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Literary Analysis of Pride and Prejudice
Pride and prejudice analysis character
Pride and prejudice character analysis essay
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"Virtue" is truly a complex word - an element of
the essence of man - that Jane Austen portrays in her novel “Pride and Prejudice”. Through a
profound scrutiny of the character of the protagonists, and through her interpretation of how
vanity, pride, and self - knowledge intervenes in the development of the virtue of the characters,
Austen intends to show how human happiness is found by living in accordance with human
dignity, which is a life in accordance with virtue.
Austen creates a scenario where she allows the reader to identify a variety of persons, each of
them with a certain and peculiar character. With this diversity, we are able to highlight in each
person of the novel, different traits that can lead us to talk about virtue, and one of them is
vanity. The definition of vanity suggests it is excessive belief in one ́s own abilities, in other
words, a superfluous amount of pride in ones achievements, abilities, and appearance. Sticking to
this definition, Miss Bingley fits perfectly to it. In most of the novel she ́s certainly got that
“excessive” belief in her own superiority to others and her own attractiveness, leading her to the
point of criticizing others, and this last thing sharpens when talking about Elizabeth Bennet,
which was a barrier in her plan of obtaining Mr. Darcy. This is observed in a fragment of a
conversation between Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst about Elizabeth Bennet:
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her
as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed,
a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no beauty
However, there is a really interesting thing with this. The au...
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...importance of virtue here is that, virtues are needed for living well; But in order to obtain
them, it is fundamental to search for them , because virtues are voluntary acquired, we are not
born with them. We have reasons to acquire them, since they are beneficial for us and for our
relationships with other. Like Confucius once said “virtue is not left to stand alone. He, who
practices it, will have neighbors”. So it was indispensable for the characters to find the highest
point of virtue, and as soon as they were capable of finding it, the happy ending of the novel
takes off. Jane Austen made a homerun with her novel. She was capable of showing how human
happiness is found by living in accordance with human dignity, which is a life in accordance
with virtue.
Works Cited
Dooly, D. J. Nineteenth-Century Fiction; University of California Press, 1965.
Johnson, Claudia L. "Pride and Prejudice and the Pursuit of Happiness." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 367-376.
nice a person as Bingley, but both are wealthy. Mr. Collins, the cousin and heir to the
What is the effect of having too much pride? Can different forms of pride such as familial and social have different consequences? Pride is usually considered to be a positive aspect in one’s life, but too much of it can have adverse results. By observing today’s society, as well as Shakespearean society, it is clear that too much pride in any form can inhibit the ability to accept differences in people and oneself.
Virtue ethics is a theory about finding our highest good and doing so will develop a vigorous character within each person. Character is important because it shows that a person has certain beliefs and desires in doing the right thing and when the right thing is accomplished, happiness follows (Hartman, 2006). Virtue ethics derives from Aristotle and he concludes that by doing virtuous acts all through life happiness and respectable character will develop (Morrison & Furlong, 2013). Finding the highest good within oneself brings happiness and great character to that individual.
In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Jane uses the novel to show the common day romance of the time period. In the novel, Elizabeth Bennet, a sophisticated, lively girl manages to change Mr. Darcy, a cocky, stubborn man into a person who is head over heels in love. Although it takes her some time, Elizabeth is able to change the way Mr. Darcy feels about love in general and causes him to act differently then he has ever done before. Mr. Darcy’s self- discovery in response to Elizabeth Bennet’s blunt honestly allows him to re-evaluate his approach to love.
As I was growing up, I was constantly taught how I should treat others as well as how I should present myself. It was difficult for me to comprehend the importance of these concepts, but I always knew that obtaining these types of qualities was going to lead to pleasing my parents. It was later on in my life that I understood that these aspects were known as virtues. Virtues are valuable qualities of life to which everyone should aspire in order to live a more rewarding and joyful life. It is important to achieve as many virtues as possible while growing up, because having virtues is the core essence of peace and satisfaction. Throughout the process of maturing, every person must choose the virtues that he or she desires to represent his or her life.
