Duality of Personality

1331 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of gender in communication

People are an enigma. Our inherent differences make humanity complex, but also cause complicated relationships as people attempt to cope with each other’s uniqueness. Personality is the medium by which an individual accesses the inner psyche of their relations. The disconnect between personality and inner psyche has caused problems in relationships since the beginning of time. Jane Austen’s time focused on manners, and therefore a person’s outward civility in social situations defined their personality, as far as their relations were concerned. Pride and Prejudice highlights the disparity between inner psyche and impression as the primary cause of communicational strain in relationships. She portrays relationships as two similar souls struggling to connect with each other through blundering and inarticulate personalities.
Primarily, the divergence between psyche and the impression other characters perceive is caused by reputation. In 19th century England, social status was a major factor in considering marriages and friendships. Wealth determined almost every aspect in aristocrats’ lives. Darcy’s inner psyche is a victim of his reputation. When he first meets the Bennets at Meryton, he spurns Elizabeth and appears arrogantly proud. However, the young Miss Lucas captures the thoughts of the age by asserting her passivity towards Darcy’s pride “because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself” (18). Society dictates that the wealthy deserve to be proud; Darcy’s reputation as a rich aristocrat disguises his inner personality. Later, Darcy reveals his own opinion of himself by stressing that “where there is a real superio...

... middle of paper ...

...ever, only Jane Austen can artfully juxtapose the human soul against personality in eight characters in the context of 19th century England’s social norms through satire and irony. She balances the relationships of Jane and Bingley, Collins and Charlotte (and Collins and Lady Catherine), Lydia and Wickham, and finally Elizabeth and Darcy while each are interconnected and problematic due to their mutual lack of understanding. Their miscommunications, caused by the differences between their psyche and the personality they express, are either overcome, as in the case of Darcy and Elizabeth, or ignored, as Collins and Charlotte choose to do. However, both the marriages that Austen portrays as successful, Darcy and Elizabeth, and Bingley and Jane, are successful because the characters supersede their inarticulate personalities and convey their true psyches to each other.

Show More
Related

  • Femininity in Eighteenth-Century England

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    Concepts of femininity in eighteenth-century England guided many young women, forging their paths for a supposed happy future. However, these set concepts and resulting ideas of happiness were not universal and did not pertain to every English woman, as seen in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. The novel follows the Bennet sisters on their quest for marriage, with much of it focusing on the two oldest sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. By the end, three women – Jane, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s friend, Charlotte Lucas – are married. However, these three women differ greatly in their following of feminine concepts, as well as their attitude towards marriage. Austen foils Jane, Charlotte, and Elizabeth’s personas and their pursuits of love, demonstrating that both submission and deviance from the rigid eighteenth-century concepts of femininity can lead to their own individualized happiness.

    Read More

  • Pride and Prejudice

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both Elizabeth and Darcy are quick to judge each other on their first meeting. Part of the reason Darcy is misjudged is somewhat his own fault, however, as he makes no attempt at following what the townspeople see as common courtesy. While they think he is a good man at first, after he refuses to meet anyone knew they determine that “not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend [Bingley]” (7). In addition, he does not pay attention to words that might hurt those within ear shot. When Mr. Bingley tries to get him to dance with others, he suggests Elizabeth and Darcy’s swift response is nothing more than an insult to her, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men” (8). Later, as he starts to realize he is beginning to feel something for Elizabeth, he is too proud to admit to these feelings. He describes the realization and the ones that follow it as “equally mortifying”(14).

