Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's first novel, published
in 1813. Some scholars also consider it one among her most mature novels.
Austen began writing Pride and Prejudice under the title
First Impressions in 1796, at the age of twenty-one. She probably wrote the
primary draft as an epistolary novel, meaning the plot unfolded through an
exchange of letters. In 1797, Austen's father offered his daughter's manuscript
to a publisher, but they refused to even consider it.
Shortly after completing First Impressions, Austen began
writing Sense and Sensibility, which wasn't published until 1811. She also
wrote some shorter stories during this point, which she later expanded into
full novels. Between 1810 and 1812, Austen rewrote Pride and Prejudice for
publication. While the first ideas within the novel came from a 21-year-old
girl, the ultimate version reflects the literary and thematic maturity of a
thirty-five year woman who had spent
years painstakingly drafting and revising, as Austen did with all of her
novels. Pride and Prejudice is that the hottest of Austen's novels.
Pride and Prejudice Summary
Pride and Prejudice is about primarily within the county of
Hertfordshire, about 50 miles outside of London. The story centers on the the
Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth. The novel opens at Longbourn, the Bennet
family's estate. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five children: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary,
Kitty, and Lydia. The family engages during a conversation about Mr. Bingley,
"a single man of huge fortune" who are going to be renting the nearby
estate of Netherfield Park. Mrs. Bennet sees Mr. Bingley as a possible suitor
for one among her daughters.
The Bennets first meet Mr. Bingley and his companions at the
Meryton Ball. The townspeople conclude that Mr. Bingley is perfectly amiable
and agreeable. Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley takes an instantaneous liking to Jane
Bennet. Mr. Bingley's friend Mr. Darcy, however, snubs Elizabeth. The community
decides that Darcy is proud and disagreeable due to his reserve and his refusal
to bop. Jane finds Bingley's sisters - Caroline and Mrs. Hurst - to be amiable,
but Elizabeth sees them as arrogant.
After further interactions, it becomes evident that Jane and
Bingley have an interest in each othe. However, while Bingley makes his
partiality quite obvious, Jane is universally cheerful and somewhat shy. Charlotte
Lucas, Elizabeth's ally, features a very pragmatic view of marriage. She
recommends that Jane make her regard for Bingley more obvious. At an equivalent
time, Mr. Darcy begins to admire Elizabeth, captivated by her fine eyes and
lively wit. She, however, remains contemptuous towards him.
When Jane is invited for dinner at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet
refuses to supply her with a carriage, hoping that the approaching rainstorm
will force her to spend the night there. After getting caught within the rain,
Jane actually falls ill and has got to remain at Netherfield for several days.
Upon hearing that Jane is ill, Elizabeth walks to Bingley's estate through the
muddy fields. Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are scandalized by Elizabeth's
rumpled appearance, but join Bingley in welcoming her nonetheless.
Elizabeth continues to impress Darcy during her time nursing
Jane at Netherfield. However, she remains blind to his affections and continues
to ascertain him as a proud and haughty man. Caroline, who hopes to draw in Mr.
Darcy herself, grows extremely jealous of Elizabeth and mocks her lowly status.
Mrs. Bennet and her younger daughters come to Netherfield to
see on Jane, and Elizabeth is mortified by their foolish behavior and complete
lack of manners. Bingley's admiration for Jane continues unabated, though, and
his affection is clear in his genuine solicitude for her recovery. After Jane
recovers, she returns home with Elizabeth.
Meanwhile, a militia regiment is stationed at the nearby town
of Meryton, where Mrs. Bennet's sister Mrs. Phillips lives. Mrs. Phillips is
simply as foolish as Mrs. Bennet. Lydia and Kitty like to stick with their aunt
in Meryton in order that they can socialize (and flirt) with the military
officers.
Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet's distant cousin, writes a letter
stating his intention to go to. Collins is in line to inherit Longbourn because
the estate has been entailed faraway from any female children. Mr. Collins may
be a clergyman, and his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh (who is
additionally Darcy's aunt), has suggested that he find a wife. Therefore,
Collins hopes to form amends for the entailment by marrying one among Mr.
