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Character analysis of Jane Austen's pride and prejudice
The character analysis of pride and prejudice
Pride and prejudice literary analysis
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Pride and Prejudice Essay Throughout Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett faces many challenges to realize that she was in the wrong and her prejudice against Mr. Darcy was misguided. Austen emphasizes the importance of wisdom through Elizabeth who faces the challenge of overcoming her prejudiced judgement to reach maturity and recognize the man she loves. At the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth Bennett’s first meeting with Mr. Darcy was marred by Mr. Darcy’s pride to which, “Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him.” At the end of the novel, after Elizabeth learns the truth and unravels her prejudice against Darcy, she begins to realize that she does have feelings for him. During their first meeting Darcy, the illusion that Mr. Wickham had built surrounding himself was now shattered: “How different did everything appear in which he was concerned.” Elizabeth now realizes her mistakes, which her prejudice was built and hopefully will never fall for such deceit again. Mr. Darcy is not the only one who is haughty, Elizabeth’s pride takes a massive blow after reading the letter, “she grew absolutely ashamed.” Realizing her mistakes will make Elizabeth grow as a person as she realizes how despicable she was, and has learned from her mistakes. Elizabeth had always thought she had the perfect judgement, but in fact she was horribly blind: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” Elizabeth now sees that she has flaws and it got in the way of her judgement rendering it blind. It is in maturity that people see their flaws; now Elizabeth has to make sure the same mistakes does not happen again. It was only after her prejudice of Mr. Darcy was finally gone that Elizabeth realized her true feelings towards him: “She explained what it’s [the letter] effect on her had been, and how gradually all her former prejudice has been removed.” After reading the letter, Elizabeth was able to realize her flaws as a character and grow into maturity and because of that she was able to see her true feelings about Mr.
Jane Austen, the author of the early 19th-century novel Pride and Prejudice, depicts moral ambiguity in Mr. Darcy’s character. Mr. Darcy embodies a prideful attitude that leaves many to assume that he is shallow and conceited, however throughout the novel the character’s complexity begins to show as he opens up to Elizabeth and demonstrates his generosity towards the Bennet family. The significance of the moral ambiguity of Mr. Darcy lies in the diverse views, including those with prejudice, he is seen in through Elizabeth’s eyes and brings into perspective the complexities of the individual.
Elizabeth Bennett is no push over and definitely has a mind of her own. She is an intelligent woman who holds nothing back. In many situations this can be a positive or negative choice. In this book, it really seems to be both, when it comes to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth can also be described as her dad’s favorite and the second child of the Bennett family. Her family was a very interesting group of people. They were different from each other in their own very unique way. Mr. Bennett was pretty relaxed and a lot of times tried to stay out of all the drama that was happening. It also appeared that even though he was much different from the rest of the family, he liked taunting his wife and girls. He especially did this when it came to situations that seemed really important to the females. Overall, he was very caring and loving towards Elizabeth and just wanted to make sure she was making the right choices. Mrs. Bennett was definitely not the smartest one of the family. She could be described as a worry wart, always worrying about everything. It seemed like her number one goal ...
Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s personality is expressed throughout Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with an intelligent and headstrong flair. She is incomparable to the women of her time, who mostly suffered from ignorance, blindly accepting that marrying for wealth and security would lead to happiness and success. What separates Elizabeth from these other women is that Elizabeth is a firm believer in independence as well as marrying for love, and it is this that reflects Elizabeth’s intelligence. This intelligence, however, does not shelter her from having a prejudiced nature. Elizabeth is the representation of prejudice in the novel while the counterpart of pride is characterized by Mr. Darcy.
As a retaliation Elizabeth stuns Darcy by refusing his proposal very harshly stating "I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry." This shows the extent of her prejudice against Darcy as she says that even from the beginning she disliked him. She condemns him for his arrogant manner in which he proposed his actions to separate Jane and Bingley and his actions of unfairness on Wickham. He accepts these accusations without apology, even with contempt. However, he flinches when she accuses him of not behaving like a gentleman and when Elizabeth finishes her denunciation of him, Darcy angrily departs.