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Fay Weldon's Pride And Prejudice

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    This universal principle, relevant throughout time, is portrayed through the characterization of Darcy in ‘Pride’. The difference in class, landed gentry compared to middle class, remained a vital factor in Darcy’s behaviour and way of living. The use of verbal irony when Wickham comments, “He (Darcy) was to be above all company, in having been unworthy to be compared” and Mrs. Lucas implying that “With family, fortune, everything he has the right to be proud”, demonstrates the separation created through the class barriers. Austen challenges these social class barriers through satirically implementing the unorthodox unions of Darcy and Elizabeth in her novel, in defiance of the ironic social dichotomy (CHANGE) “Your alliance will be a disgrace, YOU(R) name will never be mentioned by any of us”. The characterization of Darcy also emphasises the importance (Over the top/ruling) of stratification, being at utmost importance and over ruling other positive assets in life such as love, relationships, freedom and being ‘happy’ – “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections… whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?” showing the importance aspect of Regency England and its relevance to the modern world.

    Read More

  • How do Pride and Prejudice Affect the Relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth?

    3359 Words  | 7 Pages

    ...Austen shows how several other marriages work. Some are happy, some not, and no two are alike. In a society in which marriage was so important to women- and to men- the qualities that make a marriage succeed are quite a serious matter. Jane Austen treats the subject with Comedy, but underneath the comic surface she is very serious. Notice, as you read what qualities she shows us as good and bad in a marriage. It seems that the success of a marriage in Austen's would- as perhaps in ours- depends on the characters of the married pair and the motives that brought them together in the first place. I agree with all this because it touches on themes of class, social behavior, and family relationships. It's a peek into a world that in some ways is nothing like ours, but it contains truths which seem to apply in any world. Also many people can relate to it in their own ways.

    Read More

  • Compromise and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

    1934 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is not unusual for an individual to disagree with social customs or expectations. Some people are only happy when they can rebel against society. Most mature adults eventually realize that compromise is necessary to achieve happiness. This is the case in the early nineteenth century England setting of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. In the novel, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a lively, independent woman, whose family's financial situation and whose strong mindedness suggest that she may never marry. Mr. Darcy, is a rigid and proper man, who falls in love with Elizabeth, despite their differences. By the end of the novel, Elizabeth and Darcy learn to compromise, and, in doing so, become truly happy. In marrying, they not only fulfill themselves as individuals, but also affirm the principle values of society. The marriage at the end of the novel shows Jane Austen's ideal view of marriage as a social institution.

    Read More

  • Essay On Mr Darcy Character Development

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each of Jane Austen’s characters in her novel, Pride and Prejudice, experiences a significant character development. Whether the change occurs by self-realization or through the assistance of another character varies from each individual character. For Austen’s leading man, Mr. Darcy, his character improvement is documented through his two marriage proposals to Elizabeth Bennet and her subsequent first rejection of his proposal. His first proposal demonstrates his extreme arrogance, elitism, and blindness to his many flaws. While his latter proposal shows not only the recognition of his deficiencies, but the overall improvement in his mentality. Mr. Darcy’s two proposals, though having the same intended end result, are completely different

    Read More

  • In Want of a Wife: Jane Austen’s Reaction to Marriage

    1618 Words  | 4 Pages

    The romantic era in literature was characterized by many different authors, male and female. Jane Austen was only one of many authors in that era, and one of the longest lasting; through her many novels, she shows various views on love and marriage. In Jane Austen’s critically acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice, Austen spares no character, male or female, in her criticism of the understood custom that the only route to happiness was marriage.

    Read More

  • Social Norms in Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is well-noted for its ability to question social norms. Most importantly, Austen explores the institution of marriage, as it was in her time, a time where many married for security rather than love. Her characters Elizabeth and Charlotte are renowned even more for their outspoken nature and different views on marriage. Though both Elizabeth and Charlotte yearn for a happy marriage, Charlotte has a more pragmatic and mundane approach while Elizabeth is more romantic and daring with her actions. Through the romantic involvements of both Elizabeth and Charlotte, Austen shows that happiness in marriage is not entirely a matter of chance, but is instead contingent on an accurate evaluation of self and others Elizabeth’s view on Jane and Bingely’s relationship is more hopeful, while Charlotte possesses a more aggressive view.

