Ø Pride and Prejudice as a social criticism ( Gender
Equality / Discrimination).
Pride and Prejudice is romantic novel by Jane
Austen. It charts the emotional development of the main character Elizabeth
Bennet, who learns the error of making fast judgments and comes to
appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential.
Pride and Prejudice is a social novel,
as well, because it provides some—at times, keen—social commentary on several
issues.
Pride and
Prejudice is also a social novel. It is providing some social commentary on a
several issues. For example, Charlotte Lucas is an intelligent young woman,
though—at age of twenty seven—she is fast becoming a spinster(আইবুড়ো স্ত্রীলোক) in the eyes of society. She can either accept this fate,
Where she will be blamed by the financial loss
of his family and society, or she can marry the ridiculous Mr. Collins, a man who knows he really can not love her.
If she marries, she gains social respectability and avoids the pitiable fate of
an "old maid." This is a lose-lose situation for Charlotte in some
ways: she can choose to remain a spinster or she can choose to marry an idiot.
There is so much pressure placed on women to marry, and this was the only way
for a woman of Charlotte's status to really have a respectable identity, but
this hardly seems just, does it? Mr. Collins can be a total idiot, and yet he
has a career and position that gives value and legitimacy to his existence, but
Charlotte does not and cannot. In critiquing the system of marriage in this
way, Austen provides social commentary on this—and many other issues as
well—making this a "social" novel.
Ø
Portrayal of
male/Female Character of Pride and Prejudice
Pride
and Prejudice is romantic novel by Jane Austen. It charts the emotional
development of the main character Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of
making fast judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between the
superficial and the essential.
- The male
character of Pride and Prejudice are as follows:
Fitzwilliam
Darcy A wealthy, proud man who falls in love
with Elizabeth and reveals a generous, thoughtful nature beneath his somewhat
stiff demeanor.
Mr. Bennet Elizabeth's ironic and often apathetic father. Unhappily
married, he has failed to provide a secure financial future for his wife and
daughters.
Mr. Hurst Mr. Hurst does little more than play cards and sleep.
George Wickham A handsome and personable fortune hunter to whom Elizabeth is initially
attracted. He eventually runs off with and is forced to marry Lydia.
Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy's well-mannered and pleasant cousin, who is interested in Elizabeth,
but who needs to marry someone with money.
Mr. Collins Mr. Bennet's ridiculous cousin, who will inherit Longbourn after Mr.
Bennet's death. Upon Lady Catherine De Bourgh's recommendation, he seeks a
bride, first proposing to Elizabeth and then to Charlotte Lucas.
Charlotte Lucas Elizabeth's sensible and intelligent friend, who disappoints Elizabeth by
marrying Mr. Collins for money and security.
Sir William and Lady Lucas Charlotte's parents and the Bennets' neighbors.
- The female
character of Pride and Prejudice are as follows:
Elizabeth Bennet An intelligent and spirited young woman who possesses a keen wit and
enjoys studying people's characters. Although she initially dislikes Darcy,
circumstances cause her to reassess her negative impression of him, and she
eventually falls in love with him.
Mrs. Bennet Elizabeth's foolish and unrestrained mother who is obsessed with finding
husbands for her daughters.
Jane Bennet A gentle and kind-hearted young woman who is Elizabeth's confidant and the
oldest of the Bennet daughters. She falls in love with Bingley but is cautious
about revealing the depth of her feelings for him.
Mary Bennet The pretentious third Bennet daughter, who prefers reading over
socializing.
Catherine (Kitty) Bennet The Bennet's peevish fourth daughter, who joins her sister Lydia in
flirting with soldiers.
Lydia Bennet The Bennet's immature and irresponsible youngest daughter. Mrs. Bennet's
favorite, she shocks the family by running away with Wickham.
Charles Bingley A good-natured and wealthy man who falls in love with Jane. He is easily
influenced by others, especially by his close friend Darcy.
Caroline Bingley Bingley's shallow and haughty sister, who befriends Jane and later snubs
her. She attempts to attract Darcy's attentions and is jealous when Darcy is
instead drawn to Elizabeth.
Mrs. Hurst Bingley's snobbish sister and brother-in-law. Mrs. Hurst spends most of her
time gossiping with Caroline.
Lady Catherine De Bourgh Darcy's arrogant aunt, who dominates Mr. Collins and entertains hopes that
her daughter will marry Darcy.
Miss De Bourgh Lady Catherine's sickly, bland daughter.
Georgiana Darcy Darcy's shy but warmhearted sister.
Ø
Relationship:
Relation
between Jane and Bingley.
