16 Jane Austen-Pride And Prejudice

Dr. Nidhi Arora

epgp books

15.0 Learning Outcomes:

15.1 Jane Austen: A Biographical Sketch

15.2 Jane Austen‟s Contribution

15.3 Jane Austen as a novelist

15.4 Why is Jane Austen a Transitional Novelist?

15.5 Pride and Prejudice Plot

15.6 Pride and Prejudice as a social Comedy

15.7 Jane Austen‟s Art of Characterisation in Pride and Prejudice

15.8 Significance of the Title “Pride and Prejudice”

15.9 Critics on Pride and Prejudice

15.10 A Quick Recap

15.11 Self-assessment: Test Your Knowledge

15.12 Self-assessment: Answer the questions.

15.13 Know More: Bibliography for Further Reading

15.14 Know More: You Tube Clippings on Jane Austen and her novels

15.15 Appendix

 

15.0 Learning Outcomes:

 

The students will go through the contents on Jane Austen‟s „Pride and Prejudice‟ A general introduction will help them in knowing about the transitional Age that Jane Austen belongs to. As they go through the contents, they will come to know about Jane Austen and her attitude towards, women and men of contemporary society. Exercises in the form of objective questions and long questions will help them in assessing their knowledge. Plot will make them feel of the text of the novel. Bibliography for further reading will motivate them to know more about Jane Austen in detail.

 

15.1 Jane Austen: A Biographical Sketch

 

Jane Austen was born On December 16. 1775. The younger daughter of George Austen and Cassandra Austen was like her father a scholarly child who loved reading books as a source of family entertainment. Jane Austen could sing, dance and play the piano as well. She had some knowledge of French and Italian languages. She believed that she should not marry simply from worldly motives and without love. Thus, she decided not to marry. Jane Austen had a lovable character and temperament. Henry

Austen aptly said, “her stature was of true elegance…Her complexion was of finest texture. It might, with truth, be said that her eloquent blood spoke through her modest cheeks. Her voice was extremely sweet. She delivered herself with fluency and precision” Jane Austen died 24th July 1817.

 

15.2 Jane Austen‟s Contribution

 

Jane Austen started writing at the age of sixteen. She spent twenty seven years on her six novels as after finishing each novel constantly revising them and then sparing many more months to rewrite before publication. This the reason that the final version of her novels have perfection The novels by Jane Austen:

  1. Sense and Sensibility (1811)
  2. Pride and Prejudice (1813)
  3. Mansfield Park (1813)
  4. Emma (1815)
  5. Northanger Abbey (1817)
  6. Persuasion (1817)

15.3 Jane Austen as a Novelist:

 

Jane Austen is considered among the renowned novelists. She enticements the characters and dialogues from real world of the time. She represents the society in the forms of a social group which is formed to resolve the matrimonial complexities. In the advancement of the plot, as the misunderstandings and frustrations increase, the audience‟s curiosity also intensifies in the same proportions. The presentation of the society in the form of parties, shopping, and dances is full of humour and irony. The absence of complete perfection of hero and extreme behaviour of villain make her novels more appealing to readers.

 

15.4 Why is Jane Austen a Transitional Novelist?

 

Transitional Elements in Jane Austen‟s novels

 

The period between 1740 -1790

 

The period between 1740 -1790 in English literature is known as Transitional age. This period witnessed a struggle between the older of classism and gradual triumph of the new. The literary novelist of this period or the period just after it has transitional tendencies in their literature. On the one hand they maintained elegance to the classism of 18th century on the other ha\ha they have their leanings towards the new spirit of Romanticism.

 

Jane Austen-the product of the transitional period

 

Jane Austen is the product of the transitional period which intervenes between the ideal of the 18th century and 19th centuries. On the whole she belongs more to 19th than the 18th century. The 18th century trends are to be marked in only one or two points in her works. First, one is struck by her indifference to nature there is little of descriptive background in Miss Austen‟s novel like Pope. She writes in the belief that “the proper study of men kind is man”. She is interested only in her sex and in men so far as they are object of interest to women.

