Over the last decades, zombies have been a trendy element of pop culture. They continuously appear in books, movies and TV shows, video games, and even parades and festivals. These days, almost every teenager knows what to do in case of a sudden zombie apocalypse, and even some serious military groupings are prepared for it. In films and literature, zombies exist in the post-apocalyptic environment, and the survivors have to hide in forests and underground shelters. The book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith destroys all the traditions and takes on a truly unique approach to both romance novels and modern zombie fiction.
Synopsis
The general plot remains the same as the original—except for an outbreak of zombies that England has been suffering for more than fifty years. The strange plague is believed to have been brought by merchant ships from distant lands and has changed the lifestyle of the English people dramatically. Whereas Mrs. Bennet’s primary focus is still to get her daughters married, Mr. Bennet is concerned with their survival, training them in swordsmanship, musketry, and other martial arts. Young ladies do not leave the house without a weapon and engage in bloody battles against zombies in between balls and tea parties.
Grahame-Smith has kept most of the original text while adding some “zombie material” and paraphrasing the classic and well-known lines from the book. Thus, the opening of the first chapter that initially went on about the obligation of a single man in possession of a good fortune to seek a wife, became: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains” (Austen, Grahame-Smith, 2009, p. 7). Uncommon as it is, the book is not presented as an entirely new story, but as an extended edition of the famous romantic novel.
Zombies of the Past
Zombies described in the book are called the unmentionables and, to the greatest extent, correspond to the classic image introduced by George A. Romero (Rafferty, 2011, para. 1). The creatures in Grahame-Smith’s book are dead bodies with different degrees of decay. They move more quickly than typical zombies yet are clumsy. The unmentionables craves human flesh, spread contamination with a bite, and can be killed by beheading and burning. Unlike the canonical zombies, the freshest of them can speak, and when they do, it is the most sophisticated Austen-type language. In this story, people have already become accustomed to the fact of a zombie outbreak and developed a relevant lifestyle. They surround their homes with high walls and travel to Japan and China to learn martial arts. While getting ready for a ball or any other social outing, the sisters not only corset and powder themselves but, as well, sharpen their daggers and hide them underneath the fine gowns. Since dances tend to end in attacks of the unmentionables, such measures should not be ignored. With the new reality come new demands for young people in Regency-era society. Mr. Bingley is being admired because of his handsomeness, good nature, and wealth, yet Mr. Darcy is considered a more alluring husband because of his famous zombie-killing abilities. Young ladies, on their part, must be as proficient in deadly arts as they usually are in singing, dancing, and drawing. Elizabeth Bennet, who was trained in Shaolin, charms Mr. Darcy with her beauty and fighting skills. He later confesses that he has known only one woman who used the dagger with the same grace.
Zombie as a Metaphor
The idea of integrating various supernatural forces and creatures into the everyday life of our world has been popular within sci-fi and fantasy novels and movies for the last decades. Among other trends, the idea of zombies is becoming more and more mainstream. The growing fascination with these particular creatures is found curious by many social scientists. While supernatural beings such as vampires, ghosts, and werewolves do represent a certain kind of danger, they are still intelligent and may secretly coexist with humans. Zombies, however, represent violent, uncontrollable masses that spread quickly and lead to the elimination of the human race. Drezner (2014) states in his research: “Popular culture often provides a window into the subliminal or unstated fear of citizens” (p. 71). Zombies as a metaphor combine the most relevant concerns of society, such as deadly epidemics, blood viruses like AIDS, terrorist attacks, drug addiction, and natural disasters. He adds that zombies are the perfect menace of our century, as “they are not well understood by serious analysts, they possess protean capabilities, and the challenges they pose to states are very, very grave” (Drezner, 2014, p. 79).
In his investigation of zombies in popular culture, Kyle William Bishop (2015) claims that the living dead became symbols for the working class, “who have been dehumanized by brutal working conditions, hunger, and poverty” (p. 17). By many scholars, zombies are seen as a universal metaphor, applicable to every story. It does not matter what particular contemporary threat they represent, they will always be timely and relevant. A “living dead” is a being with no will and no morals, capable of harming the people it once loved and cared for. In a way, it is a manifestation of destructive ideology and brainwashing. Craving for human flesh pictures both violence and uncontrolled consumerism, a realistic and topical issue of the capitalistic society. As a trend in popular culture, zombies point to the anxieties of the modern world. At first, these creatures would shock audiences “because of their unfamiliar appearance” but “today they are even more shocking because of their familiarity” (Bishop, 2015, p. 17).
The decision to bring zombies to a classic romantic novel does not seem to highlight any global or social issue and looks more like a chemical experiment: to combine two strange elements and see what happens. As it turned out, a zombie outbreak fits the plot perfectly. With her independence, intelligence, and wit—combined with excellent combat skills—Elizabeth can be a perfect female protagonist for any young-adult post-apocalyptic novel. Zombie attacks explain why Netherfield Park is empty, and what the military detachment is doing in the English countryside of the time. In her novel, Jane Austen focused on the problems of class, marriage, upbringing, and morality. Once again, zombies or unmentionables prove to be a universal metaphor. They represent everything the upper-class society despises about peasants: improper manners, lack of education, and a lack of elegance. Darcy does not like entertainment like singing and dancing because, in his view, these days even zombies can do it. A successful marriage is essential for the well-being of a young lady of the time. Originally, Charlotte Lucas decided to marry Mr. Collins as she thought she was doomed to remain unmarried forever and be a burden to her family. Here she is doomed by the plague and needs someone who can behead her when the time comes.
Combining a beloved classic book about love and morality with violent zombie fiction was an unconventional and truly brave idea. Although some devoted Austen fans might be insulted by such treatment, the book turns out to be a fresh and funny representation of the famous story.
References
Austen, J., Grahame-Smith, S. (2009) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Philadelphia: Quirk Books.
Bishop, K. W. (2015) How Zombies Conquered Popular Culture: The Multifarious Walking Dead in the 21st Century. Jefferson NC: McFarland.
Drezner, D. W. (2014) Theories of International Politics and Zombies: Revived Edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rafferty, T. (2011) The State of Zombie Literature: An Autopsy. Web.
Jane Austen’s novel is impressing for its concern with the social fabric of England as a patriarchal society during the late 1800s and early 1900s. ‘Pride and Prejudice’ delights readers from its witty display of the social atmosphere concerning the courtship rituals of the English gentry. Jane uses elegantly structured satire to discuss the effects of romanticism during this century. In the novel, romanticism breeds a complicated love and marriage between partners with different statuses. For instance, Darcy and Elizabeth are struggling to get along, but come together when they find similar tastes between them. The current study explores the link between romance with the natural, the supernatural, and emotion versus reality to understand romanticism characteristics in the novel.
Emotion and rationality
Jane Austen depicts an ideal marriage because of true love between a man and a woman. Without the romanticism associated with love, it is impossible to make a perfect marriage. For Instance, Elizabeth and Darcy are far apart in relation to social class. However, through their pride and prejudice, they get to experience several events that let them understand each other. The romanticism between them breeds a mutual understanding between them. The pride and prejudice disappear and true love shines between them. Elizabeth’s marriage contrasts with Charlotte’s, who is a realist. Charlotte believes that all she wants is a happy marriage and all the things that accompany a comfortable home. Although Charlotte Mr. Collins do not have similar tastes or love for the other, they agree to get into a marriage based on comfort. In this instance, Romanticism places the emotions and feelings between Elizabeth and Darcy above everything else, unlike the traditional rationality and intellect associated with Charlotte’s marriage.