Answer:
Pride and Prejudice is romantic
novel by Jane Austen. It charts the emotional development of the main character
Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of making fast judgments and comes
to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential.
Elizabeth’s
beautiful elder sister and Darcy’s wealthy best friend, Jane and Bingley engage
in a courtship that occupies a central place in the novel. They first meet at
the ball in Meryton and enjoy an immediate mutual attraction. They are spoken
of as a potential couple throughout the book, long before anyone imagines that
Darcy and Elizabeth might marry. Despite their centrality to the narrative,
they are vague characters, sketched by Austen rather than carefully drawn.
Indeed, they are so similar in nature and behavior that they can be described
together: both are cheerful, friendly, and good-natured, always ready to think
the best of others; they lack entirely the prickly egotism of Elizabeth and
Darcy. Jane’s gentle spirit serves as a foil for her sister’s fiery,
contentious nature, while Bingley’s eager friendliness contrasts with Darcy’s
stiff pride. Their principal characteristics are goodwill and compatibility,
and the contrast of their romance with that of Darcy and Elizabeth is
remarkable. Jane and Bingley exhibit to the reader true love unhampered by
either pride or prejudice, though in their simple goodness, they also
demonstrate that such a love is mildly dull.
- Darcy-Elizabeth
Answer: At the
beginning of the novel, their relationship starts off on bad footing when Elizabeth is introduced to Darcy at a ball, and she deems him aloof, snobby and quite rude, as she
overhears some of his rather condescending comments about her and her family.
Darcy is intrigued by Elizabeth, but doesn't give her much thought. Later, as they are put into more situations
together, their relationship grows in complexity. Elizabeth walks over to
Bingley's house to check on her sister Jane, who is there ill. Darcy is again intrigued by her rather
unconventional approach, and likes her forthright opinions and self-confidence.
Elizabeth, however, still thinks that he is snobby, and her opinion of
him worsens as Wickham spreads lies about Darcy's past relationship with him.
Then, when Elizabeth finds out that Darcy discouraged Bingley's attachment to
Jane, her bad opinion grows even more. But Darcy is so interested in her
that even offers a proposal, which she rejects.
So, Elizabeth, for a good portion of the novel, thinks
that Darcy is a haughty, arrogant and cruel person. She is incredibly
prejudiced against him, and prideful in her attitude. After the first proposal rejection, Darcy
sees that Elizabeth can be quite snobby herself, and that her family has some
tragic flaws that are pretty hard to overlook, especially after the Lydia/Wickham elopement. Elizabeth, on the other hand, starts to soften
her opinion of Darcy; she learns the truth of Wickham's nature, and realizes
that Darcy was prudent to warn Bingley of their family. She sees his
estate, and hears reports of his amiable and giving nature, and she even has
several positive experiences with him and her aunt and uncle. She learns to
love him, and regret her rejection of his proposal.
So, both characters are hindered by both pride and prejudice at different
parts of the novel, but eventually learn to overcome them and develop true and
deep feelings for one another.
·
Elizabeth-Charlotte
Answer:
Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth Bennet are best mates, singletons leading
uneventful lives in the village of Longbourn. Their families are friends, as
people are in small communities, and Lizzie’s mother is a bit sniffy about
Charlotte’s mother, as is the way of women everywhere. Charlotte is the
strategist, Elizabeth is the romantic. Charlotte tells her not to let her
liking for Wickham cause her to be unpleasant to Darcy, who is ‘ten times his
consequence’.
No way, says
Elizabeth. I’m determined to hate Darcy, who has been so vile to the lovely
Wickham. Well, we all know what happened there.
But these are
just friendly differences, until Mr Collins enters the scene. Charlotte leaps
into action, spurred on by the spectra of being an impoverished old maid. When
Elizabeth rejects his proposal, Charlotte moves in like greased lightning. She
spots her chance to meet Mr Collins ‘accidentally in the lane’, and in no time
the wedding date is set.
From this moment, there is a distance between
Lizzie and Charlotte, and her sister Jane takes Charlotte’s place as
Elizabeth’s confidante. When Elizabeth visits Charlotte in her new
establishment, she notices how Charlotte manages the household in a way which
minimizes her exposure to her new husband. She encourages him to garden as much
as possible. She arranges for him to have the nicer room for his personal use,
to discourage him from being too often in hers. She does not mock him or
criticize him, with only a faint blush revealing that she is embarrassed by his
crassness.
all love
Elizabeth, of course we do, but isn’t she lacking in a bit of generosity here?
She and Charlotte were in the same boat, ‘well-educated young women of small
fortune’. Charlotte would never capture a Darcy, or a Bingley, even if such men
were thicker on the ground. She made a choice which hurt no one (other than
herself).
