What is the role of the opening paragraph in the novel?
`IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'
The role of the opening paragraph in the novel is to introduce us in the main topic of the book. The opening line of the work indicates how Austen is going to assemble the idea of social conventions having a role in how individuals are "supposed" to act. Such a line indicates the idea that a single man is going to marry. This social expectation is placed upon women in that their function is "supposed" to compete for such a man's affection.
How does it introduce the central themes?
The fact that Austen uses the words "universally" and "truth" to describe such a condition indicates that social conventions are something that are meant to be upheld under all circumstances, such as universal truths are to be upheld in all circumstances.
How is it related to the rest of the chapter?
It briskly introduces the arrival of Mr Bingley at Netherfield—the event that sets the novel in motion.
What rhetorical device does Austen use in this paragraph?
Irony.
What are the central themes of the novel? How are they revealed in the plot?
MARRIAGE:
- Mr and Mrs Bennet: their marriage is feigned, they do not love each other. Mr Bennet married his wife because he was fascinated with her beauty, daring, grace. All of this disappeared at the beginning of their marriage. Mr Bennet sees his wife as a unintelligent, silly person who only matters about money and gossips.
- Lydia Bennet and Charles Wickham: the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Bennet is a very talkative, foolish and scatter-brained girl. Her interests involved parties and officers. Lydia was so in love with Wickham that she eloped with him. Wickham married her because Mr Darcy offered him money. Their marriage won't last long. It's based of lies and money.
- Charlotte Lucas and Pastor Collins: Charlotte is Elizabeth's best friend who decides to become Mrs Collins only because she wants to secure herself. Collins at first proposes to the Bennet's daughters, but they refuse. Pastor Collins looks for a wife just to live with him. This is an another example of marriage without love, but with sense of security.
- Jane Bennet and Mr Bingley: Mr Bingley is a handsome, rich man who falls in love with Jane nearly at the first sight. Their love is true, deep. It opposes everything.
- Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy: Mr Darcy is Mr's Bingley best friend who is described as a proud, push away man, bored by everything. His proud is the reason why he hides his feelings to Elizabeth. Miss Bennet is prejudiced to Mr Darcy, knowing him from the bad way. His engagement in helping her family and feelings made Elizabeth to marry him. Their relationship will be the happiest marriage in the book.
MONEY:
The cause why Mrs Bennet wants to give away her daughters. The main reason why Wickham marries Lydia. Money is an important element in this story. It contains security, wealth, noticement from other people. It's also a thing that sometimes makes impossible to be with someone. Mr Darcy assures his friend that Jane doesn't feel the same to him and that she is too poor for him-that's why Mr Bingley ends his relationship with Jane.
CLASS:
The social standing described in the book is the other reason why marriages are arranged. People who are poor and don't have anything to offer are the least wanted people in marriage. Lady Catherine is shocked with the decision of her nephew who decides to marry a miss who's in her opinion inappropriate for him. The poor want to marry a rich person, not for love, but to increase their social standing and secure their future.
What is the `entail'?
The entail - restriction which prevents the property from being sold and instead causes it to pass automatically by operation of law to the property owner's heirs at law upon his or her death.
What is its importance in the novel?
Mr Bennet is a landowner, but his estate is entailed away from his daughters under English law because he does not have a son. After his death, Longbourn will be inherited by his cousin, Mr William Collins, a clergyman. This future provides the cause of Mrs Bennet's eagerness to have her daughters married off to wealthy men. For Mrs Bennet the situation was made even more annoying knowing that Mr Bennet's cousin, a man the family had never met, would inherit Longbourn House, their family home.
Due to the stipulations (postanowienia) of Mr Bennet's will that only a male heir can inherit his estate, none of the Bennet girls will receive any of their father's money. Unless they married well, they will be left destitute. (bez środków do życia)
How important are the issues of money in the novel?
Money plays a central role to the plot of Pride and Prejudice. Because of the entail, the Bennet women will have a bleak financial future after Mr Bennet dies. When readers recognize this, Mrs Bennet's pursuit of husbands for her daughters takes on a sense of urgency that supersedes her foolish behavior. Money determines characters' motivations and actions.
How much does Mr Darcy have?
He has 10,000 pounds a year.
How much does Elizabeth have?
When Elizabeth's father dies, she will not only be poor, she will have a mere 40 pounds a year.
The working title for this novel was `First Impressions'. What role do first impressions play in the novel? Study first impressions of the main characters - Elizabeth, Darcy, Jane and Bingley.