Bennet's daughters. Mr. Collins proves himself to be a silly man, speaking in
long, pompous speeches with an air of solemn formality. The Miss Bennets and
Mr. Collins choose a walk to Meryton. On the way, they meet a politician within
the regiment named Mr. Wickham. They also run into Mr. Darcy. When Darcy and
Wickham see each other, both men become visibly uncomfortable.
Wickham shows an instantaneous partiality for Elizabeth, and
that they speak at length over the subsequent days. In one among these
conversations, Wickham explains his past with Darcy. Darcy's father had
promised that Wickham, his godson, would inherit an honest living after the
elder man's death. However, Darcy did not fulfill his father's dying wishes and
left Wickham to support himself. Elizabeth, already predisposed to think badly
of Darcy, doesn't question Wickham's account. When Elizabeth tells Wickham's
story to Jane, however, Jane refuses think badly of either Wickham or Darcy,
insisting that there must be some misunderstanding.
ingley hosts a ball at Netherfield. He and Jane spend the
entire evening together and their mutual attachment becomes increasingly
obvious. However, Mrs. Bennet speaks loudly about their imminent engagement,
and Elizabeth notes that Darcy overhears her. Later that evening, Darcy asks
Elizabeth to bop and she or he reluctantly accepts. She doesn't enjoy it and
can't understand why he asked her. Mr. Collins pays particularly close
attention to Elizabeth at the ball, and even reserves the primary two dances together
with her.
The next day, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. She refuses,
but it takes him a short time to simply accept her rejection; he assumes she is
just playing coy (as he believes females do). Mrs. Bennet is extremely angry at
Elizabeth for refusing Collins, but Mr. Bennet is glad. Mr. Collins quickly
shifts his attentions to Charlotte Lucas. He proposes to Charlotte, and she or
he accepts. Elizabeth is disappointed in her friend for agreeing to marry such
a silly man simply for the sake of monetary security.
Bingley travels to London for business but plans to return to
Netherfield. His sisters and Darcy soon follow him. Soon thereafter, Caroline
writes to Jane to mention that Bingley has changed his plans and cannot return
to Netherfield for a minimum of six months. Caroline also informs Jane that she
hopes Bingley will marry Darcy's younger sister so as to unite the 2 families'
fortunes. Jane is heartbroken. Elizabeth thinks that Darcy and Bingley's sisters
have somehow managed to dissuade Bingley from proposing to Jane.
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth's aunt and uncle, come to
Longbourn to go to. Noting Jane's sadness, they invite her to remain with them
in London for a short time. Elizabeth hopes that Jane will run into Bingley
while in London. Mrs. Gardiner warns Elizabeth against marrying Wickham due to
his poor financial situation. While Jane is in London, Caroline Bingley is
extremely rude to her. Jane assumes that Mr. Bingley knows she is in London,
and since he doesn't call, she decides he not cares for her. In Meryton,
Wickham suddenly transfers his attentions from Elizabeth to Miss King, a lady
who has recently acquired 10,000 pounds from an inheritance.
Elizabeth travels to go to Charlotte (now Mrs. Collins) at
her new range in Kent, alongside Sir William Lucas and Maria Lucas. On their
way, the travelers stop to go to Jane and therefore the Gardiners. Mrs.
Gardiner criticizes Wickham's change of affections, but Elizabeth defends him.
During her stay in Hunsford, Elizabeth and therefore the others are often
invited to dine at Rosings, Lady Catherine's large estate. Lady Catherine is
totally arrogant and domineering. After Elizabeth has been at the parsonage for
2 weeks, Mr. Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam visit Rosings. Elizabeth
and Colonel Fitzwilliam get along alright. Darcy also pays tons of attention to
Elizabeth and sometimes visits the parsonage. He also purposely meets her
during her daily walks through the nearby gardens. One day, Colonel Fitzwilliam
mentions to Elizabeth that Darcy recently saved an in depth friend from an
imprudent marriage. Elizabeth realizes that Fitzwilliam is pertaining to
Bingley and Jane. She is so angry at Darcy that she gives herself a headache, which
keeps her from visiting Rosings that night.
Darcy visits Elizabeth while she is alone at the parsonage
and confesses that he wants to marry her despite her low family connections.