 

Character‟s drawn from humble life

 

Another 18th century feature in her novel is the absence from her pages of character‟s drawn from humble life. She completely leaves out the poor and confines herself exclusively to country gentry and upper middle class people. Thus we are constantly coming across same types of characters. She seems to be of the view that the character should possess a certain measure of social respectability. This may be owning to the influence of Miss Burney.

 

19th century or romantic elements in her novels

 

Now we shall discuss the 19th century or romantic elements in her novels. While in the above mentioned two respects Jane belongs to the 18th century. She is entirely of the 19th century in her treatment of characters. Jane is attracted by the naturalness and reality in speech and behaviour of the persons. They think, speak and act as real human beings do. Her portraits are remarkable for their finish, their closeness to human nature, the skill with which she exposes motives even in the most common place an uninteresting characters she stands universal led in her power of revealing character by means of dialogue alone—something exceedingly difficult to do. By many a little touch and minute characters she develops her characters to perfection till each of them stands out distinctly as separate personality. Where some novelist would require pages of description to bring to life to an individual Jane Austen, in some illuminating sentences of half a dozen words, a remark made by the character in question, gives a complete account of that person.

 

Secondly, though in her words Pathos is lacking and passion of a deep over whelming kind is treated, we have a constant play of humour often gently malicious of banter (strong satire rather than sharp satire) and of Satire which never fail to delight the attentive reader.

 

Lastly, though never obtrusively didactic her novels are full of indirect moral instructions ARCHBISHOP WHITELY, WHILE REVIEWING her novel said, “ they may be safely recommended not only as among the most unexceptional of their class, but as combining in an eminent degree instruction with amusement.”

Conclusion

 

To conclude Jane Austen to a great extent may be called a transitional novelist. In her work there is a happy and interesting blend of classical and romantic tendencies. Naturally, her works were affected by the age in which she lived and that was the transitional age.

 

15.5 Pride and Prejudice- Plot

 

Well-knit and organic plot

 

Jane Austen‟s plots are well knit and organic plot. This applies to Pride and Prejudice as well. In Pride and Prejudice there are very little superfluous scene or characters. In this novel with the possible exception of Kitty and Mary there is no other character or no event that may be called superfluous or that does not contribute to the development of the story. Even the comic proposal to Elizabeth of Mr. Collins has its own significance. It highlights the character of the heroine and shows her in favourable light.

 

The sequence of events is logical and inevitable

 

The story opens at Longbourn. The arrival of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park is an important event because of matrimonial intensions of the Bennet family and also because it is with him that the hero Darcy, makes his appearance. There is a ball at Netherfield which helps a step in the development of the plot. The plot develops through the conflict between Darcy and Elizabeth, the pride of one and prejudice of other.

 

Jane Austen shows her skill in the handling of events

 

Jane Austen shows her skill in the handling of events which now follow in quick succession resulting in the deepening of Elizabeth prejudice and the awakening of Darcy‟s love for her. Gradually, the conflict between Pride and Prejudice weakens as Darcy makes his proposal to Elizabeth at once rejected. W.L. Cross praises the novelist and says that since Fielding no novelist “has been master of structure”. He further says that the marriage of Elizabeth is not merely a possible solution of the plot, it is as inevitable as the conclusion of a poetry constructed syllogism or geometrical “demonstration for a parallel of workmanship of this high order, one can only goes to Shakespeare.”

 

The structure of Pride and Prejudice is dramatic.

 

Baker divides the novel into five Acts. In the manner of “Much Ado about Nothing” the attitudes of the hero and the heroine gradually undergo a complete reversal and marriage is the only solution. The beginning of the story brings together the hero and the heroine. The story develops through conflict between their respective Pride and Prejudice and ends with the reversal of their attitude. In the manner of drama “The action is carried forward through short scenes and dialogues” Walter Scott.

 

Characters are also developed through dialogues

 

Characters are also developed through dialogue instead of description or analyses. Comedy deals with the conflict between illusion and reality and this is also the theme of Jane Austen‟s novels. Jane Austen‟s novels are dramatic noves , the novels of conversation rather than action.

