A discussion of the character development in Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice."

Written in 2007; 881 words; 1 sources; MLA; $ 31.95

This paper describes the emotional and mental growth of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the protagonists in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The author traces not only the development of their relationship, but how both characters had to change in order to overcome their own vanity and be able to love another. The paper includes a plot summary which explores Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's transformation.

" Elizabeth's dislike for Darcy is obviously grounded in his rejection of her soon after they first meet. Her vanity is hurt when she overhears him say that he would not dance with her because she is neither handsome nor interesting enough, and after that, she gradually grows more and more prejudiced against him until she lays as much guilt as possible on his account. Darcy on the other hand, is prejudiced against Elizabeth because of her family and her social inferiority but quite soon forms a very good opinion of her character. Both of their transformations begin after Darcy's first marriage proposal. Elizabeth indignantly refuses Darcy because she persuaded herself that he was the cause of her sister's separation from Bingley, and of all of Wickham's misfortunes. Darcy's honest confession of his own prejudice against her only enrages her more as she sees in them a token of his extreme vanity: "why [...] [did you choose] to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?"(Austen, 125) The confrontation brings to light all the hidden tensions between them, and the frustrations connected with their pride and their partial thinking. However, the letter that Elizabeth receives from Darcy the next day is the actual point where her transformation begins. She realizes how wrong she has been in her judgment of Darcy and how blinded by vanity, instead of being blinded by love: "She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think without feeling she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd."(Austen, 129) The grounds of her preference for Wickham are now clearly revealed, as she herself realizes her prejudice against Darcy began with his rejection of her: "Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance..."(Austen, 130) The extent of the transformation that ensue is given by her realization that she had not known herself up to that moment, because she was completely blinded by her prejudice and her pride: "Till this moment I never knew myself."(Austen, 130) Step by step she tries to reconstruct her feelings for Wickham and the basis of her preference for him, but she discovers that she immediately believed the latter's false confessions only because she was ready to believe anything ill of the man who had humiliated her so on the night of the ball. Indeed, in her conversations with Wickham, Elizabeth was extremely superficial, appreciating him because of his pleasant manners and positive attitude towards her, and omitting any other considerations: "Elizabeth honoured him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever as he expressed them."(Austen, 36) Elizabeth had been definitely wrong in her opinions of both Darcy and Wickham, but had been right about the other man who proposed to her, Mr. Collins. Her match with Collins would have helped the family's situation since he was supposed to inherit their property after Mr. Bennet's death, but Elizabeth dismisses the proposal immediately, being persuaded that neither of them would have been happy and that it would be a mistake: "You could not make _me_ happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so."(Austen, 89) In this episode, Elizabeth is true to her own feelings and unprejudiced. She is witty as usual, but honest and she demonstrates that she believes in marrying for love. This version of Elizabeth can be identified in many other episodes, but in none where Darcy is also involved. Although she is not prejudiced, she is still proud however and refuses to marry Collins also because he emphasizes that he is doing her a favor, just as Darcy will do later. The ultimate stage of her transformation begins when she is at Pemberly, and she sees Darcy again with the knowledge that she has misjudged him terribly. Meanwhile, she had also found out that he had been the secret benefactor of Lydia and Wickham by giving Wickham enough money to persuade him to marry Elizabeth's sister. When the servant at Pemberly talks about Darcy's character and good temper and sets him in an amiable light, Elizabeth realizes even more her former blindness. The servant emphasizes that she does not know a woman good enough to marry Darcy, and Lizzy begins to see Darcy for what he is: "I do not know who is good enough for him."(Austen, 178) The previous tensions between them which were created by their vanity, like in the episode of the ball when Darcy refuses to dance with Lizzy or that at Netherfield, when she refuses to dance with him, are transformed into a deep embarrassment in their meeting at Pemberly. Once they have put aside their vanities and prejudices, they can begin to like each other. Thus, Elizabeth and Darcy undergo important transformations in the novel, and learn how to put aside pride and prepossession when they judge other people. The greatest gain is the fact that they learn to love each other instead of loving only their own selves."

Tags: Jane, Austen, Pride, and, Prejudice, Victorian, literature

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