Elizabeth is shocked at his arrogant address and rudely refuses him. She also
rebukes him for acting in such an ungentlemanly manner and accuses him of
ruining Jane's future happiness and betraying Wickham. Darcy is shocked that
Elizabeth has declined his proposal and leaves.
The next day, Darcy finds Elizabeth and hands her a letter.
She reads it after he's gone. First, Darcy defends himself for dissuading
Bingley from proposing to Jane. Not only were Jane's family connections low,
but she didn't seem to point out any particular preference for Bingley. Darcy
then details his side of the Wickham story. Before his death, Darcy's father
asked Darcy to supply Wickham with a living, provided Wickham enter the clergy.
Wickham, however, didn't want to enter the clergy, and asked Darcy for 3,000
pounds to review law. Wickham soon squandered all his money on a dissolute
lifestyle then asked Darcy for an additional stipend, promising to enter the
clergy this point. When Darcy refused, Wickham seduced Darcy's teenage sister,
Georgiana. Before they might elope, Darcy intervened and saved Georgiana's
honor.
Elizabeth initially refuses to believe Darcy's claims, but
involves consider the likelihood as she reflects on Wickham's behavior. She
realizes she was inclined to believe Wickham because she was prejudiced against
Darcy and since she was flattered by his attention. Soon afterwards, Elizabeth
returns home, stopping to gather Jane on the way. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet,
Lydia, and Kitty are upset because the regiment is leaving Meryton and moving
on to Brighton. Lydia is then invited to hitch Colonel Forster and Mrs. Forster
in Brighton. Elizabeth advises her father to refuse Lydia's request, believing
that her sister's frivolous nature will get her in trouble there. However, Mr.
Bennet doesn't heed Elizabeth's advice.
Soon afterwards, Elizabeth goes on vacation with the
Gardiners. Their first stop is on the brink of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's estate.
The Gardiners want to require a tour, and Elizabeth only agrees once she learns
that Darcy is currently away. During their tour of the estate, Mrs. Reynolds,
the Pemberley housekeeper, praises Darcy unequivocally. Elizabeth also
expresses some regret that she is going to never be mistress of this estate.
The travelers suddenly run into Darcy, who has arrived early. Surprisingly,
Darcy is extremely cordial to both Elizabeth and therefore the Gardiners. He
tells Elizabeth that he wants her to satisfy Georgiana as soon as she arrives
subsequent day. subsequent morning, Darcy and Georgiana visit Elizabeth and
therefore the Gardiners at their inn. Bingley soon joins them, and Elizabeth
can see that he still thinks fondly of Jane. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner return
the courtesy by visiting Pemberley, where Bingley's sisters treat them quite
rudely.
One morning, Elizabeth receives a letter from Jane, announcing
that Lydia has eloped with Wickham. Worse yet, the family fears that Wickham
doesn't actually shall marry her. Jane asks Elizabeth to return home
immediately. As soon as Elizabeth reads the letter, Darcy arrives at the inn.
In her frantic state, Elizabeth tells him what went on. Darcy feels partially
responsible, since he never publicly exposed Wickham's wickedness.
Elizabeth and therefore the Gardiners depart for Longbourn
soon. There, a hysterical Mrs. Bennet has locked herself in her room. They
learn from Colonel Forster that Wickham has amassed over 1,000 pounds of
gambling debts. subsequent day, Mr. Gardiner leaves for London to hitch Mr.
Bennet, who is already there trying to find Lydia. After many days of fruitless
searching, Mr. Bennet returns home, leaving the search in Mr. Gardiner's hands.
Soon, a letter arrives from Mr. Gardiner announcing that
Lydia and Wickham are found. Wickham has agreed to marry Lydia if Mr. Bennet
provides her together with her equal share of his wealth. Considering the dimensions
of his debts, Mr. Bennet knows that Wickham would never have agreed to marry
Lydia for therefore little money. He concludes that Mr. Gardiner must have paid
off Wickham's debts to solidify the deal. After their marriage, Lydia and
Wickham visit Longbourn. Lydia isn't the smallest amount bit remorseful for her
conduct. Nevertheless, Mrs. Bennet is extremely happy to possess one among her
daughters married. At dinner, Lydia lets it slip to Elizabeth that Darcy was
present at her wedding. Curious, Elizabeth writes to Mrs. Gardiner for details.
