I have chosen two chapters from Pride and Prejudice to discuss in my close reading. Chapter one will give more insight into the subject of marriage and wealth during this era. In the first chapter, Jane Austen introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and sheds light on their individual opinions about marrying off their daughters. I have also chosen to do an analysis on chapter 34, in which Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth Bennet. This chapter shows the prejudices against families without a position as well as Elizabeth's pride and individualism in regard to Mr. Darcy's wealth and disposition.
The first chapter of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice begins with the statement, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (179). This quote is indicative of social norms of 19th century Britain. If a wealthy, single man were to move into the neighbourhood, every single woman would make it a point to get his attention, In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet, the mother of five unmarried daughters brought it upon herself to make sure that at least one of them would marry him. She says, "It is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes" (179). Single women in this era were seen as disadvantaged, because they were rarely born into wealth; They needed a rich man to ensure a comfortable life, rather than men needing women (Greenfield 339). Therefore, it is very important to the entire family that at least one of the Bennet daughters marry a wealthy man.
The five daughters were all very different. The eldest, Jane, was conventionally beautiful and would make a lovely wife, however, she was very naive and timid. The second daughter, and the protagonist of the story, Elizabeth, was very witty and independent, unwilling to settle in an unhappy marriage for the sake of a comfortable life. Mary, was not particularly handsome or personable, but was very intelligent and musical. The two youngest, Lydia and Catherine, were immature, unrelentingly craving the attention of any man, rich or poor.
Mrs. Bennet remorselessly begs Mr. Bennet to bring his daughters to meet Mr. Bingley. Although, he doesn't really care to, she says, "Consider our daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them" (180). Marrying their daughters off is clearly, very important to Mrs. Bennet. Despite "the feelings or views of [Mr. Bingley]". he has become the "rightful property of [her daughters] " (179). If you consider the personalities of the two characters in the first chapter, you can see that they define the two words in the title of the novel. "Mr Bennet exhibits the detacment of pride and Mrs. Bennet the total involvement of prejudice" (Zimmerman, 66). Zimmerman defines pride as "a detachment from other human beings in which the self is not seen as involved with others but as superior to them" and prejudice is "the opposite of pride: the self is completely involved with others, and everything is interpreted as it affects the self" (Zimmerman, 65-66). In this chapter, Mr. Bennet sarcastically mocks his wife's prejudice that she is completely blind to, by saying, "You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr Bingley might like you the best of the party" (Austen).
Society in 18th and 19th century England, forced marriage onto the unwilling and gave an excuse to unhappy couples together. The protagonist in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, is forced to question her individual desires as she feels the societal pressure to marry a man she does not particularly like. This happens to Elizabeth twice in Pride and Prejudice, once with her awkward cousin Mr. Collins (for the sake of saving the family estate) and once with Mr. Darcy, a very wealthy and judgmental landowner. For the sake of this paper, I will focus on Elizabeth's relationship with Mr. Darcy.
“'Society' in these examples has nothing to do with conventions, laws, or traditions; perhaps its closest synonyms are 'company' or 'companionship.' Similarly, 'social' does not mean 'of or pertaining to the institutions of society' but 'gregarious' or, as we would now say it, 'sociable.' Far from being an abstraction, then, 'society' always suggests for Jane Austen the presence of other individuals with whom it is either a duty or a pleasure to mix' (Sherry, 611). Elizabeth Bennett goes against what is acceptable and focuses instead on what would make her happy.
In Chapter 34, when Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth with a "sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed" (Austen 266) as though he was going against his better judgment by loving her. She is disgusted by his prejudice and his demeaning nature toward her and her family. Because Darcy ruined the happy union of Elizabeth's sister, Jane and Darcy's friend, Mr. Bingley because the Bennet families "condition in life is so decidedly beneath [his] own" (Austen 268), Elizabeth could not help but be disgusted with him. She could have married Mr. Darcy, which is what most people would have done in this era. However, her pride and respect for her own happiness stood in the way. She swore that "Darcy has a right to be proud, but adds that she could, easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified [hers]" (Fox 185). Although Elizabeth vowed to hate Mr. Darcy, in his absence, her heart grows fonder for him. Her pride disables her from embracing her happiness and admiration for Mr. Darcy because she could not allow herself to be happy while her sister was in so much pain. She also needs "the provocation to fall in love" rather than have it laid out in front of her (Greenfield 339).
Elizabeth “reveals the energy, the impulsiveness, the respect for personal merit which characterizes individualism” (Sherry, 611). Although she found Mr. Darcy to be handsome and rich, she found him to be intolerable. The character Jane Austen created in Elizabeth Bennet was not only unique and interesting but very adventurous. Her wit and sarcastic humor was not typically considered "ladylike" in the 19th century. Elizabeth was a character that saw men "as objects that women depend upon but never possess, men are ever absent and- at least in many novels- thus likely to occupy the female mind" (Greenfield 339).
