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Page 1: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

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Pride and Prejudice Novel By: Jane Austen

Book Analysis By: Kaitlyn Coleman

[ T Y P E T H E C O M P A N Y A D D R E S S ]

“Austen used the literary device ‘The Hero’s Journey’, to support her

themes of class structure, reputation, and the power of love to transcend

all obstacles, while illustrating the need for the individual to step beyond

the norms and expectations of a flawed society to become a genuine

person, free of such ploys.” -Thesis

Due: May 4th, 2012

Page 2: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

Originally written under the title First Impressions, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

centers upon the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcey, who are influenced and

challenged by class structure and the norms of the society they are part of. Through her novel,

Austen strived to portray to the reader the flaws of society during her time, and the role of pride

and prejudice in corrupting and challenging the authenticity of individuals. As the title suggests,

Pride and Prejudice gives the reader a detailed view of British society at the time, through the

prideful and prejudiced sentiments of just about all of the characters, including the hero and

heroine, who differ from the others in that they prove themselves to be genuine individuals.

Austen used the literary device ‘The Hero’s Journey’, to support her themes of class structure,

reputation, and the power of love to transcend all obstacles, while illustrating the need for the

individual to step beyond the norms and expectations of a flawed society to become a genuine

person, free of such ploys.

Austen’s England was one a particularly stifling social structure, as class divisions were

rooted in family connections and wealth. In her work, Austen is often critical of the assumptions

and prejudices of upper-class England, distinguishing between internal merit, goodness of a

person, and external merit, rank and possessions. She pokes fun and the misbehavior of

particularly snobbish characters, and, in many ways, was a realist in her depiction of an England

in which social mobility is limited and class-consciousness is strong. As she shows in her novels,

the main goal of a woman during this period was to advance in standing through a successful

marriage, and their choices were limited not by finding true love, but by social standing. As the

title suggests, Pride and Prejudice gives the reader a detailed view of British society at the time,

through the prideful and prejudiced sentiments of just about all of the characters, including the

Page 3: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

course of the novel.

Jane Austen uses Pride and Prejudice to express her opinion of society and give an

explanation of the roles pride and prejudice played in class structure and the personalities of

individuals during the time. Early in the novel, Mary Bennet’s comment that “pride is a very

common failing” mirrors Austen’s critical opinion of the title traits and begins to give them

negative connotations. She displays pride and prejudice throughout the story in the nature of her

characters, expressing them to the reader as corruptive stumbling blocks accepted by society.

Austen creates a hero and heroine who show how true love has the power to overcome class

boundaries and the expectations of society, thus implying the hollowness of such prejudicial

institutions. Society has and most likely will always encourage conformity and adhesion to social

norms, but the central message of Pride and Prejudice challenges this; Austen imparts to readers

the importance of allowing one’s genuine self to overcome the expectations of society and the

human tendency to express the novel’s title traits.

Although the most difficult part of creating a literary classic is the writing of the novel’s

plot, there is also the often overlooked importance of developing a title. Consisting of a word or

few words, the title often gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the contents of the

novel. Pride and Prejudice possesses such a title, for, as the reader discovers, the line becomes

ever more significant as the story develops. The novel’s title of three simple words displays the

focus of the story and touches on the themes to be presented throughout the book and a basic

description of the characters and plot. Describing all of the characters through the use of two

words, as a majority of the characters display one or both of the traits, the title gives way to a

Page 4: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

story about individuals of a society characterized by such traits. By following the relationship

between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy and their experiences with pride and prejudice, both in

themselves and the words and actions of other characters, the novel depicts the roles of

individuals and their wealth in society, and portrays the themes of reputation, class, and love.

Pride and prejudice appear in the sentiments of most, if not all, of the characters and

affect the actions of the characters and outcome of the plot. Many of the characters judge others

by first impressions, basing their opinions on what social class they are in, showing their

prejudice. They are also too proud to change these opinions or see others for who they are, rather

than their station in society. Supporting characters, such as Mrs. Bennet, the younger Bennet

sisters, and Lady Catherine, all shine light on the author’s purpose to portray the foolishness and

ignorance of the society she lived in. Such characters allow their reputations and the expectations

of society to take greater importance than their true feelings and their obligation to themselves to

be genuine individuals. In essence, class structure acts upon the very structure of their lives.

The hero and heroine differ from other characters in that they prove themselves to be

genuine, despite class structure and their own pride and prejudice. While the two do still

experience pride and prejudice, allowing the traits to influence some of their words and actions,

they, unlike the others, are able to overcome them and grow as individuals, slowly beginning to

understand and love one another. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy allow their genuine selves to shine

through and this, truly, is what distinguishes them and causes them to differ from other

characters. They, as individuals, overcome the description set before them by the novel’s title

and refuse to conform to the norms and expectations of society and their respective classes.

