's behavior. Yes, it was "ungentlemanly" to say the least. I guess I'm just used to really bad scoundrels in some of these period pieces like Wickham in Pride and Prejudice or some of those bad guys in Catherine Cookson's movies. As I'm thinking about it that guy in Clarissa was pretty awful as well as Rupert Graves character in the Tenant at Windfell Hall. But yes, since you spell it all out that's pretty bad.

[–] Unwanted_Birdtamer 14 years ago

Thanks.

I agree that Preston may not be quite as thoroughly bad as some other literary jerks, and Molly even says that he does love Cynthia "in his way" and that maybe he deserved some pity or consideration. But if he had succeeded in marrying Cynthia, I think they would have been horribly unhappy together. He'd be jealous, controlling, and obsessing over everything she does; she needing freedom and independence, and likely to be goading him to purposely make him angry/miserable.

Come, we must press against the tide of naughtiness. Mind your step.

[–] Ilario1 14 years ago

I loved Cynthia's character. I felt like she did love him once when she was really young and just grew up and out of love with him. It's just the way she was. She loved attention. I just didn't see Preston being all that bad.

[–] Sofistali 13 years ago

I don't think Preston is a "nice" man, but I do think he loved Cynthia and honestly believed that she simply didn't know her own mind, and that he would make her happy if she'd just get over her panic-attack and marry him. I sympathize with people who love so much they can't let go. I have those impulses myself. I'm female, so I manage to unclench my hands and let go when I must, but if I were male, I suspect I'd be a real caveman.

Another point about Preston is that Cynthia at one point actually admits that if she married him, he probably could make her like him again. Well gee, that's a fate worse than death, eh? It suggests that Preston actually is right about her character, and knows her better than most people. To know someone that flawed so well and still love them ... I don't know, I just sympathize.

Finally, I think he's a little nasty to Molly because he believes that she is influencing Cynthia to break from him. And knowing how deceptive Cynthia can be, I suspect she let him think that because, as she said herself many times, she can't bear to have anyone have a bad opinion of her.

[–] deborahkerr1992 10 years ago

A man like that ( who preys on very young girls and threatens women when he doesn't get his way) could never make any woman happy. He controlling, obsessive and vindictive. Interesting this actor played the same character in Downton abbey.