The love of nature
Romanticism is obsessed with its love for nature and the beauty of the natural environment in the outside life. Lydia and Elizabeth appreciate nature for its physical beauty. For instance, Lydia is ecstatic about going out during the summer to be exposed to a public place. She elopes during the summer to find romance and to escape the folly of the society. After a while, she exclaims at the idea that romantic men are non-existent and that they no longer appreciate the love of nature. Lydia’s expeditious nature shows the obsession of the romantic with nature. Austen however, retrains Elizabeth from escaping into the natural wild, but sends her to the northern lakes that are known for their romantic splendor. Elizabeth gracefully accommodates the change of nature to get satisfaction and happiness. She finds that the summer at the home country compensates the disappointments that follow. To her, this is an opportunity to get to bond with her loved one more.
Passion
Restraining romance to live a happy marriage between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet embodies a virtue that restrains her passion. Although Jane is a passionate romantic, she lets it go to pursue happiness while obeying moral standards. She still ends up getting a happily arranged marriage. The author insists that love is just a pathway to true happiness. The two partners love each other deeply though are shy of breaking the traditional love standards. The lack of romance between them leaves the relationship dry, as Mr. Bingley is not out to ensure that they obstruct they love repeatedly. Jane depends on virtue to keep the marriage going and to fuel the marriage. Although Jane does not seek love positively, she acknowledges that virtue is a result of romanticism that a couple must have to sustain their marriage all through.
Romanticism breeds the belief in the supernatural and the mysterious. Romantics have been fascinated with the belief in the mysterious love at first sight axiom that celebrates passion and physical attractiveness or marriage on property status. Jane inverts the accepted and often mysterious love at first sight using the convention of Darcy and Elizabeth, who mutually disliked the other at first sight. Jane Austen arranges events that could melt away the dislike between the two. The sensibility and virtue of Elizabeth allows her to break the bonds of misunderstandings to breed love. This goes against the belief in love at first sight and advocates for sensibility and virtue in romance. Governed by similar tastes, Elizabeth and Darcy find it easy to share the ideas and thoughts without any confines or meeting under the supernatural banner of love at first sight. What she gets out of romanticism is a marriage based on understanding and equality.
In sum, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ tells of the experiences of life through romance and sensibility. The three romanticism characteristics identified in the study tell the emphasis of romance with the natural, the supernatural, and emotion versus reality. Jane Austen widely explores these effects of romanticism to bring out a generalization of the English gentry. She depicts romantics coated beneath the three effects in her limited way to produce a landmark in literature. In the study, love at first sight is satirized in romance, Elizabeth is excessively optimistic about their journey to the Lake District, while rationality and emotions exists in Elizabeth and Charlotte’s relationships. The three romanticism characteristics break the bonds of pride between two people who did not fit into a social class or status to bring them together. The result is true love. Elizabeth longs for someone who understands her inner feelings, loves her, and expresses his love past the natural environment.
The novel called “Pride and Prejudice” written by Jane Austen has been referred to as a “global brand” due to its universal style and timeless contents (Huff 1). Interestingly, the novel has been characterized as timeless and applicable to multiple subjects present throughout the history in spite of the fact that it is very tightly connected to a particular historical period and social class. The story, the characters, the setting, and even the speech of the characters make strong references to the environments of the beginning of the 19th century in England. However, the themes discussed in the novel raise the universally important issues of class and social division, manners and rules, social pressure and opinion, relationships between men and women, parents and children. The way these issues are delivered to the reader by the author adds to the universality of the novel. In fact, the structure of narration and dialogues in the text provides the reader with just enough guidance and autonomy to perceive the story in a unique but accurate manner. In other words, this paper provides a critical analysis of a passage from Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and argues that non-descriptive third person narration and dialogues without the narrator’s commentary on the actions of the characters allow the reader’s imagination to equip the action with details moving freely within the boundaries established by almost invisible, but present guidance of the author.
Text
The passage under analysis contains narrative speech and dialogues between characters. It is set in a ballroom where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy attempt to maintain a conversation while dancing. Prior to this scene, the narrative speech is used to describe the actions of Elizabeth throughout the evening and her interactions with other characters. The passage is rather short; however, it carries a lot of information.
Narration
The narrative parts of the passage frame the dialogue. The first portion of narration occurs at the beginning of the passage and serves to introduce the actions of Elizabeth during the ball. The narration is delivered using the third person perspective, and it mainly carries an informative character. For instance, the following sentence is a good demonstration of the type of narration used in the passage: “When those dances were over she returned to Charlotte Lucas, and was in conversation with her, when she found herself suddenly addressed by Mr. Darcy, who took her so much by surprise in his application for her hand, that, without knowing what she did, she accepted him” (Austen 68). In this sentence, the sequence of Elizabeth’s actions is shown in a brief manner. One may notice that the descriptive devices such as epithets, metaphors, and similes are absent. Outlining the actions of the characters clearly, but avoiding lengthy and detailed descriptions the author achieves the precise perception of the situations by the reader. The narrative portions could have been expanded with the addition of various stylistic means; however, their absence shows that the creation of a precise and detailed picture was not the author’s intention. Instead, Austen left it up to the reader to imagine a variety of smaller details. At the same time, narration offers strong guidance so that the reader’s imagination does not get carried away from the scenes as they were intended by Austen. For instance, the dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy during the dance does not contain any remarks of the narrator indicating the intonations of the characters, their moods, gestures, or body movements.
The replies are presented in an ongoing sequence without interruptions. Only one line of narration can be found within a dialogue and it says, “He smiled, and assured her that whatever she wished him to say should be said” (Austen 69). This simple sentence is a good illustration of the timely and necessary guidance added by the author. The line is found at the very beginning of the dialogues and serves to show Mr. Darcy’s attitude to the sharp comment of his dance partner who is treating with irony the short conversations deemed obligatory during a dancing session. The narrative line demonstrates that Elizabeth’s irony did not annoy or anger her partner, but put a smile on his face. That way, the warm, yet distant relationship between the characters is portrayed.
One more narrative remark can be found at the very end of the dialogue, in the sentence that says: ““Both,” replied Elizabeth archly; “for I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds”” (Austen 70). The fact that such remarks are absent from the rest of the dialogue draw the attention to this one hinting that there must be some point in it. Analyzing the narrative remark critically, one would notice that it carries the function similar to that of the line at the beginning of the conversation. Namely, it serves to guide the reader through the emotional aspect of the talk. Noting that the last response of Elizabeth was given archly, the author informs the reader about the overall tone of her chat with Mr. Darcy and points out that even though their dialogue looked like a rivalry in wittiness, they both enjoyed the interaction.