Through their intertwined fates, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are able to transcend the title traits as

Page 5: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

they struggle to overcome their own flaws and eventually realize their love for one another,

while other characters, bound to the expectations of society, are characterized by their pride and

prejudice. In this way, Austen portrays true love as something independent of structure and class,

a force that can transcend the expectations of society and overcome pride and prejudice.

The two overcome the obstacles set before them by their class-bound society, including their

own prideful and prejudiced failings, and are able to find romantic felicity with one another.

One of the most commonly found devices used in literature is the concept of the “Hero’s

Journey”, which refers to the challenges, both external and internal, that a character, usually the

protagonist, faces and overcomes as their story unfolds. Such a character, a “hero”, is called to

alter forces inside and surrounding them, journeying either to an external goal or internal change.

Austen used this element in her novel to better portray her themes and strengthen the reader’s

connection of the main characters of the novel, allowing the work to have a greater impact on the

reader. The story’s protagonist, Elizabeth, faces both internal and external obstacles on her path

to finding felicity with her unlikely lover and becoming a genuine individual, finally coming to

the resolution of her personal heroic journey. The story follows her attempts to rise above the

nonsense and bad behavior that pervade the society she lives, and allow her genuine self to shine

through.

Elizabeth’s decision to dislike Mr. Darcey, based upon her first mistaken impression of

him at the ball, begins her journey to eventual realization and change. She is assisted in her

journey by her sister Jane, whom is the only other member in her, otherwise foolish, family in

which she can confide, allowing her to share her wavering feelings about Mr. Darcey with

another individual as the novel continues. Challenged by multiple characters, all of whom

Page 6: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

express the novel’s title elements, such as Miss Bingley, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine,

Elizabeth is hard-pressed to differ from the expectations of society, and allow her genuine self to

take precedence.

Although Elizabeth’s admirable qualities are numerous and allow her to rise above the

nonsense and bad behavior that pervade the society she lives in, her sharp tongue and often

judgmental attitude cause her to stumble. Elizabeth finds that she must overcome her sharp

tongue and judgmental attitude, which cause her to stumble and lend to her prejudicial tendency

to “willfully misunderstand everybody.” When first confronted with a marriage proposal from

Mr. Darcey and his mention of the difficulty of the decision to act upon his feelings, because of

their differing social classes, Elizabeth is blinded by her hurt pride and refuses him, faulting his

pride rather than her own. This refusal and Mr. Darcey’s later letter function as her crossing of

the threshold on the path toward change, as she begins to realize the faults within herself and the

underlying love she feels toward this misjudged man.

Darcy then goes on to demonstrate the authenticity of his character, through his

tenderness towards his sister, which Elizabeth witnesses during her visit to Pemberley. He later

shows his devotion to Elizabeth by, despite his distaste for Elizabeth’s lower connections,

rescuing the Bennets from the disgrace of Lydia’s elopement. Admitting that she herself has

been "blind, partial, prejudiced, and absurd," Elizabeth recognizes the nobility of Darcy’s

character and the error of her initial sentiments against him, finally realizing her true feelings for

him. She acts upon these feelings in her denial to agree to Lady Catherine’s demands regarding a

nonexistent engagement to Mr. Darcey, and stating that, should he ask her, she could not

guarantee that she would refuse. When Mr. Darcey tells Elizabeth that his feelings for her remain

Page 7: Pride and Prejudice - · PDF fileKaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012 hero and heroine, the latter of which denies the accepted rules of matrimony twice during the

Kaitlyn Coleman Pride and Prejudice Due: May 4th, 2012

unchanged, she, finally realizing that she shares this love, accepts his proposal and comes to the

conclusion of her heroic journey.

Jane Austen used Pride and Prejudice to challenge class structure and its influence on

individuals, portraying the flaws of society through her characters. She successfully imparts her

themes to the reader, through her writing, encouraging them to be genuine individuals and refuse

to succumb to the norms and expectations of a terribly flawed society. This, as-well-as the heart-

felt story that plays out across the pages, would cause the novel to be worthy of a place in a list

of works of high literary merit. In Auten’s novel the protagonist, Elizabeth, and her later-found

love, Mr. Darcey, find themselves on a journey of change, as they strive to become genuine

individuals, leaving behind prideful and prejudiced tendencies and allowing their love to

transcend the restrictions of such elements and social standards. The two lovers overcome the

obstacles set before them by the society the live in, including their own prideful and prejudiced

failings, and are able to find romantic felicity with one another, thus, concluding their personal,

yet intertwined, journeys.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Thomas Egerton, 1813.