Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the premise of pride and prejudice in relation to the characters of Elizabeth and Darcy in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". The author points out that the public behaviors of Darcy's pride makes him appear to be an arrogant and self-serving young man. The paper relates that his behaviors are not driven by mere vanity but by a true desire to associate with only the most moral and noble of persons. The author underscores that Elizabeth holds a prejudice against Darcy's public image and must invariably undergo an evolutionary change to realize Darcy's private moral and upstanding convictions. The paper concludes that, when Elizabeth realizes that Darcy is prideful, gruff and impersonal to people who are immoral and vice-prone, she understands that this is a form of pride upon which to form a marriage.

From the Paper:

"When Elizabeth hears of this private side of Darcy's personality, she is astonished to realize that he does not behave proudly out of mere arrogance, but out of his own conviction for just actions and moral fortitude. This also forces Elizabeth to reconsider her rejection of Darcy first marriage proposal, but the issue of pride in Darcy's attitudes is not founded on vanity; which also provides more evidence for Elizabeth to consider accepting Darcy if he should propose marriage to her again."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Austen, Jane. "Pride and Prejudice." 2006. Online Literature.com. 7 April, 2007. <http://www.online-literature.com/austen/prideprejudice/>
• Bloom, Harold. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. New York: Chelsea Publications, 1987.
• Morrison, Robert. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, 2005.
• Southam, B.C. Jane Austen: A Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1969.

More papers on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice":

• Book Review # 93711 : "Pride and Prejudice"--an Analysis"
• Book Review # 97319 : "Pride and Prejudice"--A Review"
• Book Review # 96478 : "Pride and Prejudice"
• Analytical Essay # 143139 : "Irony in "Pride and Prejudice"

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