Dialogue
As mentioned above, the dialogue held between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth is not accompanied by any narrative commentary. However, the contents of the talk can serve the narration of their own. The characters discuss what they should speak about in order to follow the rules of social conduct and stay polite with each other during a forced interaction. The level of self-awareness and critical thinking of the characters allow them to analyze the rules of appropriate behavior at a ball. That way, the role of the narrator in the conversation is fulfilled by the characters treating their situation with a distanced rationalism. However, one may see that the rare guidance of the author indicates that Elizabeth who is “determined to hate” Mr. Darcy initially finishes the conversation in an “archly” manner and finds him “agreeable” due to the fact that her analytical sarcasm and irony were not taken as insults by him; on the contrary, Darcy accepts the rules set by Elizabeth and shows her that she has met an equal in sharpness. Elizabeth’s acceptance of Darcy is seen in her attempt to analyze him as a personality at the end of the talk and her conclusion that they may have a lot in common saying, “we are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room” (Austen 70).
Overall Contents, Impact, and Themes
Metaphors, similes, and other descriptive devices are also absent from the dialogue. Austen’s writing demonstrates the author’s determination to provide the readers with the ability to use their own imagination and add various details to the actions of the characters and their interactions. However, a critical approach to the way the text is structured shows that the author managed to have the development of the events and the way they are perceived by the readers under control. The themes raised in the short passage refer to the social interactions and social expectations, roles and rules within classes and communities, superficial behaviors and gestures the individuals are forced to adopt in order to fit in their habitual environments. This subject used to be relevant at the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant at the dawn of the 21st century.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the passage under analysis is a vivid illustration of the character of the whole novel called “Pride and Prejudice” as it contains some of the very significant attributes of Austen’s writing style. To sum up, the universality of the text is achieved by means of an easy narrative style not overcrowded with too many details, the flowing dialogue not interrupted by the narrative remarks, the timeless themes, and transparent, yet firm guidance provided by the author. The passage lacks descriptive stylistic devices and can be characterized as dry in terms of introduction of scenes, characters, and settings. However, the informative manner of narration done using the third person perspective and formed as a simple sequence of actions makes the scene active and vivid. The passage demonstrates a lot of development and overall contains information about a whole evening Elizabeth had at the ball including the minor activities and a major step in her relationship with Mr. Darcy.
References
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Ed. James Kinsley. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford UP, 2004. 68-70. Print.
Huff, Marsha. An In-Depth Study of P&P. 2010. Web.
Pride and Prejudice is a world-known novel written by an English author Jane Austen in 1813. The story revolves around the importance of education, marriage, financial viability, and traditions in the United Kingdom during the Regency era. Humor is used as the primary artistic means of the narrative, which attracted many readers and ensured the popularity of the book. This essay contains the analysis of the novel, including the summary, description of the main characters and themes, personal opinion about the narrative, and conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay.
The Summary of the Novel
The story begins with the conversation of two characters, Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet, who are talking about the visit of a young bachelor, Mr. Bingley, to their neighborhood. The Bennet family has five daughters, and Mrs. Bennet thinks that they should be friends with Mr. Bingley as he can marry one of her girls. Therefore, since the time of Mr. Bingley’s arrival, spouses Bennet try to use the opportunities to communicate with him.
One day the Bennet family meets Mr. Bingley at the ball, where his friend, Mr. Darcy, accompanies him. Even though initially Mr. Darcy made a positive impression on people, soon everyone found him to be arrogant, because he did not want to dance with anyone except for Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Mr. Bingley advises Mr. Darcy to pay his attention to Elizabeth, one of the daughters of the Bennet, but he did not express any interest to her. Elizabeth witnessed this conversation and felt antipathy toward Mr. Darcy.
Soon, Mr. Bingley realized that he felt in love with the sister of Elizabeth, Jane, while Mr. Darcy started having feelings for Elizabeth. Elizabeth talks to her new friend, Mr. Wickham, who tells her the story about the immoral behavior of Mr. Darcy. This only supports Elizabeth’s negative opinion about Mr. Darcy as she is sure that he despises her. Mr. Darcy, in his turn, thinks that the Bennets are out of his social circle because they demonstrate bad manners. He encourages Mr. Bingley to return to London and give up the idea to marry Elizabeth’s sister Jane.
Later, Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but she rejects him, saying that he is guilty of destroying the happiness of her sister. Months later, the younger sister of Elizabeth, Lydia, runs away with Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy, trying to save the Bennets from shame, forces Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia. Being thankful, Elizabeth realizes that she likes Mr. Darcy, and accepts his proposal when he asks her to marry him the second time. Thus, the story has a happy end, where the pride of Mr. Darcy and the prejudice of Ms. Bennet were overcome.
The Main Characters and Theme of the Novel
Jane Austin created personalities in a way that made them unforgettable for readers (Wilhelm 2014, 30). Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter of the Bennets, is one of the main protagonists of the story. She is young but intelligent and witty, well-educated and, in contrast to the other members of her family, has good manners. She is a strong woman with principles, who is not ready for a marriage on a financial basis, even though she understands that money is necessary for a respectable life (Awan and Ali Nasir 2018, 673). However, Elizabeth tends to have a prejudiced opinion about people even if she does not know them well. Unfortunately, it does not allow her to be objective in evaluating people’s actions.
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is the second protagonist of the story. He is a tall, rich, and handsome man who is twenty -eight years old. At first sight, it seems that he does not have any drawbacks, but his pride spoils people’s impression of him. At the ball, where he meets Elizabeth first time, he proves his arrogance, saying that he does not see any beautiful women dance with. In his conversation with Mr. Bingley, he says: “Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with” (Austen 2017, 11). Thus, the prejudice of Elizabeth and pride of Mr. Darcy became a stumbling point for their relationships. Eventually, they could overcome these negative traits that ensured the happy end of the story.
Even though the personages of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy create the most exciting line of the story, the other characters contribute to the humorous narrative. Thus, Mrs. Bennet is shown as a woman whose primary goal of life is to marry her daughters to wealthy men, even if it happens against their will. She says: “If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the others equally well-married, I shall have nothing to wish for” (Austen 2017, 9). Also, sometimes, she can behave in an indelicate way that creates comic situations and makes her eldest daughters Elizabeth and Jane blush.
Another personage that is worth to pay attention to is the youngest daughter of Bennet, Lydia. She is shown as a silly little girl who tends to do foolish actions without taking responsibility for that. Even though the Bennets cannot serve as the best example of a well-mannered family of the Regency era, these characters help the author to use humor as the primary artistic means of the narrative.
The main idea of the novel conveyed by the author is the importance of being unbiased and modest. Also, Jane Austen unfolds the concepts of marriage, true love, and the role of fortune in people’s lives (Wan 2019, 349). It does not matter how many years have passed since the first publication of the novel because these ideas remain significant for people, even nowadays, in the modern world.
Personal Opinion
The novel Pride and Prejudice can be recommended to read for both youth and adults because it raises topical questions for people of all generations. It narrates love, morals, family relationships, and the social status of people. Moreover, it is especially interesting to read nowadays, because it tells the story about traditions, entertainments, and way of life of people who lived two hundred years ago.
Therefore, the novel can serve as an excellent educational tool that not only entertains readers but also provides historical information. In my point of view, the author skillfully shows the influence of the social environment on people’s personalities in her novel. The story teaches readers to always stay true to themselves. For instance, even though society encourages women to marry wealthy men, the character of Elizabeth shows that one can still act in accordance with his or her opinion.