The plot of the novel is compound and not simple.

 

There are several pairs of lovers. The novel consists of sub-plots, digressions and episodes in Pride and Prejudice. We have

  1. Love of Darcy-Elizabeth -The Main Plot
  2. Love of Jane- Bingley- Sub plot
  3. Love of Lydia- Wickham -Episode
  4. Love of Collins- Charlotte- Episode

All these different threads are woven together skilfully.

 

The sub-plot serves as a foil to the main plot. Jane and Bingley are passionate lovers as constructed with the active love of Elizabeth and Darcy. Bingley‟s sudden departure for London from Netherfield heightens Elizabeth‟s prejudice towards Darcy. For she consider him responsible for the misery of her sister. The sub- plot which remains at the front in the beginning is pushed into the background when the main plot (story) starts.. Lydia-Wickham episode adds the element of melodrama. It also highlights the essential mobility of Darcy and helps to dispel the prejudice of Elizabeth. The comic proposal of Collins imparts the dramatic relief. His marriage with Charlotte resolves in Elizabeth‟s visit to Hunsford where she comes to know more about Darcy and prejudice weakens. Thus there are no loose ends and all the part have been well fused into single compact whole.

 

The complexity in the plot undertakes emotions

 

The complexity in the plot is also provided by the undercurrent of emotions running through it. The entire plot is suffused not only by emotion but also by thought- the thinking process of Elizabeth.

 

Novel of conversation and little action.

 

It is said that the novel like all the other novels of Jane Austen is a novel of conversation and little action. Whatever action there is, it is trivial and common place. It consists merely of little visits shopping expedition, wedding dinners, tea-parties, dances, card-playing and the like. Although these actions are trivial and insignificant yet with her exquisite touch it is transformed into the uncommon and significant. The novel is the novel of common, everyday situations. It is the apotheosis of the common place.

 

Conclusion

 

To conclude the plot of the novel has an exactness and symmetry of form and structure. W.L. CROSS writes, she is a “pure novelist” with emphasis on, “the formal peculiarities of compositions, and the sub-ordinations of parts to the whole”

 

15.6 Pride and Prejudice as a Social Comedy

 

Interpretation of Social Life in Terms of Comedy

 

Pride and Prejudice is social comedy. It is a social because it is a study in the social life of two or three middle class families‟ in a provincial town. Jane Austen has studied the actions and reactions of the people within these narrow limits. It is a comedy because Jane Austen has exposed the foibles, the follies and the absurdities inherent in the life and character of these people. Hence the remark of David Daiche that in Pride and Prejudice the novelist, “has exposed the economic basis of sound relationships with an ironic smile.”

 

The Presentation of Middle class social life:

 

The Novel deals with the social life of the Bennets‟, the Lucas‟ and the Bingley‟s. They are all leisured middle class people who have not to bother about earning their livelihood. The Bennet‟s may be said to belong to the lower Middle class with only two thousand a year, and the Bingley to the upper middle class with a much higher income. Their life is a round of visiting, playing cards, singing, going to dinners and inviting people to dinner. Occasionally, they go out of the Longbourn neighbourhood. The petty jealousies, rivalries, doubts and suspicious with beset this narrow and confined life have been skilfully exposed by the novelist.

 

Life of Aristocracy-Military Life:

 

Novelist has not failed to provide us with glimpses of the life of aristocracy. Lady De-Bourgh is an aristocrat, proud, arrogant and insolent. She lives an artificial life of pomp and show and likes to display her wealth and splendour. She has nothing to do and finds diversion in taking rides in her carriage, listening to the pianos, or inviting people to dinner. The life of the country clergy has also been glanced at through Mr. Collins. They have nothing much to do and depend for their living in the patronage of the great whom they flatter in season and out of season. Similarly through the flirtation of Lydia and Catherine with the military officers, we can form an idea of their social life. It seems to be a corrupt lot which finds it‟s diversion in having love- – affairs with the girls in the towns where there is regiment is stationed. Mr. Wickham is a typical specimen of the class, dishonest and profligate.