Hursthouse, R. (2003, July 18). Virtue Ethics. Stanford University. Retrieved March 6, 2014, from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2013/entries/ethics-virtue
According to Aristotle, a virtue is a state that makes something good, and in order for something to be good, it must fulfill its function well. The proper function of a human soul is to reason well. Aristotle says that there are two parts of the soul that correspond to different types of virtues: the appetitive part of the soul involves character virtues, while the rational part involves intellectual virtues. The character virtues allow one to deliberate and find the “golden mean” in a specific situation, while the intellectual virtues allow one to contemplate and seek the truth. A virtuous person is someone who maintains an appropriate balance of these two parts of the soul, which allows them to reason well in different types of situations.
An overbearing Mrs. Bennet has her untalented daughter Mary shows off her “musical talent,” and Lydia and Kitty are embarrassingly flirtatious with the militia officers. Shortly after the ball, Jane receives a letter from Caroline Bingley. It states that the entire Bingley group has left for London, and implies that Mr. Bingley is really in love with Darcy’s sister. Elizabeth is convinced that Bingley’s sister has conspired with Darcy to separate Jane and Bingley. Jane, despite being left heartbroken and confused, accompanies her aunt to London with the hopes of winning Bingley back. While Jane is in London, Elizabeth pays a visit to her good friend Charlotte (married to Mr. Collins) where she receives a dinner invitation from the Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine subjects her to the third degree and informs her that Mr. Darcy will soon be paying a visit to his aunt. Some more witty banter between Elizabeth and Darcy ensues but then Elizabeth learns of Darcy’s involvement in breaking up Mr. Bingley and Jane. It is just about then that Darcy chooses to propose to Elizabeth. She rejects him and tells him off, saying that he is not a gentleman and citing both Wickham’s story and Jane’s broken heart as the two primary reasons for her anger. The next day, Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter which contains the true story regarding Wickham—that he is a liar, a gambler and had tried to elope with Darcy’s underage sister; as well as the full story behind his involvement in breaking up Bingley and Jane. Darcy believed that Jane (who is very reserved with her emotions) was only after Bingley’s money, believing that she never truly loved Bingley. Elizabeth pays a visit, with her aunt and uncle (Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner), to Derbyshire—incidentally, this is where Darcy lives. They run into Darcy who is surprisingly polite to her family, and asks that Elizabeth meet his sister. Elizabeth’s sister Lydia winds up in trouble at the hands of
Thus, when virtues involves in some personal pain, the idea of purpose or need become very important as it deeply depends on self-control. Self-control becomes extremely important when virtues entails stepping out from person’s comfort zone, here you can distinct a virtuous person from others. A virtuous person can control himself and abide to rules and morals whatsoever, while people with no self-control but claiming being virtuous might forget their morals and values in some situations. In conclusion, I argue that there is a connection between virtues and happiness, however I have showed some situations that virtues may lead to unhappiness or confusion.
the right way to go. Aristotle says that virtues are something that we
Virtues of thought are about achieving wisdom, knowledge, and reasoning. He believed that virtues can be gained through practice. Our character traits are grown throughout your life and as you gain experience. It is possible to work on your skills as you work to achieve your full potential. At the same time, virtues of character also should be at a mean state— finding the right balance by not having too much or being too deficient in a certain trait. All virtues center around the four moral or cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, courage, and justice. Prudence is the virtue of determining the right goal or end. Temperance is the virtue of self-control while courage is the ability to overcome fear. Justice is about fairness and making sure everyone is given what they are rightfully due.
2 Feb. 2010. Moore, Catherine E. “Pride and Prejudice.” Master Revised Second Edition (1996): Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. The Web.
Virtue is such an abstract concept that it is impossible for individuals or even societies as a whole to clearly and unequivocally define it, so there must be some form of a higher authority capable of defining human virtues tout court in order for such a thing to even exist. Because of the impact one's environment can have on his or her belief system there is a wide range of conflicting ideas regarding human virtue around the globe, which indicates that no intrinsic definition of human virtues exists for humans. Therefore, human beings alone are only able to speculate as to the nature of human virtue that cannot serve as concrete standards people must live up to as opinions generally do not have enough certainty to function as definitions. Thus, there must be a non-human higher power that outlines what is and is not thought to be excellent for all human beings, regardless of age, race, gender, or belief system.
sister and Mr. Darcy, who dislike the behavior of her family and, being part of