The Role of First Impressions in Pride and Prejudice Essay

2002 - Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Just as the characters unknowingly follow Darcy's example of pride, they commit Elizabeth's crucial mistake, prejudging people (especially Darcy) according to horribly inadequate experience. Elizabeth's positive judgement of Wickham and negative one of Darcy prevent her from seeing Wickham's devious and whimsical nature and Darcy's honest efforts to improve despite the apparent lack of incentive. Like Elizabeth, the rest of the Bennets, and indeed the rest of those living in the vicinity of Meryton, believe Darcy to be a wholly disagreeable man. (In fact, he began as such, but even when he began to change, everyone refused to realize it, and maintained their dislike of him because of their previous judgements.) Mrs. Bennet is prejudiced against all other mothers with young daughters, believing them to be just as ambitious and scheming as she herself is. When told that Mrs. Long promised to introduce the Bennet sisters to Bingley, Mrs. Bennet hisses

Although it may seem to the reader that Jane is idealistic or dishonest, she really says what is on her mind. Jane truly believes all people are good-spirited and that she will never be deceived by anyone. In this way, the author uses Jane Bennet to give the reader a different perspective of a certain character in the story: while Elizabeth is always criticizing the many characters in this novel, Jane is there to deliver a contradictory statement about those characters. Mr. Wickham reveals to Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy had prevented him from joining the ministry by refusing to supply the money Darcy’s father had intended to provide for Wickham. Upon hearing these revealing statements about Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth is appalled and outraged at how selfish a man can be. Elizabeth then relates to Jane about what she had discovered about Mr. Darcy but Jane provides her and the reader with a different, more optimistic point of view: “‘It is impossible. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively deceived in him? Oh! no’” (Austen 74). Elizabeth’s decision to believe Mr. Wickham originates her prejudice towards Mr. Darcy into the novel. However, in the end, the reader finds out that Jane had actually been correct in that Darcy can never have done such a horrible thing and that he had actually given Wickham the money his father left for him.

Pride & Prejudice starts off with Darcy being evaluated as a stuck up, evil man. However, the readers are only seeing Elizabeth’s perception of Darcy by gathering information from her outside community. The climax of Pride &

Mrs. Bennet, another integral character in the novel is known for her bubbly, ditzy, and vivacious personality. It is easy to say that Mrs. Bennet only cares about her daughters and ensuring that they are married. She insists that her daughters marry men in a high social class with a lot of money. Because of this, many would agree that Mrs. Bennet is extremely prejudice in various aspects, but primarily when it comes to the marriage of her daughters. For example, when the Bennets first meet Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Bennet thinks that he is nice looking and likes that he has such a large amount of money. However, she ignores him after she realizes he is rude and snobbish. But the moment that Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet treated him as well as she treated Mr. Bingley, simply because her daughter was potentially marrying him. She didn’t care if Elizabeth was happy or if she didn’t love him. This proves that Mrs. Bingley is prejudice towards others solely for her daughter’s and her own benefit. Many would agree that Mrs. Bennet is so extremely prejudice because her daughters are truly the only thing that she has in life. The Bennets aren’t incredibly rich and she and her husband aren’t truly in

He dances every dance, is very courteous, and pays special attention to Jane (Austen 278-279). Because of these two characters’ different behavior at this first ball, they establish their reputations; Darcy gets a bad reputation as a proud and disagreeable man, and Mr. Bingley gets a reputation as an amiable man who is fun to be around.

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 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

to her "Will you allow me, or do I ask too much, to introduce my

‘Pride and Prejudice' first appeared between 1796 and 1797 under the title, ‘First Impressions'. At first, the novel was written anonymously; however, after Jane Austen's death, the novel became publicly known to people. The novel itself is a comedy of manners set in a quiet and charming rural England, between 1796 and 1813; to be exact, Pride and Prejudice is set amidst Napoleonic Wars, dating from 1797 up to 1815. In Austen's words, the novel was ‘light and bright and sparkling'. The quote from William Shakespeare best describes the love stories of Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley; Elizabeth Bennet and

First Impressions First impressions are very important. In the Victorian age, people based their whole opinion of someone on first impressions. Most times the first impression of someone is not the way they truly are. Sometimes a first impression can cause you to think negative of someone but later you find out that they are very nice and a very positive person. One example is when Mr. Darcy meets Elizabeth in the book ,Pride and Prejudice.

The importance of social class is introduced in volume one of Pride and Prejudice through the treatment and expectations of Elizabeth. Mrs.Bennet is the first character to express the importance of social class when she talks about the marriage of her daughters. While talking to Mr.Bennet she refers to Mr.Bingley as “a fine thing for our girls” because of his wealth (Austen 6). Mr.Bennet’s obsession with marrying her daughters to someone of wealth shows her obsession with social class and social climbing. At the assembly, Mr.Darcy’s prejudices towards the lower classes are exposed through what he says about Elizabeth. He does not view Elizabeth as good enough for him and calls her “tolerable, but not handsome enough” (13). Elizabeth’s annoyance with Mr.Darcy is caused by her overhearing his uncomplimentary remark. Elizabeth

Mr. Darcy`s pridefulness and arrogance depressed his true feelings for Elizabeth Bennet, however, Mr. Darcy 's pride deflates when Elizabeth Bennet rejects Mr. Darcy 's proposal. Austen demonstrates Mr.Darcy`s pridefulness and arrogance when she writes “‘ In such case as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned’” (186). Mr. Darcy insults Elizabeth Bennet while proposing marriage. This directly shows how pridefulness and arrogance of society interfer with love. Elizabeth Bennet can be considered inferior to Mr. Darcy because her family does not have the same socioeconomic status as Mr. Darcy. The rejection of Mr. Darcy`s proposal diminishes his pride. The letter Mr.Darcy writes to Elizabeth explains why he removed Mr. Bingley from

Elizabeth Bennet is a very good example of both pride and prejudice. She is her father’s favourite as she is the cleverest of his children, in his words she “has something more of quickness than her sisters”. The first time she meets Mr Darcy, at an assembly (ball) she overhears Mr Bingley attempting to convince him to dance. He refuses. When Bingley suggests he dance with Elizabeth, describing her as very pretty (though not as beautiful as Jane) Darcy is not convinced, replying that “she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me”. To Elizabeth’s credit she tries to laugh it off, relaying the story to her friends but the reader can see she is more affected by the comment than she lets on during her conversation with Charlotte Lucas after the ball. Charlotte says his pride “does not

The importance of social class is introduced in Volume the First of Pride and Prejudice through the treatment and expectations of Elizabeth. Mrs.Bennet is the first character to express the importance of social class when she talks about the marriage of her daughters. While talking to Mr.Bennet she refers to Mr.Bingley as “a fine thing for our girls” because of his wealth (Austen 6). Mrs.Bennet’s obsession with marrying her daughters to someone of wealth shows her obsession with social class and social climbing. It also shows the importance of finding good husbands for her daughters..At the assembly, Mr.Darcy’s prejudices towards the lower classes are exposed through what he says about Elizabeth. He does not view Elizabeth as good enough for him and calls her “tolerable, but not handsome enough” (13). Elizabeth’s annoyance with Mr.Darcy is caused by her