Her aunt explains that it had been Darcy who found Lydia and Wickham and paid
off Wickham's debts. Mrs. Gardiner believes that Darcy did this out of
affection for Elizabeth.
Bingley and Mr. Darcy soon return to Netherfield Park, and
that they out in Longbourn frequently. After several days, Bingley proposes to
Jane. She accepts, and therefore the family is extremely happy. within the
meantime, Darcy leaves on a brief business trip to London. While he's gone, Lady
Catherine involves Longbourn, furious after hearing a rumor that Elizabeth and
Darcy are engaged. She forbids Elizabeth from ever accepting a proposal from
Mr. Darcy, but Elizabeth is totally offended and refuses to vow anything. Lady
Catherine leaves during a huff.
After coming back from his trip, Darcy tells Elizabeth that
his affection has not changed. She then reveals that her feelings have changed
which she would be happy to marry him. They discuss how and why their
sentiments have changed since Darcy's first proposal. Darcy has since realized
he was wrong to act so proudly and place such a lot emphasis on class
differences. Elizabeth, meanwhile, accepts that she was wrong to guage Darcy
prematurely and admits that she allowed her vanity to affect her judgment.
Both couples marry. Elizabeth and Darcy live at Pemberley.
After living in Netherfield for a year, Jane and Bingley move to an estate near
Pemberley. Lydia and Wickham tire of every other eventually, and Lydia keeps
asking her sisters for money. Kitty spends most of her time together with her
two elder sisters, and her education and character begin to enhance. Mary
remains reception to stay her mother company. Mr. Bennet is extremely happy
that his two oldest daughters have married so happily, and Mrs. Bennet is glad
that her daughters have married so prosperously.
Pride and Prejudice Character
Elizabeth
The novel's protagonist and therefore the second oldest of
her five sisters, Elizabeth Bennet is lively, quick-witted, sharp-tongued, bold
and intelligent. She is keen and perceptive, but Elizabeth's pride therein very
ability engenders a prejudice that nearly hinders her happy future with Darcy.
Elizabeth isn't impressed by mere wealth or titles, rather, she values
propriety, good-manners, and virtue.
Mr. Darcy
An extremely wealthy aristocrat, Mr. Darcy is proud, haughty
and very aware of class differences (at least at the start of the novel). He
does, however, have a robust sense of honor and virtue and a degree of fairness
that helps him to regulate his pride after Elizabeth rebukes him for his
narrow-minded perspective.
Jane
Jane Bennet, the oldest Bennet daughter, is gorgeous,
good-tempered, amiable, humble, and selfless. Her disposition does end in A
level of naiveté, especially when it involves recognizing the wickedness of
others. Her sweetness leaves her susceptible to injury from insincere friends
like Caroline Bingley. A rather static character, Jane remains a model of
virtue throughout the novel.
Mr. Bingley
Much like his beloved Jane, Charles Bingley is an amiable and
good-tempered person, mostly unconcerned with class differences despite his
extraordinary wealth. His virtue proves to be his vice sometimes, since his
modesty leads him to be easily swayed by the opinions of others. A mostly
static character, Bingley remains pleasant and crazy with Jane throughout the
novel.
Mr. Wickham
An officer within the regiment stationed at Meryton, Officer
Wickham possesses a charm that hides his dissolute, untrustworthy personality.
He was godson to Darcy's father. However, Wickham betrayed Darcy by seducing
Georgiana when she was only 15. He also spreads false rumors about Darcy
throughout Hertfordshire and Meryton. Overall, Wickham is driven by
self-interest, revealed by his many romantic engagements (or lack thereof,
within the case of Elizabeth). he's also a static character and marries Lydia
only because Darcy provides a financial incentive. within the epilogue, Austen
implies that Wickham tires of Lydia after a particular point.
Mrs. Bennet
Mrs. Bennet may be a foolish and frivolous woman. She lacks
any sense of propriety and neglects to supply her daughters with a correct
education. Instead, she remains concerned solely with securing them profitable
marriages. Her lack of self-awareness constantly embarrasses Elizabeth and Mr.
