Pride and Vanity in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Thesis: Throughout the text of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen challenges gender and social norms in the Georgian Era through the development of Elizabeth Bennet as she interacts with characters in the novel.

"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.

Pride, which becomes a major life lesson that is being taught throughout this book, concludes that pride it self is a life changing characteristic that one may chose to attain. In attaining pride one may seem arrogant or stubborn or one may chose to toss the pride aspect of life aside, yet seem somewhat less respectable. This book entails that pride should be taken into serious consideration since it has a major impact in everyday

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,

A father smiling down at his son; a teacher learning from his pupil; a soldier gazing up to his country’s flag. Or a woman masking her face with makeup; a man boasting endlessly of a talent; a child mocking another’s impediment. All textbook illustrations of pride. Nevertheless, the first trio is of outward pride—pride not of one’s own accomplishment, but the achievements of something or someone else. Moreover, the second trio consists of an inner pride—a vain, arrogant, conceited, egotistic, narcissistic feeling. Another crucial aspect of different prides is Jane Austen’s Pride vs. Vanity. She says, “A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” Although “pride goeth before the fall”, pride, being outward or being competent to ourselves, is a healthy feeling unless provoked into vanity and narcissism.

Another example of pride would be with John Proctor. John Proctor was your everyday man. He was a farmer, he claimed to be Godly though he was said to never attend church. Not attending church then was very frowned upon and even considered a horrible sin. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, was accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams. Abigail did this to get revenge because Elizabeth fired her. Elizabeth did this because Abigail had an affair with John. He would not confess to being associated with the Devil because it was not true and he did not want shame brought to his name. Though his wife talked him into confessing, he would not sign his name to the paper. Not only did he not sign his name; he also ripped up the papers. This shows a great deal of pride as well, being that he would not confess because of the way society would look at him thinking that he was associated with the Devil.

In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” the author, James Hurst, uses the words, “a wonderful, terrible thing” to describe pride. The narrator learns that while pride motivates people to move past their limitations to do fascinating things, pride can also lead them to do horrible actions, or worse. Pride is a positive emotion that humans feel when they achieve a goal or accomplish a difficult task, or in other words, pride represents one’s dignity.

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).

Also, Elizabeth's perception of Mr. Wickham is incorrect (Molar 25). She thinks he is, and he does appear to be, a perfect gentleman on the outside because of the way he portrays himself, but really, he is one of the most flawed characters in the novel. Elizabeth is "completely taken in by the almost transparent duplicity" (Moler 25) of Mr. Wickham, especially when he speaks. "A thorough, determined dislike of me, a dislike which I cannot but attribute in some measure to jealousy. Had the late Mr. Darcy liked me less, his son might have borne with me better; but his fatherÕs uncommon attachment to me, irritated him I believe very early in life. He had not a temper to bear the sort of competition in which we stood, the son of preference which was often given me" (Austen 72), Mr. Wickham speaks with eloquence and Elizabeth takes it for face value, and believes everything he says. If what he says is true, problems do not arise, but what he says is false and is in fact hurtful to another man, Mr. Darcy. Austen shows it is important to see all sides of the story before making a judgement, otherwise it is called being prejudice. She also portrays the fact that there is probably a lot more to people than what they show to the world. This

In 1297AD, pride was described as “A consciousness or feeling of what is befitting or due to oneself or one's position, which prevents a person from doing what he considers to be beneath him or unworthy of him; esp. as a good quality,

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

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

In the novel 'Pride and Prejudice', Jane Austen has presented both positive and negative aspects of the two main theme—Pride and Prejudice. She has used a range of good examples and characters to demonstrate these two characteristics. She has also set different rewards or punishments for different characters, showing us both sides of being pride or prejudice.