Pride and Prejudice: Conclusion
Jane Austen created a romantic story that became popular because of the author’s sense of humor and skillful way of storytelling. She created strong, ambitious, intelligent, and independent characters that attracted readers around the world and made the story unforgettable. Moreover, the narrative contains a lot of historical information that shows people’s life in England in the 19th century. Therefore, it is highly recommended for reading to everyone who wants to have a good time and receive some historical knowledge about the society of Great Britain in an entertaining way.
References
Austen, Jane. 2017. Pride and Prejudiced. Seattle: Amazon Classics.
Awan, Abdul, and Ambreen Ali Nasir. 2018. “Matrimonial Issues and Marxist Approach in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.” Global Journal of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities 673 (4): 651-676.
Wan, Yongkun. 2019. “Study on Jane Austin’s Original Views toward Marriage in Pride and Prejudice.” Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Education and Social Science, Yunnan Province, China, Francis Academic Press, 349-351.
Wilhelm, Julia. 2014. The Austen Formula: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing.
Chapter 43 of Pride and Prejudice gives a detailed story about the encounter between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. The author of this work is Jane Austen, a great novelist who focused on the major issues affecting women and society as a whole. The presented work outlines a unique situation whereby Elizabeth finds herself in a precarious position after meeting Darcy unexpectedly (Austen 1918). The reason for writing the piece was to explore the place of marriage in society and what is meant to women during the 18th century. From the nature of this novel, it is evident that those who were unable to get married find it hard to escape economic insecurity and social standing.
After going through this chapter, the reader observes that the entire text belongs to the romance genre. The reason for such a choice is because the author presents a unique encounter whereby Elizabeth finds herself wondering whether Darcy could fall in love with her (Austen 1918). The intended reader is keen to identify new passages and learn what happens at the end of the chapter. Such a genre was common during the time and Austen relied on it to pass across the intended message to the reader.
To deliver the intended message, the author uses key words and lines that make the work understandable and meaningful. For instance, she writes: “Elizabeth walked in quest of the only face whose features would be known to her” (Austen 1918, 170). In such a quote, the reader realizes that Elizabeth wanted to meet and get to learn more about Mr. Darcy. The author views such an encounter as important since it helped Elizabeth get to meet Darcy and admire her. The work also tries to explore the kind of affection that emerges as the characters focus on the best ways to get together and safeguard their social positions.
The second example would be when Darcy indicates that he would be expected some guests. With this kind of information, he chose to ask Elizabeth to be part of the exercise and introduce his favorite sister to such visitors. Her acceptance was a clear indication that she was infatuated with Darcy and wanted to be part of his life (Austen 1918). Through such an encounter, Austen succeeds in explaining how Elizabeth was able to reexamine the bad reputation that had existed about the Gardiners over the years. This new opinion could explain why Elizabeth was able to come up with a reasoned and honest opinion about Darcy.
The insights gained from this piece of literature are inspirational and educational in nature. Specifically, I have learned that people should not be ready to make decisions without getting evidence. This is exactly what Elizabeth learns after her direct encounter with the Gardiners. This approach can help more people succeed in their respective fields and know how to relate with others in a positive manner. Several lessons are also evident from this work that could be applied in one’s life and profession (Austen 1918). First, individuals should always be respectful of others if they are to emerge successful. Second, people should be ready to embrace the idea of teamwork to achieve positive outcomes. Third, social foundations remain critical and capable of helping more people achieve their goals and life achievements. These observations will guide me to pursue my professional and personal goals more effectively.
Reference
Austen, Jane. 1918. Pride and Prejudice. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons.
The main values for the young women in the nineteenth century were their successful marriage and family. This fact can be explained by the dependent economic position of a woman in society.
Thus, to receive the economic security, a woman should be married or inherit the income from her male relatives. Traditionally, girls and their mothers became preparing for the further marriages in advance because it was the major event in the life of a young woman.
In spite of the predominance of this vision of the marriage and the woman’s role in society, Jane Austen in her Pride and Prejudice proposes several possible variants of realizing the scenario of meeting the further husband and the marriage which can be considered as rather controversial from the point of the ideals of that period.
Although marriage in the nineteenth century is the guarantee of the woman’s definite social status, Jane Austen accentuates that the happy marriage cannot be based successfully on the other factors differed from the mutual love, respect, and understanding.
The social status of married and unmarried women in the British society differed greatly, and mothers used any opportunity to help their daughters marry a noble man with the income. Thus, “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1).
These words open the novel written by Austen and reflect the opinions of the majority of the women in Britain of that period. This idea was also interesting for Mrs. Bennet who could think only of her own unhappy marriage and successful marriages for her daughters in the future (Shapard). Mrs. Bennet’s example emphasizes the viewpoint that marriage depends not only on the amount of money and status but also on sincere and deep feelings. However, Mrs. Bennet’s personal vision is quite opposite to this statement.
That is why in the case of the unhappy marriage between Lydia and Mr. Wickham the problem of the family status was much more significant for Bennets than the question of real feelings. “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (Austen 14). Charlotte Lucas also agrees with this opinion and understands the law of the strict social rules and norms.
Her position seems to be strange for Elizabeth Bennet, the main character of the novel, who is inclined to contradict the social norms, if these norms and rules are opposite to her personal visions. That is why her ideal of marriage is based on the principles of love and respect. If it is difficult to marry such a man who can love you and be intelligent and noble, it is better to be unmarried.
Elizabeth’s position depends on her pride and prejudice. Nevertheless, following her principles, she can be happy in her marriage with Mr. Darcy who is the best part for her.
Moreover, examining all the variants of the marriage presented in the book and shifting from the rational approach to the romantic one, it is necessary to concentrate on the relations between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley. These relations and their marriage are based on the sincere feeling of love which is not broken by possible social prejudices and personal rationality.
In her novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen vividly discusses the theme of marriage which is realized in the context of the British society of the nineteenth century. This context is familiar for the author. Austen’s rather ironical tone in depicting different visions of marriage accentuates her own position according to the issue with determining the principles of love and understanding as the key ones for marriage.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. USA: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.
Shapard, David M. “Introduction”. Pride and Prejudice. Ed. Jane Austen and David M. Shapard. USA: Anchor Books, 2007. xv-xxxii. Print.
The characters in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen follow a ballet style in self-revelation through their actions and discourses. Though Austen’s novels are most distinctly known for her female characters (for instance Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice), her male characters were equally important to the development of the plot. However, the male characters, like Austen’s female characters, show striking contrast to one another. This essay compares and contrasts the characters of Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Wickham.
Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley “emerge together through a series of reports and rumors” in the plot in the first two chapters and are ultimately physically appear at the ball (McKeon 519). It is in the third chapter of the novel that Austen builds the characters of Bingley and Darcy through their manners: “Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners” (Austen 7). Darcy attracts more attention at the ball due to his attractiveness and greater fortune. However, he is found to be proud, while Bingley is amiable. In describing Darcy, Elizabeth states: “His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again.” (8) Therefore, Darcy and Bingley perfectly balanced each other’s characters:
“Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of a great opposition of character.-Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy’s regard Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion. In understanding Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offence.” (Austen 11)
The indecisiveness of Bingley and strength of Darcy’s convictions are shown in the novel as the plot advances. Bingley demonstrates a lack of strength and personality when he is persuaded by Darcy to leave Jane and go back to London. His weak convictions are further demonstrated when he is easily influenced by Darcy in matters of love and marriage. Bingley is extremely social, while Darcy obstinately remains out of the society in his moodiness and indifference. Though Bingley is persuaded by Darcy to leave Jane, he remains faithful to her for he genuinely loved her. However, the character of Mr. Wickham is a stark contrast to Bingley as both being charming and social the latter is kind and genuine while the former is conniving.
