Analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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Analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It centers on the elder sisters of the Bennet family, Jane and

Elizabeth. Their personalities, misunderstandings and the roles of

pride and prejudice play a large part in the development of their

individual relationships. The spirited Elizabeth and softhearted Jane

have to deal with not only their own feelings but also the status of

their family, both of which affect the outcomes of their marriages.

The struggle is very believable and realistic because the story takes

place a long time ago. The way people interact with each other today

is quite different than how they would interact with each other back

then.

Pride and Prejudice is an appropriate name for the book. These notions

permeate the novel thoroughly, especially in the views of Elizabeth

and Darcy. Jane's temperance does not allow for these qualities to

exist in her personality. Mr. Darcy is characterized as a proud,

haughty, arrogant man and ends up almost immediately alienating

himself from the townspeople. This opinion arises after he refuses to

dance with the young ladies who have attended the ball and his obvious

reluctance to talk to anyone. His pride was said to come from his

extreme wealth.

Our first introduction to pride and prejudice is at a ball Mr. Bingley

throws. His sisters and a dear friend of his, Mr. Darcy, accompany

him. Eighteenth-century England was quite preoccupied with status,

especially concerning wealth and reputation. Darcy's reluctance to

speak with anyone stemmed from his lack of respect for anyone outside

his close-knit circle. His good breeding was obvious only to those

whom he knew well. Elizabeth is prejudiced against Darcy for entirely

different reasons. She rec...

... middle of paper ...

...l fortune of her own, as did Mr.

Bennet. They did not love each other but stayed together, proving to

an extent the family values of the time. Mrs. Collins married for the

sake of getting married and settling down. Her desire to have a family

of her own overrode the many failings of the man she married.

Fortunately some marriages were based on love. Jane and Elizabeth

found the perfect matches. Their beaus were good, principled,

financially secure men. Austen presents the two major contrasting

types of marriages. Both kinds reflect the mentality of that time

period. I enjoyed this book immensely. Jane Austen's style of writing

delights me. Her work may not be profound but it is insightful, and

light-hearted. Her characters are distinct and universal. Elizabeth is

one of my favorite literary characters. Her confidence, wit and spirit

can only be enjoyed.

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