“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”
-Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice pg. 49 The human race is flawed, it has a fault: evil. Evil is sin, immorality or wickedness and it is a part of human nature. Even the nicest person has some dark desires lurking underneath their smile, because everyone has “a natural defect,” whether it is a “propensity to hate everybody” or to “willfully misunderstand them.” Some are blinded by their flaws and do not realize how much sin they carry. Jane Austen brings this to light through her novel, Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are very similar characters whom Austen uses to convey how pride and prejudice hinder humanity. Both characters are smart, intelligent and have the same shortcomings: pride and prejudice, these are their “particular evil”. Their pride clouds their perception and hampers their relationship. Mr. Darcy is always so sure and confident in himself because of his wealth, high class and education that he withdraws himself from others who he views as inferior. He does not realize how haughty he appears to be and this is his undoing. Whereas Elizabeth “prides [herself] on her discernment” and creates judgments upon first acquaintance, she carries these judgements with her and they become more solid as time passes. “The more [she] sees of the world, the more [she is] dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms [her] belief of the inconsistency of all human characters.” Only when her prejudices are proved to be wrong does she begin to question her perception.
The short comings of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are one type of evil within the world; Jane Austen uses other characters to embody other evils. Mr. Bennet personifies laziness and apathy, Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bough exemplify pretention and self-righteousness, Lydia Bennet symbolizes self-centeredness and self-indulgence. However there are two characters Jane Austen uses to counteract all the defects and egotism emanated from other characters: Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. These two are both good natured and ready to think the best of others, their disposition is “angelic,” almost otherworldly. Jane’s sweetness serves as a character foil to her sister, Elizabeth’s quarrelsome nature and Bingley’s friendly
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Bantam books. 292 pages. Pride and Prejudice is a fantastic novel written by Jane Austen. This novel is one of the most romantic stories ever written and is still one of the most famous literary works of all time. Pride and Prejudice is set in the small village of Longbourn, England in the 1800s. The main character of the story and second oldest daughter of the Bennet family is Elizabeth Bennet. Throughout the story Austen portrays many…
Pride and Prejudice In Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, the main reasoning of the title is about Pride and Prejudice. Both Darcy and Elizabeth meet each other and at first impression form a false (prejudice) view of the other from quick judgment and both are too prideful to revise their view of the other. The setting of this book in England in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. The Bennet girls are from Longbourn and the men (Darcy and Bingley) are residing in Netherfield, although Darcy is originally…
ceHelen Gifted English 1 November 4, 2011 Locked in the Library The ideal father figure is many things. Often, he is intelligent, caring, thoughtful, and possesses a keen sense of humor. Though Mr. Bennet of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice appears to be just this, Austen actually created a character that would prove to be far more important than many static members of the story’s cast. Not only does Mr. Bennet and his quick wit serve as a source of comedic relief in the novel, but his character…
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 1. The author’s background Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England. She was born seventh out of eight children into a family of a modest income. Her father, George Austen, was a reverend and her mother, Cassandra Leigh taught her children at the family home. When Jane was eight years old, she and her eldest sister, Cassandra, were sent to a boarding school for a proper education. Austen was always intrigued with English and…
Dale Ballance Kearnon Kanne ENGL 1001, Assignment 4 February 20, 2015 Upon reading Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austin, I believe the novel reinforces sexist stereotypes of women. One of the things that really struck me was the desire the women had to find themselves a husband. A husband who was wealthy was at the utmost importance for most of the women. A woman could talk bad of another woman in hopes of deterring a man of his interest in a particular woman as to give them a better opportunity…
Seo Yeon Lee Professor Iryce Baron English 281 2/18/2013 Opaque Glass Pride and Prejudice has become famous in the genre of fictional romance since its first published. The novel is similar to a fairy tale, female character, Elizabeth Bennet, unavoidably marries her knight in shining armor, Mr. Darcy. However, this romanticism is significantly altered by an underlying theme concerning gender politics and importance of marriage. Not only in the novel, but in films there are plenty of scenes where…
The novel Pride And Prejudice written by Jane Austen was written and takes place in regency England during 1810-1820; a time where the courtship between man and woman were built upon the wealth and prestige of one of the two parties, more than often the man. This is enforced through the first sentence of the novel, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Austen depicts the top two percentage of British society, the “highest…
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” this line in the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has become one of the most famous lines in English Literature. The Regency period was vastly different to modern society, they had different views on everything from Marriage to the expectations of women and men. This line also alerts us to the importance of maintaining a respectable fortune in the period through inheritance…
The novel seems to be showing that first impressions are a very important thing during this time period. The novel Pride and Prejudice was set during the 19th century. This was a time that when you are meeting someone for the very first time, you have to do your best to try and impress them, to try and show them that you are a very well and respected family. This is evident a couple times in the book. One of these times is in…
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ESSAY Marriage back in the 1700’s generally resulted from the desperation of women who needed financial stability due to the unstable financial status of their families. Of course, majority of all women didn’t belong to the upper class, so marrying a man with a good financial status will give them a stable life, although the true essence of love may not be present on both parties. This didn’t matter that much because women were so preoccupied by the idea that if they don’t get…