Mr. Wickham though a marginal character of the novel assumes greater importance as it is his presence in the plot helps in “Elizabeth’s “moral enlightenment” through Darcy’s courtship” (Woloch 103). When Wickham enters, the plot Austen points out the character’s efforts to seem “agreeable” and “amiable’ (Stasio and Duncan 141). His appearance was an instant attraction for the ladies: “Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned … With such rivals for the notice of the fair, as Mr. Wickham and the officers, Mr. Collins seemed likely to sink into insignificance; to the young ladies he certainly was nothing” (Austen 51) however, unlike Bingley and Darcy, Wickham possessed no fortune.
The plot itself brings forth the contrasts in Darcy and Wickham’s character. It is Darcy who first points out at Wickham’s “individually grounded moral qualities” (Woloch 103) and brings forth the asymmetry between the characters. Darcy’s character is again a contrast of Wickham’s. Darcy’s goodness stands in sticking contrast to the lack of honesty in Wickham’s character. Thus, Austen plays with these asymmetrical characters by making one disappear when the other appears. Darcy and Wickham represents the moral quality of the novel which is reinforced through Darcy’s letter:
“I thought too ill of him, to invite him to Pemberley, or admit his society in town. In town I believe he chiefly lived, but his studying the law was a mere pretence, and being now free from all restraint, his life was a life of idleness and dissipation … After this period, every appearance of acquaintance was dropt. How he lived I know not.” (Austen 131)
Wickham disappears from the plot and the social scene and he confirms all that Darcy relates in the letter by marrying Lydia Bennet. Thus, Wickham is presented as an insincere character as opposed to Bingley and Darcy’s morally upright and kind characters. Darcy transcends all others in his kindness when in the end of the novel he helps the Bennet family by getting Wickham and Lydia back and then proposes marriage to Elizabeth: “Darcy increases the scope of his freedom by enlarging his society to include not only Elizabeth, but her family as well. And in Wickham he creates a brother. By his freedom Darcy establishes and vindicates his position in society.” (Weinsheimer 419). Therefore, a comparison of the three characters shows their contrast and asymmetry. However, in case of Bingley and Darcy the contrasts were complementary; however, in case of Wickham and Darcy theirs created a stark otherness and morality.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Wordsworth Classic, 1993.
McKeon, Richard. “”Pride and Prejudice”: Thought, Character, Argument, and Plot.” Critical Inquiry, Vol. 5, No. 3 (1979): 511-527.
Stasio, Michael J. and Kathryn Duncan. “An Evolutionary Approach To Jane Austen: Prehistoric Preferences In Pride And Prejudice.” Studies In The Novel, Vol. 39, No. 2 (2007): 133-146.
Weinsheimer, Joel. “Chance and the Hierarchy of Marriages in Pride and Prejudice.” ELH, Vol. 39, No. 3. (1972 ): 404-419.
Woloch, Alex. The one vs. the many: minor characters and the space of the protagonist in the novel. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice 5) that Jane Austen is one of the most influential writers of her age. She raised the genre of nineteenth-century Romantic novels to a new level of art (Daiches 743). Dwelling in the world of words and literature, one closed to the ‘fairer sex’ of her time, she earned for herself not just the fame of a good author but one widely read even to this time of the century. She was born in 1775 in the family of a middle-class English parson, George Austen. Indulged in her literary fancies and acumen by her family, particularly by her father, she began writing at an early age, penning few farces and parodies. These literary adventures if not earning her fame nurtured her writing skill rendering it a matured tone in the later years.
The literary career of Jane Austen though not prodigiously long promises profundity in its proclivities. She wrote the novel Pride and Prejudice in bits and pieces in the early 1790s. She published the book in 1813 after Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811 at her own expense, found a ready readership amongst Britons. Emma appeared almost at the terminal point of her career in 1816, as she passed away only a year after that. Simplistic chronological documentation of Jane Austen’s work fails to acquaint the readers with her excellent literary capacity yet it introduces one to the interesting idea that a comparative study of all of these three novels promises to unveil the transformation that her talent to paint ordinary themes extraordinarily and her ingenuity in the portrayal of complex characters underwent.
Immersed in her context, the eighteenth-century English gentry world, Jane Austen reflects ideas and morality widely accepted in her closed society. Her works have been categorized into a perceptible genre of partisan novels, one discernible by its anti-Jacobin stint meant as a shield against the “extensions of the sentimental novel” (Fleishman 284). Desire to protect the British society, as she has known it, from the drudgery of revolutionary and radical ideas of individualism and equality she sets the themes of her novels where a clash of these forces are constantly depicted. All her novels thematically relate a clash between good sense and free will, proprieties of upper class and indecency of low-bred romantic sensibilities and rational proportion, and between English conservatism and French radicalism. Every character of her novel is developed and nurtured to support and depict these clashes to the utmost perfection. The characters are conjoined to illustrate, at best to epitomize contrasting qualities. In the web of events, she throws them together dramatizing the text in the context. The final resolution of the clashes where the rightful conservative forces overpower the radical ideas her novels smiles upon a happy and perfect ending.
Conservative traits in the novels of Jane Austen are rightfully amplified by the moralizing theme that she deftly and often resorts to. The third-person omniscient narration of the novels provides a moral perspective to her texts (Searle 17). The theme of eighteenth-century morality had many faces; it held implications of good Christian ethics depicted by the use of third-person voice for narration (a usage very common to biblical narratives) (Searle 18; Sternberg 34), and along with that came an added attachment of genteel, rational, and polite constitution, marks of a true gentleman or a gentlewoman (Duncan 138). Moralizing on human failures and virtues finds a steady voice in Elinor, one of the chief protagonists of Austen’s initial novel Sense and Sensibility. Her moralizing sense, particularly the eighteenth-century moral notions of social propriety, are depicted in its most high flowing colors when she is informed by her sister Marianne that she has accepted a gift (a horse) from a man (Mr. Willoughby) to whom she was neither married nor engaged. In her third-person narrative diction, Austen writes, “Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little, or at least so lately known to her. This was too much.” (Austen 38) Moral censuring once again props its head in the novel when Elinor finds out about the rendezvous the young couples- Marianne and Willoughby- had at the house Mrs. Smith without her knowledge, and probably permission. The details of this rendezvous are not disclosed nevertheless the impertinent remarks it occasions invites another censuring from Elinor who is forced to declare, “that the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety.” (Austen 45) Morality in this novel thus condemns improper physical closeness shared by a young man and a woman, not married to each other, and draws a conscientious line between youthful fancy and sensibility and social impropriety.