For Elizabeth and Mr Darcy lies this significant importance of the book's original title: First Impressions. Darcy, the proud, wealthy nobleman at first judged Elizabeth as not handsome enough to be tempted with, and having to little wealth and low family connections. Elizabeth's first impressions of Darcy were of an arrogant and extremely proud and presumptuous. This later leads to her acceptance of the accusations about him.
Both Elizabeth and Darcy are later dismissing their initial impressions. Around a half of the novel is about Darcy overcoming his pride and initial prejudice in order to admit to his love. In the second half, Elizabeth's mistaken impressions are changed by Darcy's true character. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth twice - first time when he realises his love but is still prejudiced against her family, and the second proposal when he humbly restates his love. The development of their First Impressions and overcoming them plays a key part in the novel, as at the end they finally achieve the ability to see one another through unprejudiced eyes.
As for Jane and Mr Bingley, their First Impressions at the ball in Meryton were quite the opposite. Mr Bingley was initially interested and affectionate about Jane and has remained so ever since. He seemed not to be prejudiced about Jane's low connections and lack of wealth but was always charming and caring also dismissing his sisters' mean comments about Jane's family. Jane on the other hand was initially rather reserved but also undoubtedly infatuated by him.
Do you think that Pride and Prejudice is a better title?
This manuscript was first titled "First Impressions." However, in 1797, the manuscript was rejected by a publisher. As Austen spent time refining it before it was published as "Pride and Prejudice" in 1813, we can assume it was not the name change that brought upon its success. Even so, the second title is much more appropriate.
In what ways are Darcy and Elizabeth both guilty of prejudice and pride? How does this drive the action of the novel?
The protagonist, Elizabeth, suffers from both pride and prejudice. She has pride in her ability to understand human nature. She teases her sister for being too understanding, and thinks she herself sees people more honestly. For instance, she quickly discerns that Mr Collins is both an arrogant and foolish man. However, Elizabeth's pride in this ability causes her to trust it too much. Enter prejudice. When Mr Darcy ignores her, she becomes prejudice against him. When Mr Wickham shows an interest, she becomes prejudice towards him. It is not until much later that she learns how wrong she was. In those climatic moments, she says, "until now, I never knew myself." She has let her pride and her prejudice mislead her. The secondary protagonist, Darcy, goes through a similar learning experience. His pride in his status and intelligence makes him behave with prejudice towards others, until Elizabeth teaches him a lesson. Once the two characters have overcome these failings, they start on the road to being together.
What are other examples of pride and prejudice in the novel. Find appropriate passages to illustrate your answers.
Charlotte Lucas: "His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud." ( chapter 5; paragraph 18)
EXPLANATION: It looks like Charlotte agrees with Mr Darcy: some people really do deserve to be proud. Of course, notice that she doesn't say anything about his character. She thinks he has a right to be proud because he's good looking and comes from a rich family.
Marry Bennet and Kitty Bennet: "Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, "is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. 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." (5.20)
EXPLANATION: Mary is our Greek chorus girl, parroting the advice manuals that were popular in the early nineteenth-century. (It's like going around and quoting self-help books.) Sure, she sounds like a real stick-in-the-mud. At the same time, isn't she kind of right? There is a difference between pride and vanity—and it's a lesson that Lizzy and Darcy both have to learn.
Mr Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet: "Where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation." (11.18)
EXPLANATION: When Lizzy needles Darcy about his pride, he fights back: it's fine to have a big ego if you actually have the skills to support it.
Mr Wickham: "His pride never deserts him; but with the rich he is liberal-minded, just, sincere, rational, honourable, and perhaps agreeable—allowing something for fortune and figure." (16.47)
EXPLANATION: There's that word "liberal" associated with being just, sincere, and rational—all the qualities that are exactly the opposite of being prejudiced and refusing to see the world and people as they actually are.
Elizabeth Bennet to Mr Darcy: "I remember hearing you once say, Mr Darcy, that you hardly ever forgave, that your resentment once created was unappeasable. You are very cautious, I suppose, as to its being created."
"I am," said he, with a firm voice.
"And never allow yourself to be blinded by prejudice?"
"I hope not." (18.28-30)
EXPLANATION: Well, this isn't actually true. But we have to say, Darcy might just be the least prejudiced person in the novel. Sure, he doesn't take to Lizzy immediately—but he's definitely right about her family being complete fools.