    Read More

  • Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Characters and Social Expectations

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    England, under James 1st rule was a vastly altered period compared to our now modern society. So many of the values held during this time, have now been discarded and forgotten. Jane Austen grew up in the Romantic period and experienced a world which was divided, whether through education, class, status, fashion, abilities, gender and etiquette. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice is counted as one of the great classics of English Literature. Austen engrosses readers to live in her world for a time and experience a society filled with matchmaking, romance, marriage and gossip. Every one of her characters is so distinctive and has a clearly outlined caricature. Each of their diverse values conveys a different thinking of the time. Pride and Prejudice is preoccupied with the gentry and most of the social aspects which consumed these people’s lives. There were so many expectations of how you would behave in public, but of course not all of these were upheld. Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, Mrs Bennet and Charlotte Lucas are four characters which keep such strong beliefs about the social norms. These characters are expressed so descriptively and through their personalities readers can learn just how the numerous social standards were received.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    The reader is first acquainted with Mr. Darcy's arrogance at the Meryton Ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly says that she was, "…tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" (Austen 9). His feelings of superiority to the people of the town lend Mr. Darcy to be judged as a man with a repulsive and cruel personality. The women, who had found him dashingly attractive at first glance, deemed him a man unworthy of marriage because he offered no positive qualities other than wealth. Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with Elizabeth, but he makes it clear that no woman in the room was worthy or met his standards of a suitable partner stating that, "…there is not another woman in this room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with" (Austen 8). In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is only concerned with the wealth and social standing of the people in the town. Because of their lesser social rank, he feels they are un-deserving of his presence and refuses to communicate with them. As the novel progressed, however, Darcy became more and more accepting of the Bennet family. Growing most fond of Elizabeth Bennet, the straightforward, clever daughter, he finally breaks and confesses his true feelings of love for her. "In vain...

    Read More

  • Essay on the Two Types of Pride in Pride and Prejudice

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mr. Darcy, the leading male character in the novel, possesses an ancient family name, magnificent estate, and a sizable fortune which may seem to contribute to his pride. But later on in the book, we learn that he is a generous master to his servants and tenants and a loving brother to his young sister Georgiana. He is responsible for so much: his sister, his family name, and his estate, Pemberley. Although seen as excessively proud in a negative way, Charlotte Lucas defends Darcy by saying that a man of his wealth and family background has a right to be proud.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Mr Wickham And Darcy

    1961 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy is a grave symbol of pride. He notes on how his societal ranking is too high above Elizabeth’s for it to be rational to marry her, while proposing to her for the first time. In a letter to Elizabeth, Darcy also notes how the Bennet family’s improper manners and actions negatively influence the perception of their family and undermine the acceptable traits and actions of Elizabeth and Jane. He is easily looked down upon, most pertinently by Elizabeth until his past is revealed in a

    Read More

  • Essay on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's Parenting in Pride and Prejudice

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.

    Read More

  • The Character of Lady Catherine de Bourgh In Pride and Prejudice

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... Darcy and Elizabeth. Additionally, Austen sculpts the theme of social expectations and mores using the self-promoting ideology and behaviors of Lady Catherine as fodder for comic relief. Austen does not simply leave the image of the gilded aristocracy upon a pedestal; she effectively uses the unconventional character of Elizabeth to defy aristocratic authority and tradition. In fact, Austen's proposed counter view of the aristocracy by satirizing their social rank. Lady Catherine is effectively used as a satirical representation of the aristocracy through her paradoxical breach of true social decorum and her overblown immodesty. Evidently, Lady Catherine is nothing short of the critical bond that holds the structure of Pride and Prejudice together.

    Read More

  • The Relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    Darcy carries the persona of a snobbish, arrogant, and self-assured man who assumes that he can get everything he wants. He explains his attitude by stating, "I was spoiled by my parents, who thought good themselves – allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing." However, his arrogance is challenged when he is faced to deal with the fact that his wealth and class cannot catch Elizabeth's eye.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

More about Duality of Personality

Open Document