Pride and Prejudice: Literary Analysis Essay

The novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen has a thematic prearrangement of pride versus prejudice. The terms “prejudice” and “pride” contrast predominantly as crucial characteristics of Elizabeth (the prejudiced) and Darcy (the proud). This distinctiveness keeps Darcy and Elizabeth away from each other (Austen, 2007). However, as the story continues, they become obligated to scrutinize their feelings, as well as their presumptions, and later walk down the aisle.

The Literature Connection

The literary device of character is the progression of a story through which an author discloses the character’s personality either directly or indirectly. It is pretty apparent throughout the Austen’s novel that she has provided information on the personality of each character. She has pointed out what each character is and time and again how they looked. Both minor and chief characters in the novel reflect aspects of pride and prejudice instances that shape their actions. The story presents Darcy and Elizabeth overcoming their natural inclinations painstakingly to come together. Jane Austen does not just present these protagonists as the icons of these traits as in allegory. Relatively, prejudice and pride are observable in all characters to some extent. For instance, right from the start of the novel, Jane Austen provides information about Mr. Bennet. She says that, Mr. Bennet was peculiar in fusion of quick parts and that the experience of more than twenty years was unsatisfactory to make his wife comprehend his personality. This is a couple whose dispositions are quite opposite (Austen, 2007). Another case in the novel is when Elizabeth has a silent love for Darcy, who she notices his arrogance and disrespectful attitude.

The Modern Connection

In the novel, the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, is a vivacious, high-spirited, spontaneous, warm, and witty young woman. She is also complex, bright, and captivating woman who is pragmatic about life. She is unprepared to consider that everybody is flawless. At points of becoming blunt and saucy, Elizabeth has no troubles to speak her mind. Right through the novel, encounters of Elizabeth with Darcy are a conflict of mature minds. Elizabeth’s words, filled with vigor, crackling with irony, and presenting vibrant humor, established a compelling pull on Darcy (Austen, 2007). The main flow of Elizabeth is a blown up prejudice. She gets fueled by prejudice when she learns that Darcy is influencing Bingley against her sister. Throughout the novel, she dislikes her future husband. Elizabeth is honest, both to herself and others. The moment she recognizes the truth about Darcy; she accepts her mistaken prejudice against him and even laments her earlier dismissal of his hand in marriage. Elizabeth then becomes much wise afterwards and eagerly accepts Darcy’s hand in marriage. The contemporary readers also meet Cassie in “The Man who Loved Pride and Prejudice” having similarities and differences with Elizabeth. Cassie has a family which embarrasses her. She is on the outer surface, a woman, who has all things in place, but she could be buried in or plagued by insecurities. Cassie pushes her love away but becomes saddened with him for becoming distant (Reynolds, 2010). Elizabeth also has a family which humiliates her. She is both in the inner and outer surface, a woman, who does not have everything (modest background), but not plagued by insecurities. Both characters worked hard to realize their dreams.

The Personal Connection

The romantic novel, as manifested in “Pride and Prejudice”, gets inculcated with a morale rationale. The beliefs of the characters get reinforced by their idiosyncrasy and idiocy that they indulge. This becomes portrayed against the backdrop of normal societal norms. There is divergence between the communal norms the characters assume that they espouse and their true actions, over and over again at odds with what the social order requires. What Austen reveals is that, the world of the time gets guided by characteristics of prejudice and arrogance and that true human relationships are rare and not cherished. “Pride and Prejudice” is a romance novel which is both comical and intensely serious. It is the most excellent novel to exemplify the negative impacts of pride and prejudice in love relationships between individuals. It combines facts of life with a dynamic stratagem.

References:
Austen, J. (2007). Pride and Prejudice. New York, NY: Penguin Classics.
Reynolds, A. (2010). The Man who Loved Pride and Prejudice: A Modern Love Story with Jane Austen Twist. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks Casablanca.