 

Limitations of Picture:

 

Such is the social life depicted in the novel. It will be noticed that the life of the lower classes, and of those who earn their living by the sweat of their brow, has been rigidly excluded. As has been well said, no footman ever crosses the stage of Jane Austen. We may get an occasional glimpse of a housekeeper, but it is only from the distant. Similarly, city life is beyond the range of novelist. Even though Jane Bennet goes to London and stays with Gardiner for a Pretty long time nothing is told to us of metropolitan life.

 

Financial Motivation:

 

The basis of this social life is money. It turns on monetary considerations. I that is the way it has been said,” Jane Austen‟s text is money”. Andrew H. Wright and Persal Smith both find Pride and Prejudice didactic and mercenary.” Leonard Woolf points out that in Pride and Prejudice “the social standards are almost entirely those of money and snobbery.

 

Materialism of Mrs. Bennet: Its Ironic Treatment:

 

The basis of social relations in Pride and Prejudice is economic and Jane Austen has exposed it with an ironic smile. The chapter, in the novel are guided in their relationships by monetary considerations. Mrs. Bennet‟s one ambition in life is to see her daughters well married to eligible young man and their eligibility is to be judged only by one standard- the economic. She considers Bingley an excellent match for Jane, not for any other consideration but solely because he has a large fortune, “A single man of large fortune, four or five thousand a year! What a fine thing for our girls!” She considers the absurd Mr. Collins a suitable match for her sensible and cultured Elizabeth, merely because he can provide her with a comfortable home.

 

The Lucases: Their Materialism-it‟s treatment:

 

The attitude of Lucases towards love and marriage is entirely materialistic home. It is for this reason that charlotte accepts the fool of Hunsford and her parents approve of choice. However, the absurdity of Mr. Collins and the kind of life charlotte leads at Hunsford has been fully exposed through the stay of Elizabeth at Parsonage.

 

Wickham-His Greed and Dishonesty:

 

Mr. Wickham himself is a character with whom money is everything. He must get money by hook or by crook. He tried to elope with Miss Darcy not because he loved her, but because she had a large fortune. He flirted with Miss King for this very reason. He agreed to marry Lydia only when he had extorted a large amount of money from Darcy. Wickham- Lydia episode is a criticism of military- life of the day. It is also a criticism of parents like Mr. Bennet who neglect their children. Had he taken more care of his daughter and exercised greater control over their movement, wickham has been shown as thoroughly deprived and wicked ready to sacrifices, however virtue, friendship, everything for the sake of money. He has great personal charms but he exploits them to get money. Jane Austen has succeeded in making him thoroughly despicable.

 

Lady De bourgh, A Comic Figure:

 

The arrogant and ill-mannered lady DeBurrgh has also become a victim of the ironic smile of the writer. She has a large fortune and her sole diversion in life as to display her splendour. It is for this reason that she invites people to dinner. Those who flatter her, like Collins, and tolerate her insolent behaviour and liked by her. The contemptible, stupid lady does not like that Elizabeth should marry Darcy, because Elizabeth is poor and comes to a moneyed, aristocratic family. However, her attempts at preventing their marriage only make her ridiculous. The readers are much amused at her her discomfiture. Ironically enough her efforts serve to hasten the union of Darcy and Elizabeth which she had tried to prevent.

Conclusion

 

Thus Pride and Prejudice is a social comedy in which relationships, even love and marriage relations find a mercenary motivation. The novelist has observed the absurdities of character and social life and interpreted them in a humorous manner. She has exposed the absurdities of excessive materialisms with an ironic smile. However, it must be pointed out that her picture of social life is a limited one. It is limited to the life of leisured middle classes in a provincial town. No doubt, by and large, money motivates the actions of the chief personages. Pride and Prejudice is a criticism of life expressed in terms of comedy.

 

15.7 Jane Austen‟s Art of Characterisation in Pride and Prejudice

 

Variety and Abundance of Character

 

One of the triumphs of Jane Austen‟s art is the immense vitality and variety of her characters. Macaulay considers her the equal of Shakespeare. However there is no denying the fact that her novels are well stored portrait gallery.

