Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice contains a single pivotal movement that conveys the readers the overall theme and main idea of the novel. It functions as the knot that brings together the main idea and connects it together. Ultimately, this single moment ties the work as a whole. The pivotal moment occurs when Elizabeth Bennet reads Darcy’s letter and realizes her foolishness. She undergoes a short epiphany and, in the process, matures.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813(Gary vii) a time when women had “few legal and economic rights or even receiving little respect, women can be seen as oppressed victims of a patriarchal society, subordinate first to their fathers and, then, to their husbands who had, of course, been selected by their fathers” (Swords, 76-82). At first glance one might think that Pride and Prejudice reinforces sexist stereotypes, however upon further examination of Jane Austen and her heroine Elizabeth it is clear that Pride and Prejudice in fact erodes the sexist stereotypes of women.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen creates a unique environment which allows her characters to evolve and to transform. One of the characters, Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, faces challenges that impact her decisive demeanor. Likewise, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth’s love interest, confronts many obstacles which come against his character as well. Through several key experiences, both Elizabeth and Darcy undergo internal transformations – Elizabeth’s quick judgments become humbleness while Darcy’s arrogance is replaced with humility.

    "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.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ are seen as being mainly concerned with social class and the wealth of those who are in the upper class but readers must consider other themes the novels are concerned with.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is a satire novel from 1813. The story is about a couple named the Bennets who try to get their five daughters to marry kind and rich gentlemen. The main characters however are the Bennets’ second and headstrong daughter Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, her aristocratic suitor. Throughout the entire novel, the two lovers must overcome pride and prejudice before “love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion”. During the novel, there are two marriage proposals between Darcy and Collins, Mr. Bennets’ cousin, which are both for Elizabeth. Both proposals have similarities but also have many differences.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Jane uses the novel to show the common day romance of the time period. In the novel, Elizabeth Bennet, a sophisticated, lively girl manages to change Mr. Darcy, a cocky, stubborn man into a person who is head over heels in love. Although it takes her some time, Elizabeth is able to change the way Mr. Darcy feels about love in general and causes him to act differently then he has ever done before. Mr. Darcy’s self- discovery in response to Elizabeth Bennet’s blunt honestly allows him to re-evaluate his approach to love.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet demonstrates the qualities of

Jane Austen develops a strong illustration of how challenging emotional circumstances can initiate a change in character, using Elizabeth Bennet as an effective demonstration in Pride and Prejudice. Cases such as Mr. Darcy's proposal, Charlotte's marriage, and the discovery of Mr. Wickham's past are compelling support for Austen's idea that alterations to one's behaviour and actions can occur as a result of being placed in a strenuous emotional position. Each influences Elizabeth in a different way, some causing rapid change, while others cause a slower, more gradual one. Self-reflection and the reconsideration of a character's worldview allow Austen to highlight the importance of change in trying situations.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a remarkable story showing the complications between men and women before and during their time of falling in love. The plot is based on how the main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, escape their pride, prejudice and vanity to find each other; however, both must recognize their faults and change them. Jane Austen follows the development of Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship in how they both change in order to overcome their own vanities and be able to love each other.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows headstrong Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to maturity and her discovery of true love. The novel documents Elizabeth’s constantly complicated relationships with those around her, especially her family members. Although Elizabeth’s actions as a sister are central to the story, Mr. Darcy’s role as a brother plays a markedly more important role in the trajectory of the plot.

Elizabeth Bennet: Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist of the novel. Her prejudice and tendency to pass quick judgment (hence the novel’s title) takes a large effect on her relationships, especially her relationship with Mr. Darcy. Unimpressed by wealth and status, she differs from her somewhat naïve sister Jane in that she allows herself to see that humans are flawed beings. Put simply—Elizabeth is “real.” Elizabeth is initially put off by what she sees as superficial attempts by Mr. Darcy to win her over with arrogance and flashes of status, however, Darcy is intrigued by Elizabeth’s wit and intelligence, a far cry from many women of her time. However, though Elizabeth is in fact prejudiced, she is self-aware. As she grows to realize Mr. Darcy’s true character, and, consequently, her love for her, she admits to both herself and to him that she loves him—an act of swallowing her pride.

In Pride and Prejudice, the first marriage presented is that of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Being the parents of five daughters, the Bennet 's marriage set the example for their children yet their relationship did not constitute true love, but more of mutual tolerance. Mrs. Bennet, an obnoxious women with an erratic temper, symbolizes society’s obsession with material wealth and social standing. As Jane Austen states when describing Mrs. Bennet, “The business of her

Many concepts that were very strictly followed during the 18th and 19th century are challenged or rethought by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice such as the rules and regulations of domestic ideology. This ideology confines a woman to her home and cements her to her husband. It is the notion that a woman’s worth is defined by her motherhood and her spousal abilities, that her interiority has no merit to her value, and that her sole desire in life should be to serve her family. Throughout the entirety this text, Elizabeth Bennet is a very strong opponent of this concept and consistently has rejected men’s advances that do not suit her personal beliefs on marriage and how a woman should be viewed. In this scene, Mr. Darcy is offering his second proposal, his first unsuccessful offer being in chapter XI. This passage’s proposal occurs directly after it has been made apparent to Lizzy all that Darcy had done for her sisters: paying for Lydia’s wedding as to save her from complete shame and social destruction, and bringing Jane and Mr. Bingley back together (in contrast to having separated them to begin with, right before his first proposal). Lizzy and Darcy have gone for a walk during Darcy’s visit to Longborne when this passage occurs. The clear difference between this offer of marriage and the previous is Lizzy’s altered feelings for Darcy; she changes from a passionate decline to eager acceptance. This proposal surpasses the ideas that had been presented about Darcy’s

“Pride and Prejudice” written by Jane Austen is set in the Regency era. Jane Austen wanted to show us the life of women in society during this time. Jane did this through Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s whole life is about making relationships. One never knows what to expect the turn out of her relationships are going to be. In Elizabeth’s, relationships of love and twist with Darcy, Wickham, Georgiana, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh first impressions do not set the tone for life.