Pride & Prejudice Chapters: 39-50

Pride & Prejudice Chapters: 39-50

Pg. 32: Personal Response Review the word web you completed in the Focus Activity on page 25. What definitions of pride could be applied to Elizabeth and Darcy based on their actions in this section of the novel? Throughout these chapters in the book, both characters gather information about the other. Darcy is humbled by Elizabeth's refusal to marry him; he begins to share information with her that makes her see that he is not so awful. Thus her "pride" has to change as she gathers information. Darcy becomes more attractive to her as he begins to open up about different subjects; he also is described more attractively by those who have known him from a young age. Her prejudice against him begins to weaken as she sees that he is not at all the cad she thought him to be originally. I am not sure exactly what definition you need; for sure, whatever they thought of each other earlier in the novel changes as they gather more information. In Elizabeht’s and Darcy’s case pride can be best described as “a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements”.

Pg. 32: Recall & interpret 1. What two secrets concerning Darcy does Elizabeth reveal to Jane? What concern does Elizabeth express to her father? She tells her about Darcy’s proposal. Secondly, She reveals his relations with Mr. Wickham (how Mr. Wickham tried to marry Darcy's sister Gorgianna for her money). Elizabeth is extremely concerned about her younger sisters' conduct and shares this concern with her father. 2. What does Elizabeth learn about Darcy from the housekeeper at Pemberley? When Darcy appears, what surprises her about his behavior? Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy isn't as cold-hearted and prejudiced as she, and most everyone else, believed he was. She was surprised to see Mr. Darcy spending time with her family and trying to please them.

Pg. 32: Recall & interpret 3. What crisis occurs involving Lydia? How is the crisis resolved? Lydia runs off with Wickham to get married, but marriage is not Wickham's goal. Elizabeth and her family catch wind of the problem and the only way that Wickham will marry Lydia and make her an honest woman is for a large sum of money to be paid to him (In order to pay off his large debts). Lydia's family is not very rich, and instead Darcy pays off Wickham. He does this to make Lizzy happy (He wants to show her how kind he can be) and because he feels like Wickham's actions are his fault.

Darcy vs. Bingley Darcy With fine, tall person, handsome features, noble man • Proud, having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance • ten thousand a year • Judgmental -- Jane as “the only handsome one”; laughs too much -- “Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.” Bingley • lively and unreserved, • danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, • talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. • Amiable “I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, as I have this evening”

Jane and Elizabeth Jane 9-10 • Modest, surprised by compliment • “honestly blind to follies.” Elizabeth • Confident • Hasty in her judgment

Compare Wickham and Bingley • They are alike in some ways and they are different in some ways. They are both pleasing men with good looks and elegant manners. As to wealth, Wickham is poor and Bingley rich. As to ethics, Wickham is a cad and Bingley appears to be a gentleman. Perhaps it is just that Bingley has never been tested.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Mr. Bennet • Witty –e.g. his wife’s nerves as his friend • Not communicative to his wife • Loves Lizzy more than the others • Still cares about their marriage. • ``they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.'' • Mrs. Bennet • Talkative, narraw-minded • ``Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a • little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.''”

The Characters • Judgmental & Playful: Elizabeth  Mr. Bennet  Mary locked up in her world of music and books • Wayward: Lydia and Kitty  Mrs. Bennet • In between: Jane lack of judgment but kind • Judgmental and serious: Darcy • Snobbish -- Ms. Bingley  Lady Catherine • Charles Bingly

Analysis on the way the author uses suspense in Pride and Prejudice. Suspense Lydia runs off with Wickham, potentially ruining the Bennet family name forever. If Lydia goes off with Wickham to "live in sin," it will destroy any chance at happiness for Elizabeth and Jane. No respectable man will marry a woman who has a fallen sister. This situation adds on suspense in the novel regarding Elizabeth’s and Mr. Darcy’s relationship.

Pg. 33, 4. In chapter 49, we notice the behavior of Mrs. Bennet is such a comic relief. The way she forgets about all the shame and starts planning for Lydia’s wedding, as a reader it gives us a comic relief from the mounting suspense of Lydia and Elizabeth’s situation.