Bennet alike.
Mr. Bennet
An intelligent man with common sense, Mr. Bennet displays an
unfortunate disinterest in most of his family (besides Elizabeth). He seems
weary after spending many decades married to the interminable Mrs. Bennet. His
complacency is shaken only Lydia's her poor decisions in Brighton threaten her
future.
Lydia
The youngest of the Bennet sisters, Lydia Bennet is foolish
and flirtatious. She gratifies her every whim without considering the results.
She is Mrs. Bennet's favorite daughter because they share similar (though
frivolous) interests. She is hooked in to the regiment officers, and lets her
lack of virtue and propriety lead her into a near-disaster with Wickham.
Kitty
Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, the second youngest
Bennet daughter, exhibits little personality of her own. Instead, she imitates
Lydia in almost everything until Lydia leaves for Brighton. The epilogue leads
the reader to hope that Kitty's character improves as a results of spending
time together with her elder sisters rather than Lydia.
Mary
The middle Bennet sister, Mary, is strangely solemn and
pedantic. She dislikes going out into society and prefers to spend her time
studying. In conversation, Mary constantly makes awkward and profound
observations about attribute and life generally. Some critics believe Mary was
a cipher for Austen herself.
Mr. Collins
Mr. Collins may be a distant cousin of the Bennet family to
whom Longbourn has been entailed. he's mostly a comic book character due to his
awkward mixture of obsequiousness and pride, also because the tiresome formalities
of his speech. Even after he marries Charlotte Lucas, Mr. Collins remains
largely unchanged.
Charlotte
Charlotte Lucas is Elizabeth's ally, the Bennets's neighbor,
and Sir William's daughter. Her attitudes on marriage - as a practical
transaction instead of as a romantic attachment - substitute stark contrast to
Elizabeth's. She eventually marries Mr. Collins after Elizabeth rejects his
proposal.
Sir William Lucas
Sir William Lucas may be a friend and neighbor of the Bennet
family. he's pleasant but not overly deep or intellectual. he's hooked in to
having been granted knighthood. he's father to Charlotte and Maria Lucas.
Maria Lucas
Charlotte's younger sister, Maria, is as empty-headed as her
father. She isn't featured within the novel outside of her presence on the trip
to go to Charlotte with Sir William and Elizabeth.
Mrs. Gardiner
Mrs. Bennet's sister-in-law acts as a levelheaded maternal
figure to Elizabeth and Jane, compensating for Mrs. Bennet's inadequacy during
this regard. She is an intelligent, caring and sensible woman. Austen uses the
Gardiners as a way to explore the worth of personality over class distinction.
Mr. Gardiner
Elizabeth's maternal uncle may be a merchant, and an upright
and intelligent man. Though he's during a lower class than the Bennets are, Mr.
Gardiner is respectful and distinguished, even impressing Darcy together with
his mannered behavior.
Caroline Bingley
Caroline Bingley is Bingley's youngest sister. She may be a
superficial and selfish girl, possessing all of Darcy's class prejudice but
none of his honor and virtue. Throughout the novel, she panders to Darcy in an
effort to win his affections, but to no avail. Her cruelty towards Jane and
Elizabeth marks her as a generally unpleasant character.
Mrs. Hurst
Bingley's elder sister, Mrs. Hurst, is simply as arrogant as
Caroline, though she is a smaller amount involved in attacking the Bennet
sisters. She seems to possess no real affection or esteem for her husband.
Mr. Hurst
Mr. Bingley's brother-in-law is an indolent man. Mr. Hurst
does almost nothing but eat and entertain himself by playing cards. He never
says an intelligent word within the entire novel, and seems to be solely
concerned with the standard of the food.
Georgiana Darcy
Darcy's sister Georgiana, ten years his junior, is quiet and
shy but generally amiable and good-natured. She has great reverence and
affection for her brother and gets along well with Elizabeth from their first
meeting. Bingley's sisters had hoped that Mr. Bingley would marry Georgiana,
thus uniting the fortunes of the 2 families.
Lady Catherine
Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's aristocratic aunt and Mr.