 

Narrow Canvas but Great Variety

 

Jane Austen‟s characters are all drawn from the upper middle class or landed gentry in a provincial village. There is, no doubt that she paints on a narrow canvas, but this does not mean that her range of characters is also narrow one. As a matter of fact her range is very vast, “In her six books she never repeats a single character”. Fine shades of characters are skilfully brought out. No two flirts, no two snobs, no two fools are alike. The folly of the foolish and the villainy of the wicked are sharply distinguished. Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins and Lady De Burgh are three figures of fun in the same novel, but how different from each other.

 

Characters Drawn in their Private Capacity

 

Jane Austen draws characters from her personal experiences and knowledge. She had been familiar since childhood with landed country gentry. It is a leisured class with nothing serious to do. The time is passed in smoking, gossiping, playing cards, or in singing, dancing and visiting. The tenor of this life is smooth, the passion are unknown to her respectable ladies and gentlemen. There is no doubt that she draws men in their private capacity in their relation with their wives, children and neighbours and friends not in relation to government or to god or even in relation to their higher passions. If you want to know man‟s temper you must study him at home and Jane Austen does so and thus succeeds in bringing out the fundamental nature of her man and women. As David Celil puts it “Jane Austen‟s realistic English drawing rooms are theatres in which elemental human folly and inconsistency play out their eternal comedy”

 

Vitality of her Characters: Their Complexity

 

There are other reasons also for vitality of her characters. She can visualise the externals of personality as vividly as Dickens himself. With a few brief sentences she can bring out the habit, the dress, the appearance, the tricks of speech, in short any oddity and idiosyncrasy of his creatures.

 

However, she does not stop at that. Her discriminating vision can penetrate to the organising principals of a personality that lie beneath the surface. She can discern the motives and causes of conduct, the essential of actions. Her characters are living breathing relations and not mere puppets of absurdities.

 

Their Many Sidedness

 

Her characters are many sided: they are mixture of good evil, virtue and wickedness in varying proportions like real human beings. Jane Austen is impartial she l does not idealise. She has sympathy with all, identify only rarely as with Elizabeth. Her most virtuous characters have their faults and what is more striking; she shows how these faults integral to their natures. They have certain virtues and these very virtues result in certain faults in their respective characters. Thus, Elizabeth is intelligent, witty and discerning but these very virtues make her own judgment. The intensity of Jane‟s vision fuses vices and virtues into a single integrated personality. This g “gives her characters volume; they are not merely brilliantly drawn silhouettes, but solid, three dimensional figures, who can be looked at from several sides” (Celil). However, Maria and Kitty in Pride and Prejudice are exceptions in this respect. They fail to come to life..

 

The Foolish and Vulgar Transformed By Sense of Humour

 

Jane Austen had a keen sense of humour. Her eyes take on a merry twinkle when they fall on any specimen of the Ludicrous. Conceit, vanity, silliness and pomposity of men tickle her to laughter that is why a large majority of characters are regular figure of fun. But her magic wand transforms even fools and bores of real life into the most amusing and entertaining men and women. Mrs. Bennet is foolish, vulgar and peevish. The best example of folly is her happiness at the elopement of Lydia. In life, nobody can tolerate such a woman but the imagination of Jane Austen transforms her into an inexhaustible source of fun.

 

Round and Straight Characters

Jane Austen‟s grasp of human psychology enables her to conceive her characters in the round. Her characters are not flat; they change and grow under the stress of circumstances and become different from what they were in the beginning. Thus Darcy undergoes a sea change; and Elizabeth too is much altered. Even Mr. Bennet is shaken out of his complacency. However, this applies only to the principal figures. The minor once are not modified by circumstances. Mr. Collins is a straight character; he remains the same from the beginning to the end. In a like manner, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary too do not change and grow.