Pg. 33 5. Chapter 42 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gives us a very interesting look into the inside of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. It basically explains that Mr. Bennet, as young man, is a lover of beauty and refreshing things. A young, future, Mrs. Bennet is apparently beautiful enough to catch his attention. However, as her personality unravels throughout the marriage, he loses interest in her and, alas, even loses much respect and admiration as well! Mrs. Bennet’ s weak understanding and illiberal mind had, very early in their marriage, put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished forever, from their relationship. This is not entirely his fault; after all, we as readers witness the impossible behavior of Mrs. Bennet, her penchant for speaking her mind out of place, and her imprudence in meddling in her daughter's lives. It is no wonder that Mr. Bennet becomes quite disappointed at who he picks for a wife. After all, like the novel itself suggests, men are not given much time to pick, nor many choices to pick from.This is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife.

Q.1 Elizabeth says to Lady Catherine, "He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we, are equal." How Elizabeth and Darcy are equal? Here are a couple of equalities between Elizabeth and Darcy. 1. They seem to be equal in intelligence and wit. Elizabeth is an "accomplished" young lady, yet she does not brag about any of her talents. Darcy has a formal education, but he knows that Elizabeth can hold her own in a conversation with him or others of high intelligence. 2. They are equal in maturity. Darcy, from a young age, has had to care for his younger sister and a vast estate; so his maturity in comparison to Bingley's is much more advanced. Elizabeth, though she is not the oldest in her family, is certainly the most mature (many would argue that she is more mature than both her parents) and feels the weight of having to worry about her younger sisters' welfare and places in society.

Q. 2 Considering the story’s conclusion, how would you describe Elizabeth? Would you call her a feminist? Explain. In Pride and Prejudice, we see some elements of feminism, especially in the lead character Elizabeth. Society at the time was focused on marriage for women. A woman's only means of support was to marry. The women in the story are certainly focused on marriage, although they have different ideas about why a marriage should take place. Consider that Elizabeth rejects Mr. Collins even though he is correct in suggesting "another offer of marriage may not be made to you." Mrs. Bennet tries to force Elizabeth into the marriage because it will ensure Mr. Bennet's living stays within the family. Elizabeth still refuses because she knows they will never get along. It was very uncommon for a young woman to refuse an offer of marriage with so slight as reason as not likely her intended. In this and many other ways, Elizabeth shows the beginning of feminism by suggesting that a woman is more than a wife and has a right to expect more of a husband.

Q. 3 How does Jane Austen use irony and wit in Pride and Prejudice? A great deal of Austen's wit is actually seen through the use of irony. In Pride and Prejudice, we see all three types of irony displayed: verbal, situational, and dramatic.The use of verbal irony particularly expresses Austen's use of wit. Verbal irony is usually recognized as sarcasm. It is the moment someone, such as a character or narrator, says one thing, but means the complete opposite. One perfect example of verbal irony can be seen in the very opening line of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Ch. 1). The irony in this line is that, while the women of an English village in Austen's time might "acknowledge" the truth above, the wealthy men the line is referring to actually might not; therefore, the above is not really a "truth universally acknowledged." Instead, this opening line is a perfect example of sarcasm, or verbal irony, and a perfect example of Austen's wit.