Collins's patroness, may be a sharp-tongued woman hooked in to flaunting her
wealth and social superiority. She advises people without solicitation on every
aspect of their lives and suffers only flattery.
Miss de Bourgh
Lady Catherine's daughter, Miss de Bourgh, may be a frail,
weak and sickly woman who is overly pampered by her mother. She speaks little
within the novel, but seems to be generally good-natured. Lady Catherine had
wanted Darcy to marry Miss de Bourgh, which is that the main reason she
disapproves of Darcy's union with Elizabeth.
Colonel Fitzwilliam
Colonel Fitzwilliam is Mr. Darcy's cousin who accompanies him
on his visit to Lady Catherine's home. he's a pleasing and amiable gentleman
who shows an interest in Elizabeth, on the other hand confesses he can only
marry someone with an outsized fortune due to his status as a youngest son.
Mrs. Phillips
Mrs. Phillips is Mrs. Bennet's sister who shares her
foolishness and frivolity. She lives in Meryton and facilitates Lydia and
Kitty's obsession with the officers stationed there.
Mrs. Forster
Mrs. Forster is that the wife of Colonel Forster and invites
Lydia to accompany them to Brighton. The trip enables the near-disaster with
Wickham. Mrs. Forster's frivolous nature is implied by her fellowship with
Lydia.
Mrs. Lucas
Mrs. Lucas is married to Sir William and is Charlotte and
Maria's mother. Mrs. Bennet often taunts Mrs. Lucas with gossip about the
potential marital success of the Bennet girls.
Mr.
Denny
Mr. Denny may be a soldier within the regiment who introduces
the Bennet girls to Mr. Wickham.
Miss
King
Wickham pursues Miss King, a lady in Meryton, after she
inherits a sum of cash. Her inheritance distracts Wickham from his flirtation
with Elizabeth.
Mrs.
Jenkinson
Mrs. Jenkinson Miss de Bough's companion. She pampers the
lass.
Mrs.
Reynolds
Mrs. Reynolds is that the estate's longtime housekeeper. She
gives Elizabeth and therefore the Gardiners a tour of Pemberley and impresses
Elizabeth together with her praise of Darcy.
Mrs.
Annesley
Mrs. Annesley is Georgiana's companion at Pemberley. She
shows great civility towards Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner once they visit,
albeit Bingley's sisters are rude to them.
Pride and Prejudice Themes
Pride
As Mary says in Chapter 5, "human nature is especially
susceptible to [pride]." Throughout Pride and Prejudice, pride prevents
the characters from seeing the reality of a situation. Most notably, it's one
among the 2 primary barriers within the way of a union between Elizabeth and
Darcy. Darcy's pride in his social position leads him to scorn anyone outside
of his own social circle. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's pride in her powers of discernment
cloud her judgment. These two find happines by helping one another overcome
his/her pride. Outside of Elizabeth and Darcy, however, Austen seems
pessimistic about the human ability to overcome this character flaw. A slew of
secondary characters, like Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, and
Caroline Bingley, remain deluded by personal pride throughout the novel.
Prejudice
Critic A. Walton Litz comments, "in Pride and Prejudice one
cannot equate Darcy proudly, or Elizabeth with Prejudice; Darcy's pride of
place is founded on social prejudice, while Elizabeth's initial prejudice
against him is rooted in pride of her own quick perceptions." Ultimately,
both characters' egos drive them towards personal prejudice. Darcy has been
taught to scorn anyone outside his own social circle and must overcome his
prejudice so as to endear himself to Elizabeth. Similarly, Elizabeth's
excessive pride in her discernment leads her write Darcy off too quickly.
Ultimately, they find happiness by recognizing the barriers that prejudice
creates.
Family
Austen portrays the relatives as primarily liable for the
intellectual and moral education of youngsters. Throughout the novel, the
younger characters either enjoy or suffer from their family values. Mr. and
Mrs. Bennet's failure to supply their daughters with a correct education
results in Lydia's utter foolishness and immorality. Elizabeth and Jane manage
to develop virtue and discernment in spite of their parents' negligence, though
it's notable that they need other role models (like the Gardiners). Darcy
shares his father's aristocratic nature and tendency towards generosity, while
Lady Catherine's formidable parenting style has rendered her daughter too
frightened to talk.
