Have you done one of the light and dark versions of the Austen characters before?
Yes I have!
I have also been thinking about alternative timelines that are hinted at in books. For example, Lydia Bennet is Eliza Williams, except she gets saved.
Mr. Weston and his first wife in Emma is what might have happened to Edmund Bertram and Mary Crawford if they married:
It was an unsuitable connexion, and did not produce much happiness. Mrs. Weston ought to have found more in it, for she had a husband whose warm heart and sweet temper made him think every thing due to her in return for the great goodness of being in love with him; but though she had one sort of spirit, she had not the best. She had resolution enough to pursue her own will in spite of her brother, but not enough to refrain from unreasonable regrets at that brother’s unreasonable anger, nor from missing the luxuries of her former home. They lived beyond their income, but still it was nothing in comparison of Enscombe: she did not cease to love her husband, but she wanted at once to be the wife of Captain Weston, and Miss Churchill of Enscombe.
Now we know that Henry Crawford would have been totally fine with Mary marrying Edmund, but the idea that she would want to be both Edmund's wife and Lady Bertram makes sense.
Interestingly, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are in a similar situation to Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris. Both younger sisters are married to a wealthy landowner, while their older sister is married to the clergyman of the parish that landowner controls. However, the real love between Elinor and Marianne means that there is no conflict, while Mrs. Norris is officious and jealous.
Sir Thomas and Mr. Bennet also are a bit parallel. Both men have a daughter who commits sexual impropriety. While Mr. Bennet does feel bad for an afternoon, we are never told he reforms and Jane & Elizabeth basically take over parenting Kitty. Sir Thomas seems to have the biggest reformation in the whole novel and he deeply regrets that his misguided parenting led to Maria's downfall.
Maria Bertram vs. Charlotte Lucas! Maria seems to follow Charlotte's path, she sees marriage as a duty and choses wealth instead of love. But she is not Charlotte, she cannot do without love and it ruins her in the end.