Pride and Prejudice however dwell into another facet of eighteenth-century morality. In this novel, Austen deals with the attributes of true moral breeding. Polite and “gentlemanly” constitutions were held as the requirements of a person to be socially agreeable and to be regarded as a true gentleman. They were deemed as necessary qualities indispensable in a person, particularly in a man of class and status. This theme recurrently appears in the narrative format of Pride and Prejudice. However, its presence is strongly depicted and felt in the event surrounding the proposal made by Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth at Rosings. In his effusion and agitation, Mr. Darcy expresses his opinion about Elizabeth’s low family connection in an extremely and overtly rude manner. Moreover, the singularly bloated by his high connections seem quite sure of a positive response, as Elizabeth muses, “He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security.” (Austen 148) The illustration of the effect it produced in Elizabeth, portrayed as a true lady in her morals, and education, penned as “roused to resentment by his subsequent language” (Austen 148) brings us face to face, once again, with the moralizing tendency present in all Austen novels. Elizabeth’s resentment is roused by Darcy’s tactlessness and his bloated self-confidence (something Elizabeth assumes to have risen from his pride in his highbred status). Her indignation is further raised when Mr. Darcy admits to having been a party to the scheme of separating Jane (Elizabeth’s elder sister) from Mr. Bingley. Explicating his demeanor as un-gentlemanly Elizabeth refuses his proposal. The very refusal of the proposal and the implicit consternation it radiates in the constitution of both the characters, particularly in this event, acts as a susceptible discourse of eighteenth-century moral standards of a gentleman. It gives us an insight into the mental world of Jane Austen and the involvement of that world with high moral standards, depicted meticulously in her novels.
Morality as a gift coming with social status, particularly with landed estates, is a persistent idea employed by Jane Austen in her novel Emma. Emma is depicted brilliantly by Jane Austen in the very beginning of the book, where she muses, “The real evils, indeed, of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself…” (Austen 1). Such disposition often gives her character a dislikeable turn. She tends to be manipulative and interfering based on the false notions she acquires “…from observing external circumstances that she invariably misinterprets…” (Goodheart 590). These misconstrued observations make her arrange an engagement between Harriet and Mr. Elton and later with Frank Churchill, completely disregarding the feelings of the person concerned and compassion for Robert Martin, a yeoman farmer, who loved Harriet. Apart from that the other failures her character suffers on the scale of eighteenth-century morality has been described as, “…in consideration in her behavior toward the kindly but drearily garrulous Miss Bates at the Box Hill outing, Emma cannot resist agreeing with Miss Bates’s admission that in the game about to be played she is ‘sure to say…dull things,’…” (Goodheart 590). Lack of such superior moral fiber in her mannerism has led many to demarcate Emma as an “errant heroine” (Goodheart 589). “Emma’s moral inadequacies are highlighted to lay the blame on the non-landed new gentry.” (Tobin 250) However, later studies have refuted the preponderance of any such feeling on the part of Austen in depicting a morally deficient heroine like Emma. There can be no doubt that Austen was well aware of the rise of a newly moneyed class into the folds of the gentry, a class to which Emma’s father Mr. Woodhouse belonged. However, Austen ascribed the moral deficiency of Emma to “…a sort of competitive atmosphere” which “had become prevalent in the society.” (Minima 63)
Morality as a theme pervades the larger section of the three novels, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, I am analyzing in this essay. The author through the voice of the third person narrator assumes an omniscient stature and authority to pass judgment over the morality of the characters whom the narrator constantly vigils and evaluates. In this capacity, Austen raises an expectation for an inevitable and rightful in the minds of her readers. A teleological engagement dictates the course of all three novels. “The teleological orientation […], can be seen to inform every aspect of ordinary circumstances, the transformation of character, and social strivings…” (Searle 20). The final correcting of all the lackadaisical morality that plagues the course of the novels establishes the fruitfulness of genteel morals, be it behavioral, sexual, or social.
The establishment and breeding of true morality encompass the larger portion of the novels because of the prime necessity of the society-marriage. Thus, marriage being the prime concern and motive of all the characters in her novels, its attainment through courtship forms the prime theme of all three novels. It is around the constant theme of courtship that much of the events, passion, misunderstandings, and reconciliations revolve. The prominence of the theme of courtship in all three novels has often led scholars to categorize them to the genre of novels conforming to the late eighteenth-century conventions of courtship and romance (Hinnant 294; Green 153; Richard Handler 18). The theme of courtship engrossed Austen to such an extent that she began the novels with the prospect or expectation of matrimony and ended it in the successful termination of this prospect. The courtship plot utilized by Austen reveals the complexities surrounding the whole theme. Sense and Sensibility utilize the model of prior commitment prominently (Hinnant 296). Edward Ferrars is shown here engaged to Lucy Steele yet he harbors a liking for Elinor. Edward distances himself from Elinor, whom he likes infinitely, being honor-bound to Lucy. However, once he learns of Lucy’s elopement with his brother he was as he describes himself, “half-stupefied between the wonder, the horror, and the joy, of such a deliverance.” (Austen 245) Thus, he later confesses, “It was a foolish, idle inclination on my side…” (Austen 242). In a philosophical tone, the narrator adds, “He was released without any reproach to himself, from an entanglement which had long formed his misery, from a woman he had long ceased to love…” (Austen 242). Thus, courtship in the case of Edward Ferrars brings out the preference Austen held for propriety. She implicitly praises Edward for the courage he showed in going against his family to marry a girl he did not love just for the sake of honor. The merit of such attachment and adherence to courtship rules is rightfully established by juxtaposing it against the spurious and inglorious courtship offered to Marianne by Willoughby. All decorum of the courtship game is critically analyzed and set down by Austen through the characters of Edward and Willoughby. Austen uses the depiction of the nature of courtship of both the characters as examples to demonstrate to her readers the merit of a sensible and even-headed courtship and warn them against the dangers of a whirlwind romantic courtship. Thus, the author philosophically concludes, “But so it was. Instead of falling a sacrifice to an irresistible passion […], she found herself…submitting to new attachments, entering on new duties, placed in a new home, a wife, the mistress of a family, and the patroness of a village.” (Austen 255) Meritorious courtship thus comes to be designated as one terminating itself into a successful and happy marriage.
Such felicity associated with sensible courtship, one leading to conjugal happiness, recurs as the central theme in Pride and Prejudice also. In this novel, Austen compares the propriety of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley’s courtship with the falsity of Wickham’s courting of Lydia. The same problem plagues the plot of Emma, where courtship is visibly turned into a manipulative game that Emma plays to satisfy her self-presumptuous notions. Courtship acquires a highly flirtatious nature in Emma when Frank Churchill extends such attention to Emma in front of Jane Fairfax to whom he is secretly engaged. It is one of the tropes that Austen uses in all three novels to depict the dangers of such licentious and senseless courtship. Thus, one may conclude from it that “No one writes more subtly about courtship than Jane Austen-cooly, discreetly, but without ever diminishing its dangers.” (Hinnant 304)
Jane Austen in these remarkable literary creations of hers uses the dalliances and courtship instances of her characters to establish the socially accepted modules of courtship and the honor of a lady depending on it. She unwittingly gives her readers a glimpse into the patriarchal world where she was born and reared. The discourse in favor of the modules of that society in her novels, morality and social propriety of courtship, do make sometimes consider her to be a partisan for the society and her novels an attempt to maintain that order. “Some feminist critics have complained about Austen’s complicity with patriarchy in upholding the institution of marriage, especially given the submissive role the woman is supposed to play in the marriage.” (Goodheart 602) Scholars further contend that marriage serves the dictates of patriarchy (Buss and Schmitt 1993; Buss 1998) However preponderance of courtship, romance, and marriages in her novelistic themes has been read as a “conscious or unconscious subversive voicing a woman’s frustration at the rigid and sexist social order which enforces women’s subservience and dependence…” (Morrison 337). Austen’s novels in a decidedly loose and open-ended manner give her readers the pleasure of deciphering meanings at their discretion. Therefore, over the ages her novels, particularly these three novels have been widely discussed and variously interpreted. Her dynamism in the portrayal of characters and deep insight into human nature also has a fair share in influencing the different understanding of her novels. Like a master painter, she illustrates every character of the novels and brings alive before our eyes the world of balls, tea parties, tete-e-tete, and courtship giving an explicit view of the world of nineteenth-century England and holds an implicit reference to the familial world, the domestic boundary that inspired her genre of rationally romantic, domestic dramas.
