PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

By

Jane Austen

JANE AUSTEN Born in Hampshire,

England in 1775 Daughter of a country

vicar, had 5 older brothers and an older sister

Never married Not formally educated

past grammar school, taught by father/brothers

Died in 1817

THE NOVELS Sense and Sensibility

1811 Pride and Prejudice 1813 Mansfield Park 1814 Emma 1816 Persuasion 1818 Northanger Abbey 1818Both Persuasion and

Northanger Abbey were published posthumously.

SOCIAL CONTEXT Austen’s novels take place almost

exclusively within the circles of the landed gentry (land owners who could live off rental income) and aristocracy (the nobility – titled families). These two classes made up less than 2% of the population of England.

The landed gentry were the “new” rich – upper middle class families who had enough wealth following the Industrial Revolution to buy land and estates in the country. They were eager to align themselves with the aristocracy and distance themselves from the middle class.

THEMES Social class and the lack of class mobility

Rigid class system – conflict arises when members of different classes mingle

Women, patriarchy, and property rights Entailment and other patriarchal practices limited rights

and options for women. Marriage and Family

Expresses Austen’s disillusionment with the fact that many women were forced into marriage due to financial necessity

Propriety, social decorum, and reputation Adherence to the laws of propriety, social decorum, and

reputation determined the ways in which a person was judged by other people

And…Pride and Prejudice, of course. The novel was originally titled First Impressions as first

impressions and preconceived perceptions complicate the relationships between the characters.

LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

IronyAusten assumes an ironic tone in order to

comment on the faults and inadequacies of her characters

Much of the dialogue is characterized by a tone of irony

Austen uses a combination of situational irony, verbal irony, and dramatic irony throughout the novel. Her famous opening line establishes an atmosphere of irony: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

SatireCleverly disguises Austen’s criticism of her

intended targets by clothing it in humorous language, funny characterizations, and sarcasm

Targets include: Mrs. Bennet – a woman with little intellect who

talks incessantly and embarrasses her family with her constant attempts at matchmaking

Mr. Collins – a man who considers himself to be morally and intellectually superior to his fellow men. His high opinion of himself often makes him a laughingstock

LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Free Indirect DiscourseUses a third-person narrative perspective in

order to convey ideas and thoughts from the point of view of a particular character, usually the heroine.

Often difficult for the reader to determine whether the ideas presented are conveyed objectively by the narrator or whether they are the reflections of a character

Pioneered by Austen and a precursor to stream-of-consciousness

LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Comedy of Manners Literary genre popular in England during the

Restoration Period. Uses elements of satire to ridicule the

behaviors, manners, flaws, and morals of members of the middle or upper classes

Frequently include love affairs, witty and comical exchanges between characters, and the humorous revelation of societal scandals and intrigues

In P&P, the characters’ search for love and financial stability, the social scandals in the Meryton community, and the witty banter between characters qualify the novel as an example of a comedy of manners.

LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

BathosAn abrupt transition in style from the

exalted to the commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect

For example: "In the United States, Usama bin Laden is wanted for conspiracy, murder, terrorism, and unpaid parking tickets."

Austen frequently leaves the ridiculous or less noble idea at the end of the sentence, so that the sentence ends with an anti-climax.