She emphasizes that marriages can only be successful if they are founded on mutual love. Elizabeth and Darcy 's relationship is really different from all the others in the novel. Elizabeth does not care about him being super rich and he does not find her the most beautiful. At the beginning, he thinks she is “tolerable”. They do not like each other at the beginning, they argue a lot and are really sassy towards each other. They are the opposite of amiable. Their relationship is far beyond just physical attraction. Darcy secretly helps out with Lydia 's situation. He does not want Elizabeth to be hurt nor does he want her family to ruin their repuation. He helps Elizabeth and does not bring it up, let alone brag about it. Love is not boastful. This shows the reader how contrasting Darcy and Collins ' characters are. “Elizabeth 's heart did whisper, that he had done it for her...” She has a feeling that Darcy is the one who helped out but she is not one hundred percent sure. Elizabethis wistful about saying so many bad things about him and she regrets her little speech when she rejected him. Unlike every other character in this novel, Darcy and Elizabeth took things slowly. Darcy purposes to her after a long time, when he was sure about his feelings for her. Even when she rejects him once he did not ask her over and over again, unlike
Elizabeth begins to see she has truly misinterpreted both men saying that she had been “blind, partial, prejudiced and absurd” (Austen 137). Austen states that “Pride and Prejudice, like her other novels, is about people who learn (though some fail to learn) to recognize good in others, and therefore they themselves become better people” (Austen vii). This letter expresses the theme and can be viewed as the turning point of the novel.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has emphases on how characters are perceived by the world they live in. Mr. Darcy is an unpopular and misunderstood character who is the symbol of pride throughout the novel. Mr. Wickham is a charismatic soldier who is perceptive of those around him and capitalizes on his knowledge. Throughout the novel similarities and differences between characters are highlighted. Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy grew up together, yet Mr. Darcy is known for having a disagreeable countenance and a large sense of pride and Mr. Wickham is more charming, charismatic, and socially well-versed. In the fourth chapter of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth says “It does not necessarily
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel that explores the particular social customs and manners of England’s upper class in the early Nineteenth Century where characters are challenge by the nature of their background. This novel centers around the perils and difficulties of a headstrong woman, Elizabeth, as she search for a marriage in which she will be able to retain her individuality. In the world of women who do not have their own fortune, and often have to forsake their love and marry for economic stability and social status, Elizabeth struggles with egotistical interactions and overcoming indulgences in her first impressions to realize her true love. Jane Austen illustrates Elizabeth's determination to marry for love as she moves within a limited society, confronts her own faults when making her own decisions, and judges others beyond the surface to live a fulfilling life. Austen challenges traditional notions about women through Elizabeth’s striving to express her own feminine individuality in a society that demands strict social conformity.
The claim that Elizabeth is strong is indisputable. The strength of her personal integrity is highly evident in her refusal of Darcy's first marriage proposal. At the time, she believed Darcy to be arrogant and selfish, based on Wickham's account of Darcy's disgraceful behaviour towards him. She was also furious with him for ruining Jane's chance of happiness (through marrying Bingley). Yet, it would have been prudent for her, a girl with only £1,000 and 4% interest annually from it, to marry Darcy, whose estate is worth £10,000 a year. She never wavers, though -- "her intentions did not vary for an instant". The strength of her convictions and loyalty towards her sister made her reject his offer, and with it, probably all possibility of her every marrying "well" and securing a comfortable future. Also, she was not intimidated by Darcy's wealth and high social status, daring to tell him exactly what she thought of him and to risk his anger by offending him -- "You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it." It is very clear that Elizabeth's principles are uncompromisable.
In the early stages of the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, their connection was nearly nonexistent. Elizabeth was all but normal when she saw him declare his feelings. Unfortunately, the conversation went downhill after the proposal. As an attempt to reinforce his proposition, Darcy recited Elizabeth’s current status in terms of “ her sense of inferiority… degradation…the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination.” (Austen 170).
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...
Literary Analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The novel Pride and Prejudice, is a romantic comedy, by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a story about an unlikely pair who go through many obstacles before finally coming together. Pride is the opinion of oneself, and prejudice is how one person feels others perceive them. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, uses plot, the characters of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and the status of women and social standing, to portray the theme of the novel - pride and prejudice.
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
Although Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett have a bantering relationship throughout the movie, which is quite entertaining, they end up falling for each other. On several occasions, snide comments and hurtful remarks show the disapproval they hold for each other. When Mr. Darcy proposed, Elizabeth was completely taken off guard, and reacted harshly in her surprise. As a result of this, Mr. Darcy was tormented because of his pining for Elizabeth. This caused his attitude to go from arrogant and prideful, to humble and affectionate. This change in personality in change and attitude initiated her great love with Mr. Darcy. Another love story portrayed in this movie is between Mr. Bingley and Miss Jane Bennett. The first time they meet, Mr. Bingley is completely smitten. Although Jane (Elizabeth’s sister) keeps her guard up, she does display some kind of growing affection for him. Just as Jane thinks that she is in love with him, Mr. Bingley’s sisters whisk him away to London, hoping to destroy the whole affair. In the midst of the movie, it seems like the relationship is over. But when Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield, his love for Jane has not ceased. She discovers that her feelings have not changed, and they are soon
Elizabeth was her father’s favorite child. Being twenty years old she possesses brains, beauty, confidence, and independence. A lot like her father, Elizabeth knew that society was all about money and rank. By being prejudice against society, she attacks Mr. Darcy's pride (Moore). Her pride comes from discriminating against others by believing she knows everything.