Ø All the motherly character Mrs Bennet, Lucas Gardiner
Mrs. Bennet: Mrs. Bennet is a miraculously boring character. Noisy and
foolish, she is a woman consumed by the desire to see her daughters married.
Ironically, her single-minded realization
of this goal tends to backfire, as her lack of social graces alienates the very
people (Darcy and Bingley) whom she tries desperately to attract. Austen uses
her continually to highlight the necessity of marriage for young women. Mrs.
Bennet also serves as a middle-class counterpoint to such upper-class snobs as
Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley, demonstrating that foolishness can be found at
every level of society. In the end, however, Mrs. Bennet proves such an
unattractive figure, lacking redeeming characteristics of any kind, that some
readers have accused Austen of unfairness in portraying her—as if Austen, like
Mr. Bennet, took perverse pleasure in poking fun at a woman already scorned as
a result of her ill breeding.
Mrs Gardiner: Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth are particularly close to one another and often
have important discussions regarding the central theme of the novel-the
institution of marriage
In Ch.43 Elizabeth along with Mr.and
Mrs.Gardiner visit Darcy's estate Pemberley. Darcy is no longer the proud man
that he once was. He is very polite and courteous to all of them, and Mr and
Mrs Gardiner testify that he is a fine person.
Mrs Gardiner is required as a wise adviser for the Bennet sisters, to
compensate for the silliness of their mother. Elizabeth discusses the nature of
Jane’s love for Bingley with her ( Chapter 25 ). She questions Elizabeth about
her affection for Wickham ( Chapters 26 and 27 ). Her letters and suggestions
advance the plot: Jane stays with her in London; Elizabeth applies to her to
learn why Darcy attended Lydia’s wedding; the northern tour results in the
fateful visit to Pemberley.
Ø
Justify the
title from first impression to Pride and Prejudice .
Pride and Prejudice was first named by
Austen as “ First Impressions”. The title can be connected to David Hume's
notion of impressions and ideas. Impressions are thoughts that is forced into
us unconsciously, which doesn't have a logical basis. Whereas ideas are rooted
in the deeper context of logical reasoning. The whole novel revolves around
impressions. Elizabeth has the impression that Darcy is filled with pride,
Darcy finds Elizabeth not so “handsome” to his standards and creates an
impression of Jane's love for Bingley as superficial. These impressions force
them to behave the way they act, all throughout the novel. But it is to be
noted that these impressions, affect only some people in the novel, like Jane,
Elizabeth, Bingley and Darcy.
Later it was changed into “Pride and
Prejudice”. Because, it connects to a greater character list from the novel.
In the primary analysis one can say that pride stands for Darcy and Prejudice
for Elizabeth.
But a deeper
reading will let you know that every single character in the novel revolves
around pride and prejudice. Mrs. Bennet wants her children to get married
to “a single man in possession of a good fortune”. That's part of her pride.
She disliked Darcy, like every other person in the first ball, again there
works the prejudice. Mr. Collins is the epitome of pride and so is Lady
Catherine. Lady Catherine's prejudice lies in the road where she thinks a
socially inferior woman won't fit into Darcy's life as his wife. You can take
every character in the novel and provide them the features, both pride and
prejudice.
Ø Theme of Love and Marriage in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
Answer: Jane
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a classic comedy of manners that satirizes
18th-century society and, particularly, the expectations placed on women of the
era. The novel, which follows the romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters,
includes themes of love, class, and, as one might guess, pride and prejudice.
These are all covered with Austen’s signature wit, including the literary
device of free indirect discourse that permits a particular style of in-depth,
sometimes satirical narration.
Love and
Marriage: As one might
expect from a romantic comedy, love (and marriage) is a central theme to Pride
and Prejudice. In particular, the novel focuses on the different ways love may
grow or disappear, and whether or not society has room for romantic love and
marriage to go together. We see love at first sight (Jane and Bingley), love
that grows (Elizabeth and Darcy), and infatuation that fades (Lydia and
Wickham) or has faded (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet). Throughout the story, it becomes
apparent that the novel is arguing that love based on genuine compatibility is
the ideal. Marriages of convenience are presented in a negative light:
Charlotte marries the obnoxious Mr. Collins out of economic pragmatism and admits
as much, while Lady Catherine’s imperious attempts at forcing her nephew Darcy
to marry her daughter to consolidate estates are presented as outdated, unfair,
and, ultimately, an unsuccessful power grab.
Like several of
Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice also cautions against infatuation with
overly charming people. Wickham’s smooth manner easily charms Elizabeth, but he
turns out to be deceitful and selfish and not a good romantic prospect for her.
