Terrance Patterson
2nd period
1/1/15

Pride and Prejudice Questions

1.) I feel that the author reason Austin calls Elizabeth by her first name and Mr.Darcy by his first name throughout the novel is because she wanted to follow through with a different style/technique to help the readers understand clearly whom she was referring to. She also wanted readers to realize the time period in which the novel is based off of. This is important because during this time, the Victorian period, society was very “conscious”. Everybody was considered to be in a different “class” than one another (middle-class, low-class, etc.). Austen also probably didn’t call Elizabeth by her last name because she had sisters with the same last name as her. This means that she didn’t want the readers to get confused when reading the novel and trying to determine which sister is being presented. On top of that, Mr. Darcy would be considered in a higher class that Elizabeth because he has money so people automatically calls him by his last name out of respect.

2.) I agree to a certain extent, Pride and Prejudice has often been referred to as a novel about manners. For example, in the novel Elizabeth and her sisters called Mr. Darcy by his last name. One reason they did that is because he is older. Even today if someone is older than you then you call them by there last name out of respect. At least that’s how I was brought up, the proper way. The reason I only agree to the statement to an certain extent however, is because during this time period a lot of women only had manners for certain people/certain class, people/class with money. If you were a man that was not wealthy or had money they didn’t really show you too much respect or attention. You can compare this to the novel, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby was a man that made a living off of selling bootlegs and alcohol. He threw parties every Saturday night at his mansion to get the lady he loved back. This relates to the jazz period because women were not treated properly. However, in the novel, The Great Gatsby, he does everything he could to get the love of his life back. He tries so hard, that he eventually gets killed for taking the blame for something she did.

3.) During the time in which Austin writes this book, women did not have any power if they were not married. So women basically were rushed into marriage just because they needed to marry a man that fit a certain class (usually wealthy and know). The women during this time looked for men with money and could take care of them. They don’t even really have to be really love each other. Take Charlotte for example, even though she does not love passionately, she doesn’t know what else to do. So she gets married without loving the person she is married to. The reason she did this is because she didn’t really have anything before then. She didn’t have any money and didn’t know what else to do. This just goes to show how life was during this time period. I do not think that Austen’s goal is to make propriety and romantic desire absolutely congruent because if she did Charlotte would have actually been in love with the man she married and would have married him for the right reasons.

4.) Lady Catherine symbolizes the natives that are dying. If Lady Catherine depends on the respect of Collins to be seen as a great lady, then she is insecure. Mr. Darcy felt that Jane lacked family connections. Mr. Darcy also thought that Jane didn't show the proper appreciation for Bingley that was necessary for a good union. Although he defends himself, she changes his mind. Later when Lady Catherine attempts to interfere in his own courtship, he describes this as unjustifiable. Its unjustifiable because if I seen my friend about to make a big mistake and marry someone for the wrong reasons then I’m going to speak up and tell him/her how I really feel because that’s what real friends do. I can relate because I told one of my friends not to go out