Class Assignment
Analysis of Pride & Prejudice :
The plot of Pride and prejudice follow and linear chronological structure. Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist and the minor conflict revolves around her struggle to find and compatible husband despise the obstacle represent by both social conventional and her own lake of self awareness.She Encourage a number of antagonist who create obstacle between her and happy marriage. This antagonist can be classified into two groups. The first are the characters who threaten Elizabeth future happiness by trying to pursue her to marry the wrong man . They include Mr Bennet and Mr Collins. The second group of antagonist are the character who tried to prevent Elizabeth marriage to Darcy, notable Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourgh . There are time when Elizabeth functions as her own antagonist. Her stubbornness and inability to understand that Darcy would be a good match for her move her further away from her goal of happiness , rather then toward it .
The main plot of Elizabeth path to marriage intersect closely with sudplots focused on the love life of other female characters. The plot structure is also shaped by it division into volume . Pride and Prejudice was initially published in three volume. In the first volume the initial event of the plot focus on jane attraction to Bingley with Elizabeth and interaction with Darcy and his gradual attraction to her functioning as a secondary incidence. The major conflict in the first section of the novel centred weather jane and Bingley will be able to Marry since Darcy and Bingley sister seems determined to keep them apart. Another conflict arises when Mr Collins begin pursuing Elizabeth and she is forced to reject him. This to initial conflicts are given some resolution at the end of the first volume when Mr Collins finally accept defence and marrie Charlotte Lucas, and the Bingley family leaves netherfield to return London. This moment in the plot mark a low point as it appear as the neither Bennet sister has much chance of getting married and that most people marry for money and status.
The plot arises again with a new focus on possibility of match between Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth visits to Charlotte and Mr Collins create a new opportunity for her to interact with Mr Darcy leading him to propose to her. This proposal occurs approximately in the middle of the story and represent the climax of the attraction Darcy had been trying to reset ever since he first meet Elizabeth. Her rejection of his proposal parallel her previous rejection of Mr Collins.
At this point Elizabeth believe that Darcy is a bad person and she will not accept of marriage to a man she does not love no matter what he might offer her. However top plot line of Darcy and Elizabeth relationship increase in intensity after she rejected him. The rejected proposal leads him to reveal new information that make her questions her perception of him. The unfolding plot of growing affection between Darcy and Elizabeth is interrupt by a new conflict : Lydia 's elopement this conflict dominates the novel 's plot until its resolution.
Once Lydia 's plot line is resolved with her respectable marriage the focus shift to a return to jane story line. Reunited with Bingley she quickly becomes engaged resolving the conflict that has been ongoing since the novel start. All that remain is a final conflict to be overcome in the form of Lady de Bourgh 's attempt to prevent Elizabeth from marrying Darcy. The earlier plot even where Elizabeth stood her ground have prepared her for this moment and she refuse to back down. With the characters having finally overcome all the obstacle in the way the novel climax take place when Darcy propose a second time an Elizabeth accepts him. The climax is followed by some brief following action including the preparation for the marriage the projected features for all three couples.
Pride and Prejudice was influential demonstrating that everyday events and domestic struggle present in realistic way can be as interesting as more sensational stories. Readers experience the event of the plot in the same way the character do without any special narrative techniques. This choice of plot structure help to make the event of the novel relatable. The novel closes with a classic comedic ending in which three of Bennett sister are married and the virtuous character as rewarded with prosperity and happiness why the foolish or wicked character face a more turbulent existence.
Home Assignment
Themes of Pride and Prejudice:
Prejudice:As the title suggests prejudice is one of the main theme of the novel. Prejudice is one of many obstacles that get in the way of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy from connecting quickly. For example Mr Darcy prejudice towards Elizabeth is largely because of her social standing. He does not noticed the strength for her character for a long time since he is above her in class. The narrator Darcy had at first scarcely allow her to be pretty and in split of his ensuring that her manners well not those of fashionable world he was caught by their simple playfulness.
Here , narrator demonstrated how Mr Darcy initially prejudice intentionally cloud his ability to see Elizabeth for the strong ,intelligent woman that she is. Once is able to disregard that social differences he allows himself to fall in love with her. Austen attention to Mr Darcy prejudice and substance transformation into a humbler perspective shows the issue that social prejudice can cause and the good that can come from removing those prejudice from society.