Situational irony It describes a moment when something occurs and the exact opposite was expected to occur. Either the audience or the characters can have the opposite expectations. One instance of situational irony can be seen early on in the novel at a party that takes place at Lucas Lodge. After Elizabeth is asked to play and sing, the party begins to dance. At the same moment that Sir Lucas is trying to convince Mr. Darcy to join in the dancing, Elizabeth begins walking towards them. Mr. Darcy so adamantly protests dancing to Sir Lucas, even insulting the activity, saying, "Every savage can dance," that when Sir Lucas sees Elizabeth and encourages Darcy to dance with her the reader as well as Elizabeth are very surprised when Darcy "requested to be allowed the honour of her hand" (Vol. 1, Ch. 6). Darcy's behavior in this instant is a true reversal of his earlier behavior, especially at the Meryton assembly. Hence, this is a perfect example of situational irony. In addition, the moment is also amusing due to the sudden change of behavior, also making it another example of Austen's wit. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is aware of something that the characters have no idea of. This scene is also a fine example of dramatic irony. The reader has already begun to get the impression that Darcy feels an attraction for Elizabeth, which the reader began to see when she was tending to her sister at Netherfield. Therefore, the reader knows that Darcy's sudden interest in dancing with Elizabeth is actually genuine while Elizabeth still believes that he dislikes her and is merely asking in an attempt to be well mannered. Again the situation is amusing due to both Elizabeth's and Darcy's reactions to the situation. Hence, again, this use of dramatic irony also demonstrates Austen's wit.

Pride and Prejudice Plot Analysis Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice. Initial Situation We meet the Bennet family: five single daughters with no money. And then a young, rich, single man moves into the neighborhood. This is clearly an initial situation because there’s way too much instability in this system. Pushy mother? Poor, single daughters? One rich, single man? Anyone else predict that the pushy mother is going to be pushing her daughters on the single man? Conflict Bingley starts falling for Jane, but his sisters and friend don’t approve. An obstacle in the path of true love and familial happiness! Yes, this is conflict. To make matters worse, Darcy has developed a crush on Jane’s sister Elizabeth, and all the objections he has to Bingley marrying Jane (lower class family with crazy family members) also apply to the prospect of him marrying Elizabeth. Complication Bingley’s sisters and Darcy succeed in dissuading Bingley from marrying Jane; Darcy sinks lower and lower in Elizabeth’s estimation. Tough. Our lovers seem as far away from each other as possible: Bingley’s sisters effectively quarantine him from seeing Jane, and Wickham drips (figuratively) poison into Elizabeth’s ear about Darcy’s character. While before Elizabeth simply disliked him, she now feels full-on disgust.

Climax Mr. Darcy shows his heart; Elizabeth learns her errors in judgment. All the festering feelings come to a head here. Darcy finally tells Elizabeth how he feels, saying he can repress his emotions no longer, and Elizabeth counters with a, "if you were the last man alive, I still wouldn’t marry you." OK, those weren’t her exact words, but they were pretty close. She finally vents all her anger over what Mr. Darcy has done to Jane and to Mr. Wickham. But! That’s not the end of the climax! Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter that exonerates him from all the charges she leveled against him. Both characters question their identities. As for Elizabeth, who prides herself on being a great judge of character, she learns that people’s exterior masks can fool her. This is the climax of the novel because the greatest attitude shifts come here, towards the end of Part Two. It’s all smoother sailing from here on out for our two main characters. Suspense Lydia runs off with Wickham, potentially ruining the Bennet family name forever. If Lydia goes off with Wickham to "live in sin," it will destroy any chance at happiness for Elizabeth and Jane. No respectable man will marry a woman who has a fallen sister. Don’t know about you, but we’re biting our nails. Denouement Mr. Bingley proposes to Jane; Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth Mr. Darcy uses money to force Wickham to marry Lydia. The Bennet family is saved. Whew. Here’s the ending we’ve been waiting for – couples reunited, misunderstandings cleared up, in-laws chucked out the window…

Conclusion The happily ever after – the last chapter serves as a bit of an epilogue. Our two favorite married couples are doing well, but Lydia and Wickham’s marriage unravels and they become broke. Charles and Jane Bingley move out of Netherfield after a year because they can’t stand Mrs. Bennet, Mary becomes less sanctimonious, and Kitty blossoms under the guidance of her two oldest sisters. Oh, right. Jane moves to an estate practically next door to Pemberley. That all sounds quite peachy.

Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Love Pride and Prejudice contains one of the most cherished love stories in English literature: the courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. As in any good love story, the lovers must elude and overcome numerous stumbling blocks, beginning with the tensions caused by the lovers’ own personal qualities. Elizabeth’s pride makes her misjudge Darcy on the basis of a poor first impression, while Darcy’s prejudice against Elizabeth’s poor social standing blinds him, for a time, to her many virtues. (Of course, one could also say that Elizabeth is guilty of prejudice and Darcy of pride—the title cuts both ways.) Austen, meanwhile, poses countless smaller obstacles to the realization of the love between Elizabeth and Darcy, including Lady Catherine’s attempt to control her nephew, Miss Bingley’s snobbery, Mrs. Bennet’s idiocy, and Wickham’s deceit. In each case, anxieties about social connections, or the desire for better social connections, interfere with the workings of love. Darcy and Elizabeth’s realization of a mutual and tender love seems to imply that Austen views love as something independent of these social forces, as something that can be captured if only an individual is able to escape the warping effects of hierarchical society. Austen does sound some more realist (or, one could say, cynical) notes about love, using the character of Charlotte Lucas, who marries the buffoon Mr. Collins for his money, to demonstrate that the heart does not always dictate marriage. Yet with her central characters, Austen suggests that true love is a force separate from society and one that can conquer even the most difficult of circumstances.

Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Reputation Pride and Prejudice depicts a society in which a woman’s reputation is of the utmost importance. A woman is expected to behave in certain ways. Stepping outside the social norms makes her vulnerable to ostracism. This theme appears in the novel, when Elizabeth walks to Netherfield and arrives with muddy skirts, to the shock of the reputation-conscious Miss Bingley and her friends. At other points, the ill-mannered, ridiculous behavior of Mrs. Bennet gives her a bad reputation with the more refined (and snobbish) Darcys and Bingleys. Austen pokes gentle fun at the snobs in these examples, but later in the novel, when Lydia elopes with Wickham and lives with him out of wedlock, the author treats reputation as a very serious matter. By becoming Wickham’s lover without benefit of marriage, Lydia clearly places herself outside the social pale, and her disgrace threatens the entire Bennet family. The fact that Lydia’s judgment, however terrible, would likely have condemned the other Bennet sisters to marriageless lives seems grossly unfair. Why should Elizabeth’s reputation suffer along with Lydia’s? Darcy’s intervention on the Bennets’ behalf thus becomes all the more generous, but some readers might resent that such an intervention was necessary at all. If Darcy’s money had failed to convince Wickham to marry Lydia, would Darcy have still married Elizabeth? Does his transcendence of prejudice extend that far? The happy ending of Pride and Prejudice is certainly emotionally satisfying, but in many ways it leaves the theme of reputation, and the importance placed on reputation, unexplored. One can ask of Pride and Prejudice, to what extent does it critique social structures, and to what extent does it simply accept their inevitability?

Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Class The theme of class is related to reputation, in that both reflect the strictly regimented nature of life for the middle and upper classes in Regency England. The lines of class are strictly drawn. While the Bennets, who are middle class, may socialize with the upper-class Bingleys and Darcys, they are clearly their social inferiors and are treated as such. Austen satirizes this kind of class-consciousness, particularly in the character of Mr. Collins, who spends most of his time toadying to his upper-class patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though Mr. Collins offers an extreme example, he is not the only one to hold such views. His conception of the importance of class is shared, among others, by Mr. Darcy, who believes in the dignity of his lineage; Miss Bingley, who dislikes anyone not as socially accepted as she is; and Wickham, who will do anything he can to get enough money to raise himself into a higher station. Mr. Collins’s views are merely the most extreme and obvious. The satire directed at Mr. Collins is therefore also more subtly directed at the entire social hierarchy and the conception of all those within it at its correctness, in complete disregard of other, more worthy virtues. Through the Darcy-Elizabeth and Bingley-Jane marriages, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices, thereby implying that such prejudices are hollow, unfeeling, and unproductive. Of course, this whole discussion of class must be made with the understanding that Austen herself is often criticized as being a classist: she doesn’t really represent anyone from the lower classes; those servants she does portray are generally happy with their lot. Austen does criticize class structure but only a limited slice of that structure.

Pride & Prejudice Chapters: 39-50