The Importance of Paper and Ink in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

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Paper and Ink

Letters play a very important role in the story of Pride and Prejudice. Especially the letters of one character in particular in Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austin. Mr. Darcy's letters are a very important to build up to the climax. Letters from and to Mr. Darcy play a very important role in the novel. The two main purposes which they fulfill and they are to reveal the character’s and the characters personality of the letter writer and also the person being written to. Also letters have a practical purpose to, which its to deliver information. The letter Mr. Darcy writes to Elizabeth is extremely important, because he explains everything in this letter. He explains his situation with Wickham and why he said nothing to defend himself. This letter impacts the novel as a whole in that it explains everything, it describes Mr. Darcy, and finally the letter shows the differences between the letter writing and the talking of the characters.

There’s something more about the letter to Elizabeth. Keep in the back mind the time and place where this book was set. In that time period, Mr. Darcy would have never shared his personal information with someone outside of his most intimate acquaintances or with anybody he did not know very well. However he exposed this information to Elizabeth, this shows how strong his feelings were to Elizabeth. What he says in the letter would have been way too awkward to say face to face, in addition a unengaged couple talking or exchanging written letters was a very big NO back in those days. Sending a letter allowed Mr. Darcy to cool off and a way to calm down from all the stress that just happened “she could not yet recover from the surprise of what happened, it was impossible t...

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...tter shows the differences between the letter writing and the talking of the characters. Letters were very important not only did they silver information but they change people in such a way. Elizabeth was changed for the rest of the novel. After she read the letter her opinion of Darcy was not changed she thought of him differently though. This letter in particular was a major part in the rising action heading up to the climax. Letters were also used to say things that the characters are to proud to say in a speech, for an example when Darcy writes the letter to Elizabeth explaining the truth of wick ham and of his actions, after she accuses him of such terrible things and wounds his pride.

Leatherman 5

Work Cited

Austin, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.

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