Narrator: With a strong prejudice against everything he might say, she began his account of what had happened at Netherfield. (36.1)
EXPLANATION: Lizzy finally has the chance to learn who Mr Darcy really is, but she's not interested—not at first. It takes a couple readings of his letter for her prejudices to start to fall away.
How are Elizabeth's wit, intelligence and independence revealed in the novel?
Elizabeth is smart and has a quick tongue. This is the reason for being the most favourite daughter
of her father (“They [Elizabeth's sisters] have none of them much to recommend them, they are
silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.” [Chapter 1]). Elizabeth shows her wit and independence when she rejects Mr Collins's proposal as she does not want to marry such fool and snobbish man. She can get a lot of benefits from this marriage, which can secure a stable and pleasant life for her after Mr Bennet's death. For her important is existence of love in a marriage. When Elizabeth hears Mr Darcy comment (“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me (...)” , she is a bit angry. However, instead of being ashamed and teasing her embarrassment, she retells this event to her friends on a teasing and mocking way. I think that her reaction is really wise and uncommon because a woman rarely can behave calmly like her in a situation like this. Her intelligence is shown up not only in her dialogue and quick responses but also in her talent for observation. She loves watching other people's behaviour to find out more about the characters (opinion about Miss Bingley). She is aware of inappropriate behaviour of many members of her family (two younger sister, mother).
To what extent is she misguided by these features of her character?
Elizabeth is a woman of extraordinary wit and intelligence. But her first impression of Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy covers her eyes in judging the two men. She is initially fast to judgments about them and so sure of her powers of observations. Elizabeth prides herself on the fact that she is able to distinguish what others may not notice and that she is superior to most of her family members, so she entirely trusts her own observation and her own initial assessments of people.
The novel is often said to deal with the moral education of the heroine; can you notice how Elizabeth is `educated' in the novel?
Elizabeth has the most developed character of the five sisters and she rises the highest. She is intelligent, attractive, frank, and outspoken. Her strength and courage rise in proportion to the challenge. She is cheerful, able to laugh at herself, unable to sustain sadness, and feels inferior to no one. She receives through the love of her father a wider view of life resulting in vivacious, strong opinions of irrepressible, playful, flowing sweetness that sometimes becomes archness. Elizabeth is fully aware of the limited prospects of her family, deferential to the accepted customs and behaviors of the day, and respectful of the social hierarchy, but not limited by these constraints in her thoughts, feelings, values or behavior. Socially her highest prospect is to marry a reasonably handsome, financially comfortable gentleman's son for whom she can feel some measure of respect, attraction and affection. Money also had little importance for Elizabeth as an incentive for marriage. She rejected Collins in spite of his property because he was personally unsuitable. She would have accepted Wickham in spite of his poverty for his physical and social attractiveness, had he been able to afford to marry her. She rejected Wickham only when she found out that he was a rogue. Character was more important to her than physical attraction. She rejected Darcy when she thought that his money was accompanied by an arrogant, offensive, mean character. Only when she discovered that Darcy's character was good did his wealth become attractive.
Elizabeth Bennet grows quite a lot in the course of Pride and Prejudice. At the beginning of the book, she enjoys being a studier of human folly. By the end, she realizes the extent of even her own folly. Elizabeth is led by vanity into error - she is misled by her vain prejudices. She learns that first impressions are not always accurate, and should not prejudice a person against or for others.
"The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which tuned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend" (58). This quote describes other characters' reaction to Mr Darcy and how he is initially thought to be proud.
"How despicably have I acted!' she cried. - 'I, who have prided myself on my discernment! - I, who have valued myself on my abilities!." (236). Elizabeth says this to herself after she reads Darcy's letter and realizes that she had no reason to despise him as she had.
How is the theme of marriage presented in the novel?
Pride and Prejudice depicts the limited options of women. The education of a woman consisted of needlework, simple arithmetic, fine handwriting, enough music to be able to sing and play some country dances, drawing, reciting French fables, and reading (Le Faye 87-8). All of their learning basically involved learning how to attract a husband and to be a wife. The novel even declares that marriage was “the only honorable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune… [It was] their pleasantest preservative from want” (91). Marriage was usually the only option women had; it was the only way a woman could sustain herself honorably. If a woman had the misfortune of not marrying, the alternative was to live as a “spinster on the charity” of her relations .(Since Austen herself never married, she was one of these women and it made her acutely aware of the drawbacks to such a situation.) When Elizabeth rejects Mr Collins' proposal, Mrs Bennet tells her, “if you go on refusing every offer of marriage… I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead” (84). Elizabeth's future is precarious and marriage is the only way to make sure one is taken care of., Charlotte Lucas is well aware of this. She chooses to marry the pompous and inept Mr Collins, not for love, but because her only alternative is to live on the charity of her obnoxious younger brother . "I see what you are feeling," replied Charlotte. "You must be surprised, very much surprised—so lately as Mr Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state." (Chapter 22)
The next marriage to take place is that of Miss Lydia Bennet to Mr Wickham. This marriage is based on passion and sexual attraction compared to the financial stability and security of Miss Lucas' and
Mr Collins' marriage. At the beginning of their relationship Lydia and Mr Whickham elope. True love and financial stability do not have and role in this relationship and Wickham is quick to marry to save his reputation and respect. This was a huge factor in Jane Austen's time.
