Why Is Secrecy Important In Pride And Prejudice

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Authors have used the element of secrecy to produce a desired effect in their novel throughout history. Vital pieces of information are often withheld from other characters for various reasons. Secrecy is necessary in some cases. Information may be withheld to protect the one sharing the information, to protect others, or a person might not be in the right position to share such information to other trustworthy people. Some secrets are meant to be kept until death and others are to be withheld until the moment is right to share among others. In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the main character, Elizabeth, has to decide which secrets she has to hide forever and which ones to share with others. Elizabeth Bennet holds a few secrets from her family. While she is visiting the Collins’, Mr. Darcy enters the room Elizabeth is all alone in and abruptly declares his love for her. She politely declines his proposal for marriage, which turns into an angry accusation …show more content…

Before Mr. Darcy’s proposal, his letter the next morning, and Elizabeth’s reflection after the matter, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are separated by secrets; after this point, secrets unite them. Five secrets keep Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth apart during the first half of the novel. Mr. Darcy does not know that Jane sincerely loves his great friend Charles Bingley. Elizabeth is ignorant of four crucial pieces of information: that Mr. Darcy had kept the knowledge that Jane was in town from Mr. Bingley; that Mr. Wickham is a detestable hypocrite; that Mr. Darcy is increasingly in love with her; and that she herself, against her will, is increasingly in love with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth, however, does know that Jane loves Mr. Bingley. From the proposal and letter onwards, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are united by their secret knowledge. Their unity by this secret knowledge proves to be beneficial to their relationship in the near

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