mr. darcy, mr. knightly, gilbert blythe, and the rest...

there's a reason these men are so iconic. there's a reason they're so attractive to girls like me.
what's so attractive about them? why do they make us swoon?
in my opinion, these men are held in such esteem as exemplary males not just because they were handsome or dashing, but because of the way they pursued the women they loved. in their pursuit, each made sacrifices, and made their admiration known through subtle but powerful demonstrations of their devotion- like what darcy did for elizabeth's family...
these men had their charm too, but i'm convinced that the most admirable thing about them was their good character.
well, i'm 22 now but i haven't quite lost my ideals. the men of jane austen and books like them are not too much too hope for. i hope.