A master narrator, she is elusive and hard to catch in the narrative game she plays with her readers (Morini 409). Irvine Ehrenpreis who contends, “So the explicitness of the novelist is sometimes only apparent, and at other times is a game played with the audience”, expresses a similar opinion (Ehrenpreis 118). However, analysis of her biography and life history does reveal her presence unassumingly inserted in these novels. Her preliminary novels Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice were written between 1795 to 1799. It was during this very time that Tom Lefroy came to dwell in their neighborhood and the two people soon developed a liking for each other, a fact attested by the letters Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra admitting to falling in love (Jane Austen.org; Nokes 158). However, the ill turn of fate and the dislike of Lefroy’s family of the growing intimacy between them led to sudden and fatal termination of the courtship. Thus, on January 15th, 1796 she wrote to Cassandra, “At length, the day comes on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you receive this it will be over. My tears flow at the melancholy idea.” (Jane Austen Information Page) Jane Austen was very discreet about this affair and the pain and desolation it caused her. Apart from the letters, she wrote to her sister, her confidante, there is no other existing evidence left to prove the attachment she felt for Tom Lefroy. Similar discreetness and presence of sense are demonstrated in the character Elinor of her first novel Sense and Sensibility. These are the very sentiments-patience and forbearance- that Jane Bennett demonstrates in Pride and Prejudice once she learns of the sudden change of sentiment in Mr. Bingley.
Tom Lefroy was forced to discontinue his courtship due to economic pressure (Jane Austen.org). At the time he met Jane Austen he was studying law and was dependant on his resources on family members. The Austen family was also not in the position to support a match between the two (Jane Austen.org). Ultimately, Lefroy was forced to move from Steventon and his family planned his match with a girl of some wealth and consequence. This left a deep impact on the mind and soul of Jane Austen. Despite her discretion, Jane spoke volubly of this injustice through the narrator of all three novels. In Sense and Sensibility, Mr. Willoughby is portrayed in a singularly unscrupulous light for wanting to marry for wealth. Mr. Wickham is also treated like a villain in Pride and Prejudice for nurturing such immoral desires. In Emma, Mr. Elton becomes Jane Austen’s tool to condemn such a conceited act. Thus, the reality of her life was sufficiently transfused into her by the portrayal of characters that rendered them remarkably well.
The Austinian novel met real life when Harris Bigg-Wither entered her life. It was in December 1802 that Jane received a proposal from this childhood friend of her family. Pressed by her family and for want of social and economic security, she accepted it. However, the consciousness that there existed no real affection between them did not leave her and she declined the proposal the next day. She later told one of her nieces not to marry anyone without the presence of real affection (Jane Austen.org). This piece of advice became the prime moving force of all her novels where her heroines “did not marry for money or power, but love.” (Jane Austen.org) Thus, we find Marianne, Elinor, Jane, Elizabeth, and Emma who marry for affection end up in a happy and fulfilling conjugality. Whereas, Lydia Bennett who marries Wickham out of misunderstood and unreciprocated affection end in a failed and disastrous wedded life. The plot of the three novels assumes the proportion of a pseudo-autobiography portraying Jane Austen’s passions, pains, losses, and courtships through the various and interesting characters she paints and injects in them.
Austen’s mastery over words and her play with the narrative enables her to express her discreet life to the readers. She skillfully hides her emotions and various events of her life in the novels she penned. As her biographies claim, she had a great love for Steventon the place she was born in, and spent most of her early life (Jane Austen Information Page). She was exceedingly disappointed when she had to leave the place when her family moved to Bath. The pain she felt at the loss of her dear old dwelling, probably unexpressed in her physical self, found a voice in Marianne and her laments when she had to leave Norland (Austen 17). Elizabeth expresses similar sentiments regarding her home and this forces, Mr. Darcy, to observe that she cannot have so strong an attachment with Longbourne forever (Austen 140). Love of one’s hearth is amply illustrated in Emma too where Emma refers to the importance of a house of ones own, about Miss Taylor (Austen 3)
The death of Jane Austen’s father forced the two sisters to move in with their brother Frank along with their mother. Soon Frank settled them in Chawton Cottage on a nearby property (Jane Austen Information Page). Jane Austen’s literary skills proliferated immensely during her stay in this cottage and her work progressed in great strides. It is here that she completes writing Sense and Sensibility and it eventually is published in 1811. The uprooting of Jane from her dear old home, which she had come to love as her only dwelling and her re-settlement in a new cottage she eventually falls in love with reminds us to a certain extent of Marianne, heroine of the very novel she completes and publishes during her stay at the Chawton Cottage. Probably this Chawton Cottage figures as Barton Cottage in the novel she finished sitting in this new hearth of hers. Along with events, space and dwellings left a deep impact on the writings of Jane Austen who masterfully included them in her novels as tokens of herself, the third person judgemental narrator, within her texts.
The journey we began with Jane Austen with her Sense and Sensibility, leading to Pride and Prejudice, terminating in Emma now stands at the altar of judgment. Writing a conclusion to a critical essay could have been an easy task had it not been about Jane Austen. However, I can modestly try to sum up the analyzed facts to generate a clear idea about her and her three great novels. The three novels center on the theme of courtship, marriage, and above all Victorian morality. In all three novels, she singularly revolves all events and the ups-and-downs in the lives of the characters around these themes. However, one does notice and often interprets anti-patriarchal sentiments in these novels and they cast quite a contrary shade on the professed theme of the novels. Such interpretations are afforded and sustained by the open-ended nature of these novels. Austen deliberately leaves small openings in them, whether intentionally or otherwise that is hard to ascertain, to allure her readers into her world and encouraging them to see and read things contrary to her professed intention into the novels. She succeeds in her task by her mastery over the narrative style she puts to use. This renders her characters- even the ludicrously pompous Mr. Collins, scheming Lucy Steele, and the ‘valetudinarian’ Mr. Woodhouse- a dynamic and interesting stature. They became celebrated literary creations of the Victorian Romantic authoress on the one hand, and on the other, their presence in the literary world helped the later generations to learn more about the authoress, whose discreet nature and author’s disposition ensnared her to leave her life well documented in the pages of her plain, simple, romantic novels, in a domestic setting. Virginia Wolf once noted, “at every fresh reading you feel anew that you never understood anything like the widening sum of its delights.” (Southam 266) Indeed, at every reading, the novel emerges in a new light to different readers, and growing along with the text the narrator (Jane Austen) continues to spellbound us with her master narrative style from within the text.