Jane Austen has thoroughly explored the theme of marriage in her novel Pride and Prejudice. Different extremes and outcomes of these extremes are also included. During the time of the novel, two points were to be considered before entering a marriage, love and finance. We are left to contemplate which marriage or marriages will become successful and the love or passion will not wear off. Mr and Mrs Bennet's marriage is mirrored by Lydia and Wickham's marriage where the passion will no longer be there and they grow to live their own lives not wishing to be with each other. Miss Lucas and Mr Collins live separate lives out of one income and only see each other at meal times, and then there are the marriages of Elizabeth and Darcy and Jane and Bingly to imply a happy relationship consists of mainly love to give a positive ending to the novel. These marriages are aimed to imply to the reader as successful.
Austen was clearly a romantic at heart so it is not a surprise that her main characters marry for love, while also having the happy fortune of marrying people who had money. As Austen famously penned in Pride and Prejudice, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (3).
What kind of marriage does Elizabeth aspire to?
Elizabeth aspires to this kind of marriage which is based on true affection. According to her, a successful marriage should be characterized by mutual respect as well as mutual support and mutual complement.
How are relations between married couples presented in the novel?
Relations between married couples presented in the novel were mainly based on economic aspects and were created by families of spouses. Moreover they even began with unreliable flirt. Marriage was believed to be a sort of financial security and the only appropriate way to happiness and luxury life.
Compare Elizabeth's views on marriage with those of Charlotte Lucas.
Charlotte's view of marriage is a rational, practical one. This is best seen in her rationale for marrying Mr Collins. Charlotte understands the larger realities of her society and her particular situation. She is the daughter of a knighted country gentleman who has been presented at Court to receive his knighthood. She is a pragmatist - she knows she is not very pretty, not hugely wealthy so she agrees to marry Mr Collins for reasons of security, not love. She believes that a woman must capture her man first and grow to love him at her leisure after she is married to him. In fact, Charlotte thinks that marriage changes people drastically, so it hardly matters whether couples marry after knowing each other for a day or a year.
Elizabeth's view of marriage is an emotional, romantic one. She believes in romantic love as a basis for marriage. She only wants to marry for love - not a common thing at that time.
How is the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy contrasted with the relationship between her parents?
Elizabeth is the main focalizer in the novel, which means that we perceive most of the events in the novel from her point of view. How does it influence our perception of the events?
By using narrative that adopts the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth), Austen invites the reader to follow events from Elizabeth's viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. "The learning curve, while undergone by both protagonists, is disclosed to us solely through Elizabeth's point of view and her free indirect speech is essential ... for it is through it that we remain caught, if not stuck, within Elizabeth's misprisions”.
Look up the definition of free indirect discourse.
Free indirect discourse (FID) is a form of third person omniscient point of view in which the narrator's and a character's thoughts are indistinguishable from one other. While the narrator commonly uses a traditional, formal voice and writes about events in the past tense, he or she occasionally assumes the mind of the character, and as a result, takes on the character's ideas, diction, syntax, and language idiosyncrasies. In some forms of FID, the author's language may even shift into the present tense when the character's thoughts are presented, responding to events in the story as if they were currently happening.
Can you find examples of Austen using it in the novel? What is its function in the novel?
The form is easier to understand in exemplar, and many readers will immediately recognize the style as one that is distinctly Austen-esque:
“Her astonishment, as she reflected on what had passed, was increased by every review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage from Mr Darcy! that he should have been in love with her for so many months! so much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objections which had made him prevent his friend's marrying her sister, and which must appear at least with equal force in his own case, was almost incredible!”