Real love is found in compatibility of character: Jane and Bingley are
well-suited because of their absolute kindness, and Elizabeth and Darcy come to
realize that both are strong-willed but kind and intelligent. Ultimately, the
novel is a strong recommendation of love as a basis for marriage, something that
was not always the case in its era.
Ø
Pride-
Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy/ Bingley Sister prejudice- mr Bennet
Jane Austen
really highlights his ridiculous character. However, with his uptight manners come
both pride and prejudice.
Darcy, himself, admits that he is quite
proud of his family name, and that he sees nothing wrong in adopting a persona
that shows how proud one is of the things one has achieved.
Unfortunately, Darcy's tendencies and
behaviors make him look haughty and snobby rather than sincerely proud of
himself. Yet, Darcy is not really as stuck-up as he acts: He simply has been
raised with a clear understanding of his family legacy and the need to distance
himself from people that are not his equals. This is a tendency more than a
chosen behavior. The fact remains that Darcy is simply a proud man who, in
time, learns to separate pride from snobbery.
On the other hand, Elizabeth does not see
any of this. She also has bad tendency and that is to take things at face value
without analyzing any deeper. She immediately labels Darcy as a proud man in
every bad connotation that the term implies. Not enough with that, she allows
every information about Darcy that comes from someone as creepy as Wickham to
influence her opinion on Darcy even more. In other words, Elizabeth is
completely prejudiced against Darcy(and people like Darcy) from the very
beginning.
Therefore, Darcy is pride, while Elizabeth
is Prejudice. Darcy earned Elizabeth's prejudice by acting haughtily, instead
of proudly.
Caroline and her sister, Louisa, shared
numerous similarities in terms of personality: both were proud, conceited, and
had a habit of spending more money than they ought to. They also love to
associate with people of rank, and were particularly selective about whom they
displayed their agreeable and humorous side to. Caroline, in particular, is
selfish, hypocritical, and two-faced, all negative qualities of which was
fueled by her desire to win Mr. Darcy as her husband.
As mentioned in novel, Mr Collins
is also prejudiced. He thinks that the Bennets are inferior to him, and that is
very clear when Elizabeth urges him not to introduce himself to Mr Darcy at Mr
Bingley’s ball. Mr Collins answers her in a very patronizing way and implies
that she has a limited understanding of things and that she does not know what
is appropriate behavior (p. 79).
Another
example of his prejudice is his admiration for Lady Catherine; Lady
Catherine does not hesitate to give her opinions about everything. Lady
Catherine is not just proud; she is prejudiced too. She assumes that she knows
best about everything and she assumes that everyone wants her to share her
knowledge with them, which is a sort of prejudice, because it is as if she assumes
that other people do not already know anything about the things that she
lectures about.
A character who is very unlike Lady
Catherine is Lydia Bennet; Lydia possesses the less negative variety of
pride; she is proud of her own abilities and is therefore fearless when it
comes to social relationships. When Mr Bennet states that she is very silly,
she simply continues to talk about Captain Carter (p. 25), and when Elizabeth
says that she does not want to hear about her and Mr Wickham’s wedding, she
tells her all about it anyway (p. 244). This shows that Lydia seems to think
that people who criticize or contradict her must be wrong, which is a kind of
prejudice. She has decided that people who do not want what she wants are
wrong, and she cannot even consider that she might be wrong.
Similarly to Lydia Bennet, Mr Bennet takes
much pride in his opinions. He considers himself to be witty and intelligent,
and he loves to laugh at other people. Mr Bennet is quite arrogant. When Mr
Bennet laughs at others, he is supposing himself to be less ridiculous, or
silly, or unintelligent, which makes him look superior, and he possesses
therefore the negative kind of pride. He is also prejudiced since he assumes
that most of the other people in the world are less intelligent than him.
Conclusion
In “pride and the prejudiced” almost
every character in it is either proud or prejudiced, or both. In addition to
being prejudiced, Elizabeth is a bit vain and Mr Darcy is not only proud; he is
not really aware of the fact that one has to behave politely to everyone. Mr
Collins is proud of his position as vicar, and he is also condescending to the
Bennets, Mr Bennet is also proud, condescending and prejudiced, and his
daughter Lydia is proud and ignorant of opinions of others. The community in
which they live is prejudiced, narrow minded and harsher in its judgments than
the individuals that it is composed of. There is also a relation between the
words “pride” and “prejudice”, which is very clear in the peripheral
characters, and especially in those who believe themselves to be above the
middle class. One can interpret the characters differently, and I am
convinced that this extraordinary complexity in many of the characters will
never stop to amaze readers, and critics will surely continue to find new ways
to look at the vivid characters that Jane Austen once created.
