Stereotypes In Pride And Prejudice Analysis

Escaping the Shackles of Hierarchy:
The Pride and Prejudice of Pride and Prejudice
Society has a natural tendency to categorize and rank the differences and distinctions among a population. In a new age of enlightenment during the early 1800’s, Jane Austen addresses our impulse to judge others in her novel: Pride and Prejudice. Austen illuminates the effects of a hierarchal society on our relationships and behavior through the characters of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Furthermore, Austen exhibits how humankind’s obsessive inclination to quickly judge a person upon a first encounter can be destructive to our pursuit of happiness. In an effort to demonstrate the obstacles that society presents to achieving authentic prosperity, Austen suggests that happiness exists independently of society’s classifications. In this manner, Elizabeth and Darcy manage to overcome their pride, prejudice, and the bonds of society, to finally discover true love and happiness.
In order to understand how Elizabeth and Darcy overcome their pride and prejudice, we must first explore these two idiosyncrasies. In the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, pride is blatantly depicted through the character of Darcy. Darcy’s deliberate

detachment from the opinions of others contributes to his arrogance. He believes that, “where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation” (Ch. 11). This egocentrism severely limits Darcy’s impressions of other people. Likewise, his conclusions of other people are mostly based on the imprisoning conventions of a hierarchal society. In addition, Darcy’s pride leads him to criticize Elizabeth’s shortcomings during his first proposal while failing to realize his own flaws.
Conversely, prejudice is illustrated through Austen’s representation of Elizabeth. By definition, prejudice implies complete judgment of the affairs and characteristic of others. Despite her spirited and cheerful demeanor, Elizabeth is quick to judge and suspect the worst of other people. In fact, Darcy states that she “willfully misunderstand[s]” others. She allows her preconceived ideas and opinions of others dictate her actions and impair her judgment. Further, Elizabeth bases all of her assumptions on initial impressions. For example, in Chapter 22, she is quick to condemn Charlotte’s marriage. Elizabeth is disappointed in the marriage and she disapproves of Charlottes’ decision to marry for materialistic reasons. She believes that Charlotte is “disgracing herself” and that it would be “impossible for [Charlotte] to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen”.
Pride and prejudice; these two contrasting characteristics completely repel one another.

Naturally, their character counterpoints, in Pride and Prejudice, resist falling in love. In order to discover how Elizabeth and Darcy overcome their pride and prejudice, we must also examine the significance of the hierarchal society. According to author, Raymond Wilson, “marriage was thought to be the single possible fulfillment for a woman” during the 19th century. In the aim of securing their place on the social ladder, upper-class women in this time were expected to marry husbands of significant social and financial standing. The hierarchal society dictated that the status of these women would be expressed based on the success of their

husbands.
With this in mind, Raymond Wilson suggests that Jane Austen “combines the ring of truth with irony”. Irony, that is, in the common affiliation of marriage and true love, and that of society’s expectations and true happiness. We can postulate that Elizabeth begins to silence her prejudices towards others as a result of a deeper realization of true happiness. One can suggest that the marriages of Lydia and Elizabeth’s parents, serve as constant examples that successful, happy marriages cannot be based on physical attraction or materialistic security alone.
In order for Darcy and Elizabeth to join and pursue happiness, Darcy must develop some humility, and Elizabeth must suppress her prejudices. According to critic, Carol Moses, “only when Elizabeth’s distanced … view is balanced with her esteem for Darcy’s true character does she become a whole person”. For example, in Chapter 43, Elizabeth overhears a conversation between Darcy’s servants. They are speaking of the many honorable traits of Darcy. It is in this moment that Elizabeth subdues her prejudices to realize that she has been unable to discover his true nature. She acknowledges that she has “prided [her]self on my discernment” (Ch. 36).
At the end of the novel, Elizabeth has a greater knowledge of herself and the impact of her actions on others. She claims that she “never knew herself” until she realized her misunderstandings about Darcy’s true characteristics. In addition, Elizabeth acquires an improved sense of self-awareness, and a greater tolerance for others. Where once she “courted prepossession and ignorance” and drove reason away, she develops a more objective perspective of the world. In like manner, Darcy becomes a true gentleman as he swallows his pride. He finally admits his wrongdoings and ill-willed arrogance to Elizabeth in Chapter 58. He confesses, “my conduct, my manners, my expressions [have been] inexpressibly painful to me”.
We know that Elizabeth and Darcy are able to conquer their pride, prejudice, and the shackles of a hierarchal society to finally obtain true love and happiness. However, one can easily discern that Pride and Prejudice is not just a typical, bathetic love-story. Carol Moses states that “Austen … had a larger vision beyond marrying her heroines off happily”. Through the character development of Elizabeth and Darcy, we can infer that Austen intends to depict true happiness as a pursuit independent of society’s pride and prejudices. Further, Austen “posits a false dichotomy between wisdom and happy endings since happiness in marriage is not…a ‘“matter of chance”’.
In conclusion, Austen submits that we develop a deeper understating of the world around us when we are thrust into situations that cause us to evaluate the true nature or ourselves and others. Correspondingly, Elizabeth and Darcy manage to overcome their pride, prejudice, and the bonds of society, to finally discover true devotion and prosperity. Ultimately, Pride and Prejudice imparts the idea that happiness can only be found by silencing our prejudices, swallowing our pride, and disregarding societal constraints.