Overview of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen essays

Overview of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen essays Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is a lighthearted tale of love and marriage in eighteenth-century England. It centers on the elder sisters of the Bennet family, Jane and Elizabeth. Their personalities, misunderstandings and the roles of pride and prejudice play a large part in the development of their individual relationships. The spirited Elizabeth and softhearted Jane have to deal with not only their own feelings but also the status of their family, both of which affect the outcomes of their prospective marriages. Pride and Prejudice is an apt name for the book. These notions permeate the novel thoroughly, especially in the views of Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane's temperance does not allow for these qualities to exist in her personality. Our first introduction to pride and prejudice is at a ball Mr.Bingley throws. His sisters and a dear friend of his, Mr.Darcy, accompany him. Mr. Darcy is characterized as a proud, haughty, arrogant man and ends up almost immediately alienating himself from the townspeople. This opinion arises after he refuses to dance with the young ladies who have attended the ball and his obvious reluctance to talk to anyone. His pride was said to come from his extreme wealth. Eighteenth-century England was quite preoccupied with status, especially concerning wealth and reputation. Darcy's reluctance to speak with anyone stemmed from his lack of respect for anyone outside his close-knit circle. His good breeding was obvious only to those whom he knew well. Elizabeth is p rejudiced against Darcy for entirely different reasons. She received information that was one-sided and made unfair assumptions on Darcy's character. She prejudged him; combining the superficial view she had of him and some rumors. The roles of pride and prejudice can be summed up in the exchange between Darcy and Elizabeth after he proposed. Darcy clearly defines the reasons for his prejudice: "Could you expect me to rejoice in ...