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Pride and Prejudice is among the most eminent literature pieces produced by Jane Austen in 1813. Her novel shows that love can appear completely unexpectedly: she depicts in detail the revival of hostility, even hatred, in contrast to the purest and most sublime feeling – love (Normandin 7). Some scholars argue that Pride and Prejudice belongs to the epistolary genre because it consists of letters’ exchange between different characters, regardless that others claim it insignificant. The paper will include the explanation of the letters’ primary function and the analysis of letters. Austen resorts to using letters as a primary literary device in Pride and Prejudice – the characters communicate through them during the whole story. Even though some readers do not find mail in the novel significant, they help highlight characters’ feelings, explain their behavior, and portray individuals.
The author chose letters as a device to emphasize the characters’ feelings and demonstrate the lessons they learned. The reader sees a constant correspondence between Mr. Collins and Mr. Bennet, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Additionally, it helps identify the attitude of individuals towards each other. For instance, Lizzy states that Jane and Mr. Wickham eloped and “she has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to – she is lost for ever” (164). Elizabeth was enraged to witness Mr. Darcy leaving her and Mr. Wickham in poverty. Hence, it should be stated that the primary ideas of the letters are to highlight people’s emotions, advance the plot, introduce characters’ tempers and phases of their relationship.
It is vital to analyze Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s correspondence that helps describe changes in behavior between them. One of the letters becomes the story’s turning point where Elizabeth justifies herself for blaming Darcy for all the wrongdoings he presumably did to her family while he explains his standpoint. He admits his participation in the Jane-Bingley affair but claims his good intentions. In the letter, Darcy attempts to demonstrate as much honesty by proving he was only trying to help the couple as possible to prove to Elizabeth he is worthy. The protagonists’ relationship starts to develop from that moment – Elizabeth’s coldness is gone and she begins trusting him. Darcy’s pride melts, and Elizabeth’s prejudice towards him begins to dissipate as she plunges into the details of his letter. After reading it, she admits to having been “blind, partial, prejudiced and absurd” (Austen 201). The letter helps Lizzy to recognize her own blindness about Darcy and makes her look at him in a new light – as if he has never been a person of malice. Thus, it is observable that the letters help characters improve their relationships and reveal hidden traits.
Furthermore, Mr. Collins’s genuine behavior and inclinations are perfectly revealed in a written message. Even though he is not one of the novel’s protagonists, he connects the families as the plot unfolds. This pompous and polite man helps Mr. Bennet when Lydia elopes with Mr. Wickham (Kies 30). She advises on how to treat such young ladies when they misbehave. The letters depict him as a heartless man who is fortunate not to have a family.
There is also correspondence between Jane and Elizabeth, who discuss the ominous deed of Lydia, which proves that the letters communicate how individuals share emotions. This mail is a reflection of the shame and disgrace the family experiences when their young daughter escapes with her lover. It stands as a crisis point in the novel because The Bennets’ attitude to Lydia starts to change (Kies 28). Jane writes: “dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a most unexpected and serious nature; but I am afraid of alarming you – be assured that we are all well” (Austen 162). Hence, the letters serve as an exchange of thought which brings drama to the family life. It serves as proof that mails are aimed to reflect age, class, gender, decorous or indecorous behavior among their writers (Austen and Cavanaugh 17). The social differences are recognized: one may observe different education levels of characters, their views on societal recognition, and others. Therefore, letters describe different kinds of characters’ conduct in the novel.
Another appearance of the letters occurs between Darcy and Lady Catherine. It is a poisonous mail that could ruin a nephew’s relationship with his aunt. She does not believe Lizzy is a match for him by saying that she is “a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family” (Austen 231). Her character is best depicted through their correspondence, especially when she attempts to sever ties with Darcy. In turn, he tries to preserve their connection by sending her posts because he wants her to accept a marriage with Elizabeth. This letter again points to the character’s traits by emphasizing Lady Catherine’s stubborn nature.
As stated, the letters serve as a turning point of the story because they alter relationships or attitudes to a specific character. A mail from Mrs. Gardiner to Lizzy is significant in a way that it changes the latter’s perception of Darcy. The young lady writes her letter, too, explaining the relationship between the lovers (Normandin 15). This proves that the notes are one but important aspect of the society of that time. They were useful for sharing plans, memories, and apprehensions. Ultimately, they provide a reader with a unique opportunity to contemplate and reflect on some issues raised there.
In conclusion, it is observable that Pride and Prejudice are full of meaningful letters significant because they help reflect the flow of the relationship between the characters, highlight their feelings, and reveal hidden personality sides. In general, Austen’s choice of literary device is wise because it transmits all the spectrum of emotions and events people in the novel experience. The letters add beauty to the writing and make it pleasant to read.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Sources, Criticism. 4th ed. Edited by Donald Gray, Norton & Co, 2016.
Austen, Jane and Cavanaugh, Terence W. Pride and Prejudice: Annotated with Reading Strategies. Secondary Level Resources, 2021.
Kies, Bridget. “Literary Culture Inside and Outside Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.” International Journal of the Book vol. 10, no. 3, 2013, pp. 27-32.
Normandin, Shawn. Jane Austen and Literary Theory. Taylor & Francis, 2021.
During my life, I have read quite a lot of literary works. However, one of them, namely Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, turned my world upside down, made me write, speak, and relate to many things differently. This book shows how you can reveal characters, show them from different angles, and captivate the reader in writing. Pride and Prejudice can rightfully be considered one of the best works in the history of literature. Such books influence the reader, who begins to rethink the techniques of speech and writing used.
While the book was written in 1812, Jane Austen in this book uses modern language that suited both 19th and 21st century readers. An indirect narrative takes place, which is also an excellent choice of technique since everything happens around the storylines and accompanies the main character Elizabeth. But what is most striking in the book, Pride and Prejudice, is the expression of deep topics through words. While reading the book it becomes obvious that it has a very strong message. Topics covered include feminism, freedom, opportunity, and marriage (Puspita & Pratama, 2019). All dialogues, events and their outcomes are directly filled with emotional components.
Being deeply impressed, you yourself involuntarily begin to think how much to convey emotions through seemingly unemotional words. Using Jane Austen’s techniques in practice, you begin to better understand their application, previously unexplored details, specifics, and the possibilities of transmitting emotions through the text are revealed. It is a great pleasure to read such works, but it is even more pleasure to be able to independently use words to convey emotions, feelings and stories. Jane Austen twists the storylines skillfully by first enticing and only then leading to a denouement, that this allows starting using these techniques in her own writing, if necessary.
In conclusion, this book has formed in me the confidence that a very deep message can be conveyed through written materials, and this is done without losing a single emotional, argumentative, or semantic component of oral speech. After reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I began to develop my writing skills in order to be able to write texts with deep meaning. A text is something that is forever preserved in writing, can be passed down through generations and arouse admiration even after hundreds or thousands of years.