Women
Austen is certainly critical of the gender injustices present
in 19th century English society, particularly as perpetrated by the institution
of marriage. In Pride and Prejudice, many ladies (such as Charlotte) must marry
solely for the sake of monetary security. However, in her portrayal of
Elizabeth, Austen shows that ladies are even as intelligent and capable as
their male counterparts. Austen herself went against convention by remaining
single and earning a living through her novels. In her personal letters, Austen
advised friends only to marry for love. within the novel, Elizabeth's happy
ending reveals Austen's beliefs that woman has the proper to stay independent
until she meets the proper man (if she meets him).
On the opposite hand, most contemporary readers will find the
Longbourn entailment to be unjust. And yet the heroines - Jane and Elizabeth -
refrain from speaking out against it. Instead, the sole two characters who
openly criticize the entailment - Mrs. Bennet and woman Catherine - are
ridiculous caricatures. Furthermore, the very fact that Elizabeth seems to
share her father's distrust frivolous women suggests Austen's uneasy
relationship together with her own gender.
Class
Class issues are everywhere in Pride and Prejudice. While the
novel never posits an egalitarian ideology nor supports the leveling of all
social classes, it does criticize an over-emphasis on class, especially in
terms of judging an individual's character. Ultimately, the novel accepts
Elizabeth's view that the trimmings of wealth aren't a virtue in and of
themselves. Darcy's initial pride is predicated on his extreme
class-consciousness, but he eventually involves accept Elizabeth's perspective,
most notably evidenced through his admiration of the Gardiners. Likewise, he
joins Elizabeth in rejecting the upper-class characters who are idle,
mean-spirited, closed-minded, like Lady Catherine and Bingley's sisters.
Austen clearly finds rigid class boundaries to be
occasionally absurd. Mr. Collins's comic formality and obsequious relationship
with Lady Catherine form a satire of sophistication consciousness and social
formalities. within the end, the novel's verdict on class differences is
moderate. Austen seems to simply accept the existence of sophistication
hierarchy, but she also criticizes the way it can poison society. Critic Samuel
Kliger notes, "If the conclusion of the novel makes it clear that
Elizabeth accepts class relationships as valid, it becomes equally clear that
Darcy, through Elizabeth's genius for treating all people with respect for his
or her natural dignity, is reminded that institutions aren't an end in
themselves but are intended to serve the top of human happiness."
Individual vs. Society
In Pride and Prejudice, Austen portrays a world during which
society is actively involved within the private lives of people. Characters
often face questions on their responsibility to the planet around them. a major
example is Darcy's guilt for not having publicly shamed Wickham before he was
ready to elope with Lydia. After all, Lydia's sin threatens to besmirch not
only her family, but the community at large. And yet Austen seems quite
cognizant of how easily popular opinion can change, as evidenced by the town's
easily shifting opinions on Wickham.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, is proudly independent and
individualistic. She possesses the power to transcend her limitations - the
negligence of her parents, the frivolity of Meryton, the pragmatic nature of
Charlotte - because she is confident enough to travel after what she wants. However,
her individualistic nature misleads her as she works through her feelings for
Darcy - but thankfully, Mrs. Gardiner is there to guide her towards him.
Ultimately, Austen is critical of the facility popular opinion has on
individual action, but she also believes that society features a crucial role
in promoting virtue and thus, engendering individual happiness. consistent with
critic Richard Simpson, Austen portrays a "thorough consciousness that man
may be a social being, which aside from society there's not even the
individual."
Virtue
Austen's novels unite Aristotelian and Christian conceptions
of virtue. She sees human life as purposeful and believes that citizenry must
guide their appetites and desires through their use of reason. as an example, Elizabeth
almost loses her chance at happiness because her vanity overcomes her
pragmatism. Lydia's lack of virtue is linked together with her inability to
regulate her passion and desire.
Most of those examples emphasize the importance of
self-awareness. Without knowing oneself, it's difficult to develop virtue.
Darcy and Elizabeth, two of the sole characters who actually change within the
novel, can only see past their pride and prejudice with each other's help.
within the end, Austen links happiness to virtue and virtue to self-awareness.
0 comments:
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.