John Locke once said, “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts,” and this statement couldn’t be truer. In her novels, Jane Austen uses a similar technique to bring her characters to life and make them more relatable to her readers; thus providing a window into the characters’ inner ideals. In one of her masterpieces, Pride and Prejudice, we especially see Austen’s brilliant characterizations into play that speak volumes of insight into society and human nature. More specifically, Austen ingeniously uses Elizabeth Bennet’s actions, her words, her outlook on others, and her comparison with other characters to display Austen’s own innate ideologies.
We first see Austen’s mastery at play in providing her readers with insight into her ideals through a simple action of Elizabeth’s that takes place towards the beginning of the novel. When Jane becomes sick after being rained on during her journey to Netherfield on a horse, she is forced to stay at Netherfield, exactly according to her mother’s grand schemes. Out of concern for Jane’s health, and it seems as if she is the only one, Elizabeth is insistent upon paying Jane a visit. The carriage is not available to her and her only option is to walk the three miles to Netherfield, which is exactly what she does. Although she does not walk the whole distance by herself, she does walk the latter distance through the meadows without an escort (Austen 22-23).
This act was quite unconventional and speaks volumes into Elizabeth’s character, and into what Austen is trying to say, for two reasons. Women, during this time period, “were not supposed to take cross country tramps alone – both because they might be endangered by vagabonds and because their app...
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... us that similarity in intellectuality, as a result of education, will increase the likelihood of a happy marriage. Austen wanted women to be on par with men intellectually, which would come as a result of education (Brown 332).
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Bantam Books, 1981.
Dean, Jenny. “Jane Austen and the Female Condition: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century
England.” UAHuntsville. 15 Apr. 2012 n/S1998/jennyd.html>. “Jane Austen's Art of Characterization.” NeoEnglish System. 19 Dec. 2010. 15 Apr. 2012 tp://neoenglishsystem.blogspot.com/2010/12/jane-austens-art-of-characterization.html >.
Nardin, Jane. “Propriety versus Morality in Jane Austen’s Novels.” The Jane Austen Society
of North America. 05 Mar. 2012
0/nardin.htm>.
This is evident at the end of the novel when the two most intellectually advanced characters unite in what Austen portrays as the most prosperous marriage, again reinforcing the importance of a superior mind. Not only does Caroline serve as a foil in the way of education, Austen also uses her character to scrutinise the behaviour considered necessary to secure a husband. For instance, just after Caroline had been described as having little interest in her book, she attempts to impress Mr Darcy by declaring, “after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”(Austen 54) Here, Austen ridicules Caroline and condemns her for warping her opinions in order to gain the affections of Darcy degrading her to “his faithful assistant” (Austen, 39) In comparison, Elizabeth challenges societal confines by placing value in maintaining her own opinion and not capitulating to people of a higher rank. She refused to dance with Darcy, a male of a higher class, demonstrating the lengths she will go to in terms of crossing social boundaries in order to articulate her opinion. Ultimately Caroline fails in her incessant attempts to charm Darcy whereas Elizabeth’s rejection of the traditional social behaviour and innate wit captivates his attention and eventually his heart, leading the reader to deem Caroline’s attitude and accomplishments as inferior to
In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen used the character of Elizabeth Bennet to epitomize the harmonious balance between reason and emotion in a woman, making her a truly admirable and attractive character.
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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.
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
Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the disposition of the parties are ever so well known to each, or ever so similar before hand it does not advance their felicity in the least (Austen 23).
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In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen portrays Elizabeth Bennet as "strong and intelligent, yet bewitching in a completely feminine way". Elizabeth's possession of these attributes: strength of character and moral integrity, great intelligence, and an attractive personality, make her an admirable person. Yet Elizabeth has faults, which makes her more human. Austen's portrayal of Elizabeth is realistic and masterful, often juxtaposing her with characters lacking her attributes to heighten our appreciation of her.
Characters in Pride and Prejudice and The Rape of the Lock are necessary tools in establishing satire within the stories. Austen uses a range of different character types in order to highlight the absurdity of society. For example, Elizabeth Bennet differs greatly from her other sisters and young ladies of Hertfordshire because h...
Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is a female centric novel. The contrast between Austen’s strong female protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, and the theme of marriage as a driving force throughout the novel suggests that, for an author whose own life was independent from a man, Austen was providing social commentary on women in society and could thus be seen to challenge traditional female roles. This is particularly important when taken into account the time period the novel was produced in. Austen was writing during a time where feminism was not a developed idea. As a female writer she was viewed as highly unusual for not marrying and having a career, something which ran contrary to the middle-upper class view for women as the domesticated, subservient housewife. Therefore, although Austen can be seen to conform to the view of gender stereotyping, it is possible to see the emergence of feminist attitudes in the way Austen presents strong female protagonists.
Through remarkably realistic characters like Elinor, Marianne, Fanny, Lucy, and Col. Brandon, Austen brings our attention to the way we should and should not act. She highlights sense’s importance, but insists that sensibility must temper it. These lessons, as much as the compelling stories, explain why Austen’s work is still relevant today. Read her works; learn what she teaches; strive to live your life in a way that unites sense and
Jane Austen’s great writing talent is shown throughout her story, Pride and Prejudice. The way she develops her characters, particularly the main male characters, draws in the reader. Mr. Wickham, who first is seemed to be the perfect man, sweet charming, and respectful, is actually later in the story revealed to be selfish, self-consumed, and greedy. Mr. Bingley who is sweet, shy, and friendly learns to become more independent and confident throughout the story. Last but not least, Mr. Darcy, who is prideful, snobby, and pompous, becomes the complete opposite. Towards the end of the story the reader sees his changes: he is humbled, sensitive, and is able to show his vulnerability. Jane Austen makes her characters come alive to the reader. The way in which she shows her characters growth throughout the story is pure genius.
Pride and Prejudice, one of Jane Austen’s masterpieces, makes use of satire to promote social change, because the English society of the 19th century only saw marriage as a ticket that would help you move upward on the social ladder. Throughout the book, the reader gets front row seats as Austen mocks both the conservative middle class and upper class, giving the dissentient characters a chance to be seen in society with a better image. Austen expresses her feelings on why social changes must occur to her audience by making use of satire to describe Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Hurt, and Miss Bingley in comparison to the way she develops characters such as Elizabeth Bennet and the wealthy gentleman Fitzwilliam Darcy. Furthermore, while the reader gets to witness dramatic moments from Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Hurst, and Miss. As Bingley strives to comply with the traditions of the 19th century, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy play a significant role in trying to demonstrate to the reader why love should be the chief reason for marriage.
Austen manifested her feelings toward the future of her novels into the heroines in each story. In this instance, the heroine is Emma, hence the name of the novel. It only makes sense that she is given more depth than the rest of the characters. Upon writing the book, Austen said that she would be inventing a character that only she would like. Within the first few pages of the essay, Johnson addresses the negative views some male critiques have toward Emma. They accuse Emma of being “arrogant, self-important, and controlling,” (Johnson 416). Some people would come to believe that the speakers were anti-feminist, which would