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Pride And Prejudice: First Impressions

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First impressions are often made off of the visual appearance of a person (Bar, et al. 269). They often have a great impact on the way one interacts with others. Typically the effects of first impressions are negative, in the sense that they may cause one to jump to conclusions. Throughout Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen incorporated first impressions heavily among the characters and how it had later affected them. Throughout the years, scientists have performed experiments to determine specifics when it comes to first impressions. Scientists Bar, Neta, and Linz performed an experiment that would determine how long it takes an individual to make a first impression, when it is a threatening face with a neutral expression. In the experiment, individuals were asked to look at a threatening face with a neutral facial expression. Each subject was asked to view the face for either 26 ms, 39 ms, or 1700 ms (Bar et al., 270). The data from this showed that it takes an average of 39 ms for one to make their first impression of another (271). The results allowed the scientists to conclude that impressions can be made fairly quickly no matter how long someone is looking at the face being judged. Along with this …show more content…

Darcy. When Elizabeth and Darcy first meet, they are quick to make judgements about each, not only that but they are harsh judgements. (Butler, 234). Darcy, upon meeting the Bennets, tells Mr. Bingley that Elizabeth is “tolerable” (Austen, 7). Elizabeth overhears this which causes her to make her own impressions of Mr. Darcy himself. Once these impressions are made, they continue to act on them throughout the book. Elizabeth soon realizes that she is quick to judge when she talks to Jane about Darcy (Butler, 234). She tells her sister, “...I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason” (Austen,

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