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter XXXIV
The first part of the passage is given from the point of view of a regular third person omniscient narrator, who is keenly aware that the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, is shocked by the marriage proposal. However, the rest of the passage is from Lizzy's perspective, but filtered through the narrator. The opinions expressed are not the narrator's own; the proposal is not a shock to him or her, for the narrator has long since been aware of Mr Darcy's thoughts, opinions, and motivations. Additionally, since the narrator knows how the story ends, it is most likely that the underlying feelings of contempt are Lizzy's own, since she is oblivious to the misunderstanding between them.
After Wickham spins his sob story, we get this passage:
Elizabeth allowed that he had given a very rational account of it, and they continued talking together, with mutual satisfaction till supper put an end to cards, and gave the rest of the ladies their share of Mr Wickham's attentions. There could be no conversation in the noise of Mrs Phillips's supper party, but his manners recommended him to everybody. Whatever he said, was said well; and whatever he did, done gracefully. (16.58)
It's easy to read this and feel like all the judgments come from straight from the narrator—but read it again and you'll see that all of the praise (that his story is "rational" and "satisfying," and that he's got the kind of face a defense attorney would love) comes straight from our girl Lizzy.
There's one other minor thing we have to mention. At the very end of the book, the narrator speaks in first-person:
I wish I could say, for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of her children produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life. (61.1)
What is the role of Darcy's letter?
Darcy sends Elizabeth a letter to clarify all the reasons of his previous actions. It turns the events till the end of the story. He explains important things that she doesn't understand before. Things that are said wrongly about him and things he preferred to keep it as a secret. Moreover, the important information that it is included leads to a change in their opinions, feelings and even their actions. It plays a very crucial role to the rest of the novel. Furthermore, this letter gives us a very clear picture about Mr Darcy himself. It reveals that he is a kind and wise man. Therefore, he doesn't react crudely when she refuses his proposal impolitely. But he still forgives her ill-treatment and treats her gently although she hurts his pride. In addition, he delivers the letter personally to Elizabeth which shows his honest feelings towards her.
Darcy begins the letter in a very polite manner by saying: “Be not alarmed madam, on receiving this letter“(Ch. 35,147) and then he mentions his reasons behind separating Mr Bingley and Jane. This couple who fell in love and has a lovely and perfect relationship. At the beginning, Bingley likes her and she does too which leads to a strong relationship. But afterwards, their relationship is interrupted when Bingley travelled to London because of Darcy's opinion about Jane. He thinks that his friend is much in love with her and he is very sincere in his feelings. While Jane doesn't seem that she loves him as he does. Moreover, she doesn't declare her feelings which makes him sad and doubtful. So, Darcy suggests the separation for Bingley's own good.
Secondly, he explains what really happened between him and Wickham. He says that when he gave him the parish, he lost it in gambling. Then when he became broke, he visited the Darcy's family and pretended he is in love with Georgiana Darcy, Darcy's young sister, and tried to convince her to elope with him in order to gain money but fortunately he failed. Besides, there is Lydia, Elizabeth's younger sister, who likes officers very much. “She spends every waking moment thinking about them, shamelessly runs after them, collects information about them, dances with them, and flirts with them” (The Principles..). After her first meeting with Wickham with the company of Elizabeth, she was attracted to his good-looking appearance and liked him. Afterwards, when she was with her uncle and aunt, she eloped with him. In fact, he has no intention to marry her and he is not even in love with her. But Darcy saves Lydia's , and all the family indeed, reputation after the elopement by offering some money to Wickham in order to marry her. On the other hand, in the first appearance of Wickham, he looks as a good person and displays good and respectable manners. He acts as a victim but through the novel his real character is revealed. He tries to convince two young ladies to elope with him in which he succeeds in the second attempt. He is just a good looking person and has nothing else.
Consequently, the three important things mentioned in Darcy's letter which played very important roles. The first thing is Darcy's part in separating Jane and Bingley for the reasons he explained. Then, his substantial help in saving Lydia's reputation when he offers money to Wickham to get marry to Lydia. Moreover, he reveals Wickham's real character and the things he did before.
Study Elizabeth's reaction to the letter and pay close attention to the alteration in her feelings and judgment when she considers the letter.
After reading the letter, Elizabeth experiences many conflicted feelings. Beginning with regret because of her prejudice that prevents her to live a wonderful life with the man she loves and her misunderstanding all the time of Darcy's real character. Moreover, she feels ashamed of her rude and unfair treatment towards a good and gentle person. Especially in Wickham's case because she believes anything she hears from others about Darcy, even bad things, without making sure or asking if it is true or not.