Pride:
Pride is a constant presence in the characters' attitudes and treatment of each other, coloring their judgments and leading them to make rash mistakes. Pride blinds Elizabeth and Darcy to their true feelings about each other. Darcy's pride about his social rank makes him look down on anyone not in his immediate circle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she refuses to revise her opinion even in the face of clearly contradictory evidence. This is why she despises the good-hearted Darcy for so long, but initially admires the lying Wickham. Yet while Pride and Prejudice implies that no one is ever completely free of pride, it makes it clear that with the proper moral upbringing one may overcome it to lead a life of decency and kindness. In the end, the two lovers are able to overcome their pride by helping each other see their respective blind spots. Darcy sheds his snobbery, while Elizabeth learns not to place too much weight on her own judgments.
Family:
The family is the predominant unit of social life in Pride and Prejudice and forms the emotional center of the novel. Not only does it provide (or fail to provide, as in the case of Lydia) the Bennet daughters with their education and manners, but the social ranking of the family determines how successful they may reasonably expect to be in later life. Austen skillfully reveals how individual character is molded within the family by presenting Jane and Elizabeth as mature, intelligent adults, and Lydia as a hapless fool. The friction between Elizabeth and her mother on the one hand and the sympathy she shares with Mr. Bennet on the other illustrate the emotional spectrum that colors the family's overall character. The influence of Elizabeth's aunt and uncle shows how the family works in an extended sense, with the Gardiners acting as substitute parents, providing much needed emotional support at key moments of stress.
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 Bennet, who are middle class, may socialize with the upper-class Bingley and Darcy, 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
Essay:
Characters of Pride and Prejudice:
1).Elizabeth Bennet:
Elizabeth Bennet is the second eldest of the five Bennet sisters. The observant and sharp-tongued Elizabeth is the protagonist of the novel. She is quick-witted, playful, and intelligent. A strong female with strong opinions, Lizzy knows to be polite in society while keeping her strong opinions to herself. Knowing her place in society, she is often embarrassed by the behavior of her mother, and her younger sisters. Even though she is engaged to Mr. William Collins to help her family's financial standing, Lizzy does hope to marry for love. When she first meets Mr. Darcy, Lizzy becomes offended by him when she overhears him criticizing her. Her dislike for and rejection of Darcy continues when Wickham tells Elizabeth how Darcy treated him. However, as the novel progresses, Elizabeth realizes that first impressions can be deceiving and comes to shed her prejudices about him and recognize the love she has for Darcy. As the novel ends, Elizabeth accepts Darcy's proposal of marriage.
2). Jane Bennet:
Jane Bennet is the eldest of the Bennet sisters and is considered to be the kindest, the prettiest, and the most optimistic of the sisters. Jane's gentle and trusting nature balances Lizzy's quick wit and observant nature. Jane's trust is misplaced, though, in Caroline Bingley as Caroline manipulates Jane in an effort to separate her from Mr. Bingley. As a result, Jane learns to be a little more realistic in trusting the motivations of other people. She and Elizabeth are very close and share a strong bond. Like her sister, Jane hopes to marry for love; and she does when Mr. Bingley proposes and the two marry.
3). Fitzwilliam Darcy:
A wealthy gentleman, the master of Pemberley, and the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though Darcy is intelligent and honest, his excess of pride causes him to look down on his social inferiors. Over the course of the novel, he tempers his class-consciousness and learns to admire and love Elizabeth for her strong character.
The son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley, Darcy is Elizabeth’s male counterpart. The narrator relates Elizabeth’s point of view of events more often than Darcy’s, so Elizabeth often seems a more sympathetic figure. The reader eventually realizes, however, that Darcy is her ideal match. Intelligent and forthright, he too has a tendency to judge too hastily and harshly, and his high birth and wealth make him overly proud and overly conscious of his social status. Indeed, his haughtiness makes him initially bungle his courtship. When he proposes to her, for instance, he dwells more on how unsuitable a match she is than on her charms, beauty, or anything else complimentary.
Elizabeth's rejection of his advances builds a kind of humility in Darcy. Darcy demonstrates his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her low connections, when he rescues Lydia and the entire Bennet family from disgrace, and when he goes against the wishes of his haughty aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by continuing to pursue Elizabeth. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth, and she ends up repenting her earlier, overly harsh judgment of him.
References: https://study.com/learn/lesson/characters-pride-and-prejudice-analysis-significance.html
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/characters/
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/themes/
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/themes/
