Essay on the Irony of Pride in Pride and Prejudice

"Proud" summarizes the general demeanor of Lady Catherine de Bourgh herself, as she looks upon the world down the length of her nose. "Some time we shall be happy to hear [Elizabeth play]," she informs Mr. Collins and Darcy. Then she adds, "Our instrument is a capable one, probably superior to [Elizabeth's]" (199). Pride assures Elizabeth that her first impressions of Darcy are indisputable. Thus, while only Darcy seems to act as the embodiment of pride, the other characters are not immune to it.

Fitting with the common theme between the two novels of the judgment of others, each heroine falls victim to a horrible misjudgment of the character of another. After discovering that the engagement between her brother and her friend Isabella has been broken, Catherine finds she has grossly misjudged her friend’s character, and thinks, “She was ashamed of Isabella, ashamed of ever having loved her” (Northanger 150). Elizabeth, on the other hand, finds her attachment the Wickham wholly inappropriate after receiving her letter from Mr. Darcy. After digesting the shocking contents of the letter, Elizabeth “grew absolutely ashamed of herself.—Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd” (Pride 156). And indeed, as suggested by Elizabeth’s mention of Darcy, this misjudgment goes on to affect each girl’s attachment to her future husband.

His role in the story is to be the overqualified man that overlooks pre existing prejudice about money needed for a marriage, in seek of true love. Because of Mr. Darcy’s prestige and money he is a mere bystander at the beginning of the story, repeatedly acting above his peers. For example after the first ball, the mother of Elizabeth, Mrs Bennett said “‘But I can assure you,’ she added, ‘that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is the most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him!” (10, Austen) This quote and the character of Darcy as a whole is Austen commenting on the english tradition of|high class men who have their life set because of the power that comes with their money. On the satirical scale, this is Austen being highly judgemental in a negative way about this tradition. But that’s the beauty of the evolution of Darcy’s character. He turns from this classic role into someone who breaks social norms by marrying Elizabeth Bennett. Darcy says himself “But there were other causes of repugnance--Causes which, though still existing, and existing to an equal degree in both instances, I had myself endeavoured to forget, because they were not immediately before me….-- The situation of your mother's family, though objectionable, was nothing in comparison of the want of propriety so frequently.” (169,

His sense of her inferiority–of its being a degradation of–the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclinations were dwelt on...” (Austen 12). These words reflect Mr. Darcy’s excessive pride and heightened awareness of social status, while inducing him to recount all the ways in which he and Elizabeth are an illogical union, rather than relaying anything complimentary. In response to this insult-ridden proposal, Elizabeth proclaims that if he had acted in a more “gentlemanlike manner,” she would have been more inclined to express sympathy following her rejection of his advances. Despite Elizabeth’s clear message that she will not observe his insensitive words in submission, Mr. Darcy endures in the conviction that his prideful manners toward Elizabeth are well-justified and merely detail the truthful, adverse nature of her inferior social standing with the utmost sincerity.

Darcy believes that Elizabeth is beneath him. After Mr. Bingley suggest that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth dance, Mr. Darcy makes eye contact with Elizabeth and states, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men” (Chapter 3). In this quote, Darcy is saying that Elizabeth falls below his standards and he would rather not waste effort on someone no other man seems interested in. Elizabeth immediately takes offense to Mr. Darcy’s statement, and even makes fun of him for it. “She told the story, however, with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous” (Chapter 3). In other words, Elizabeth’s first impression was that Mr. Darcy was

Before his transformation, Darcy exhibits arrogance and pride. Darcy’s behavior at the Meryton ball, in particular, reflects his arrogance. Although many people at the ball initially esteemed Darcy for his wealth, “his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity.” (14). More specifically, his manners contained characteristics that were “haughty…and fastidious” and “were not inviting.” (21). Because Darcy’s pride restricts him to dance a mere four times, he further insults the Meryton assembly by failing to interact socially (154). While at a ball at Bingley’s estate, Netherfield, Darcy reveals his arrogance through his rude behavior toward Mr. Collins, a cousin of the Bennets who has close ties to Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Although Collins speaks to Darcy without proper introduction, Darcy does not conceal his arrogance and shows irritation “at being so addressed.” (92) Entertaining Collins with only “distant civility,” Darcy’s rudeness increases as his patience with Collin’s speech diminishes, eventually leaving Collins with only a slight bow (92).

    "Like all true literary classics, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is still capable of engaging us, both emotionally and intellectually" (Twayne back flap) through its characters and themes. This essay illustrates how Jane Austen uses the characterization of the major characters and irony to portray the theme of societal frailties and vices because of a flawed humanity. Austen writes about the appearance vs. the reality of the characters, the disinclination to believe other characters, the desire to judge others, and the tendency to take people on first impressions.

Darcy's pride of status is founded on social prejudice while Elizabeth's initial prejudice against him is rooted in pride of her own perception. But their true communications afterwards made both of them correct their ideas about each other's characteristic as well as their own personalities.

The reader is first acquainted with Mr. Darcy's arrogance at the Meryton Ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly says that she was, "…tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" (Austen 9). His feelings of superiority to the people of the town

The progress between Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship, in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) illustrates and explores several the key themes in the novel. Their relationship highlights class expectations, pride and prejudice, and marriage, and how they play a major role in determining the course of their association. These are outlined through their first prejudiced dislike of each other when they first meet, the stronger feelings for Elizabeth that develop on Darcy’s side, her rejection in Darcy’s first proposal, then her change of opinion and lastly the mutual love they form for one another. Pride and Prejudice is set up as a satire, commenting on human idiocy, and Jane Austen

Pride as a less obvious fault, however, is explored in Elizabeth and Darcy; Elizabeth is justly proud of her own intelligence and discernment, but when she begins to hold too high an opinion of it, she comes close to missing the fact that Darcy is not the cold sort of low-charactered person she thought him to be. Likewise, Darcy's pride in his own social status almost leads him to dismiss Elizabeth entirely, and almost loses her for him through his treatment of Jane, anyway. These two would seem to argue for the love story approach, as they are half of the major impediment to our hero and heroine getting together; there is more to this than just love between one couple, however. It is a comment on the fact that an abundance of even deserved pride can blind people to possible human contacts, cut off all sorts of possibly beneficial relationships.

Darcy’s pride and his sense of superiority are considered rude and ungentlemanly behavior, and no amount of money or fine looks can save him from falling into disgrace with the people of Hertfordshire. Later, when Darcy first proposes to Elizabeth, she shocks him when she angrily exclaims that “had [he] behaved in a more gentleman-like manner” (168), then she may have felt

Elizabeth’s relationship to Darcy also involved the pressure of living up to society’s expectations of social classes. Darcy is prideful of his wealth and wants to maintain his fame. His reputation is challenged when he meets Elizabeth.

Mr. Darcy is very proud and vain man. Darcy’s pride occurs because his family allows him to follow his principles “in pride and conceit” (Austen 310). Elizabeth decides soon after meeting him that he is a

Pride and Prejudice is a love story that was pointing out the inequality that rules the connections between men and women and particularly how it affects women 's choices about marriage. Austen in her novel goes on to describe the character’s prideful toward each other, “ I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine” (Ch. 3) Pride shades both Elizabeth and Darcy toward their real feelings about each other. Darcy 's pride in his social class makes him look down on individuals that are out of his group. Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes pleasure in her ability that is linked to her