The first chapter of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice begins with the statement, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (179). This quote is indicative of social norms of 19th century Britain. If a wealthy, single man were to move into the neighbourhood, every single woman would make it a point to get his attention, In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet, the mother of five unmarried daughters brought it upon herself to make sure that at least one of them would marry him. She says, "It is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes" (179). Single women in this era were seen as disadvantaged, because they were rarely born into wealth; They needed a rich man to ensure a comfortable life, rather than men needing women (Greenfield 339). Therefore, it is very important to the entire family that at least one of the Bennet daughters marry a wealthy man.
The five daughters were all very different. The eldest, Jane, was conventionally beautiful and would make a lovely wife, however, she was very naive and timid. The second daughter, and the protagonist of the story, Elizabeth, was very witty and independent, unwilling to settle in an unhappy marriage for the sake of a comfortable life. Mary, was not particularly handsome or personable, but was very intelligent and musical. The two youngest, Lydia and Catherine, were immature, unrelentingly craving the attention of any man, rich or poor.
Mrs. Bennet remorselessly begs Mr. Bennet to bring his daughters to meet Mr. Bingley. Although, he doesn't really care to, she says, "Consider our daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them" (180). Marrying their daughters off is clearly, very important to Mrs. Bennet. Despite "the feelings or views of [Mr. Bingley]". he has become the "rightful property of [her daughters] " (179). If you consider the personalities of the two characters in the first chapter, you can see that they define the two words in the title of the novel. "Mr Bennet exhibits the detacment of pride and Mrs. Bennet the total involvement of prejudice" (Zimmerman, 66). Zimmerman defines pride as "a detachment from other human beings in which the self is not seen as involved with others but as superior to them" and prejudice is "the opposite of pride: the self is completely involved with others, and everything is interpreted as it affects the self" (Zimmerman, 65-66). In this chapter, Mr. Bennet sarcastically mocks his wife's prejudice that she is completely blind to, by saying, "You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr Bingley might like you the best of the party" (Austen).
Society in 18th and 19th century England, forced marriage onto the unwilling and gave an excuse to unhappy couples together. The protagonist in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, is forced to question her individual desires as she feels the societal pressure to marry a man she does not particularly like. This happens to Elizabeth twice in Pride and Prejudice, once with her awkward cousin Mr. Collins (for the sake of saving the family estate) and once with Mr. Darcy, a very wealthy and judgmental landowner. For the sake of this paper, I will focus on Elizabeth's relationship with Mr. Darcy.
“'Society' in these examples has nothing to do with conventions, laws, or traditions; perhaps its closest synonyms are 'company' or 'companionship.' Similarly, 'social' does not mean 'of or pertaining to the institutions of society' but 'gregarious' or, as we would now say it, 'sociable.' Far from being an abstraction, then, 'society' always suggests for Jane Austen the presence of other individuals with whom it is either a duty or a pleasure to mix' (Sherry, 611). Elizabeth Bennett goes against what is acceptable and focuses instead on what would make her happy.
In Chapter 34, when Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth with a "sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed" (Austen 266) as though he was going against his better judgment by loving her. She is disgusted by his prejudice and his demeaning nature toward her and her family. Because Darcy ruined the happy union of Elizabeth's sister, Jane and Darcy's friend, Mr. Bingley because the Bennet families "condition in life is so decidedly beneath [his] own" (Austen 268), Elizabeth could not help but be disgusted with him. She could have married Mr. Darcy, which is what most people would have done in this era. However, her pride and respect for her own happiness stood in the way. She swore that "Darcy has a right to be proud, but adds that she could, easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified [hers]" (Fox 185). Although Elizabeth vowed to hate Mr. Darcy, in his absence, her heart grows fonder for him. Her pride disables her from embracing her happiness and admiration for Mr. Darcy because she could not allow herself to be happy while her sister was in so much pain. She also needs "the provocation to fall in love" rather than have it laid out in front of her (Greenfield 339).
Elizabeth “reveals the energy, the impulsiveness, the respect for personal merit which characterizes individualism” (Sherry, 611). Although she found Mr. Darcy to be handsome and rich, she found him to be intolerable. The character Jane Austen created in Elizabeth Bennet was not only unique and interesting but very adventurous. Her wit and sarcastic humor was not typically considered "ladylike" in the 19th century. Elizabeth was a character that saw men "as objects that women depend upon but never possess, men are ever absent and- at least in many novels- thus likely to occupy the female mind" (Greenfield 339).