 

Her Female Characters:

 

Jane Austen excels in painting women characters. Her women are more complex and more memorable than her men. Some of the men are excellently drawn but they are invariably drawn from the women‟s point of view. Certain aspects of their personality which, a woman is not accepted to know are left out. However, with women it is an entirely different matter. As Baker Points out in each one of her six novels a young woman, witty sensible discerning and charming is the centre of interest and entire action is presented from her point of view. These young ladies of her novels are in love, without being great lovers. The peaks and heights of love are not known to them. They are the mouthpieces of the novelist; indeed some like Elizabeth may be attributed to Jane Herself.

  1. “Intricate characters are the most interesting”
  2. “I hope I never ridicule what is wise and good”
  3. “Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me”

Use of Dramatic Methods:

 

Jane Austen‟s methods of character presentations are dramatic. The character is developed through short scenes in dialogues. A character reveals himself in his conversation. Further light is thrown upon his nature by what others say about him. Thus the character of Bennet is revealed in the very first chapter through a dialogue between husband and wife. Soliloqy too is made use in moments of stress. Thus, the soliloquy of Elizabeth oand receiving Darcy‟s letter of explanation is a remarkable piece of character analyses.

 

No Exaggeration of the Absurd

 

Jane Austen is a true humourist and she takes immense delight in the ridiculous aspects of her characters. Absurdities of Mr.Collins, Mrs. Bennet or Lady De Bourgh lead her to depict them with profound interest. She does not exaggerate; she simply exposes the follies which are natural to them. Their absurdities are the natural outcome to their souls. Thus, she is excellent in her art of Characterisation.

 

15.8 Significance of the Title “Pride and Prejudice”

 

Pairing two slightly contrasted “ethical” terms

 

Jane Austen employs the style of pairing two slightly contrasted “ethical” terms to serve as the title of two of her novels: „Pride and Prejudice‟ and sense and Sensibility‟. Both these novels had initially, different title i.e. „First Impression‟ and Elinor and Marianne‟ respectively but on revision got the present titles. This style of “ethical” title was commonly associated with „conduct‟ fiction, the books were designed to illustrate in their stories and commentary the correct way for young women to behave in the situations. They were likely to encounter in polite mi polite middle class society- how a young lady should composed herself at dance how she should deal politely get firmly with a young man who is presenting her, how she should deal who insults her; how she should refuse an offer of marriage how she should behave towards an older woman of superior rank. And these precisely are the situations that Elizabeth Bennet has to cope with and obviously the question of her conduct is on these occasions is paramount in „Pride and Prejudice‟.

Not a “conduct Fiction”

 

However, Pride and Prejudice is not a “conduct Fiction” and so there is no “how” in Jane Austen, no directive about right and wrong ways to behave. Our judgments of Elizabeth do not arise from rules of propriety but from her behaviour as a unique individual in circumstances which are particular to her.

 

Anti-conduct fiction

 

Against the morality of “conduct fiction” Jane Austen sets her own individual mode of anti-conduct fiction. In the novel as a whole, the anti-contained within the exploration of the terms “Pride and Prejudice”. Sometimes the terms are discussed and analysed directly, as they are when Elizabeth and Darcy examine themselves and scrutinize their past feeling and behaviour. More generally they force of the terms is illustrated dramatically in the scheme of characterisation, which extends outwards from the hero and heroine, showing the depth and complexity of human that can stand behind nature that can stand behind terms so decrepitly simple. In Darcy “Pride” is both positive and Negative; both a proper, justified pride in the history of his family and an offence, Elizabeth‟s “Prejudice” is the negative aspect of something positive, her spirit and high intelligence. She confesses this to Jane,

“And yet I meant to be uncommonly so decided a dislike to him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one‟s genius, such an opening for wit to have dislike of that kind.

One may be continually abusive without saying anything just; but one not always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.”

 

Her “Prejudice” was originally fired by her hurt “Pride” at the Meryton Ball, by Darcy‟s insulting proposal of marriage( at Hunsford) and by slanders spread by Wickham.

 

Complex varieties of Pride and Prejudice In Mr. Collins

 

There are other equally complex varieties of Pride and Prejudice. In Mr. Collins is displayed the sanctimonious pride of a man who relishes in delivering a savage “Christian” judgment and who enjoys a toadying, obsequious existence in the reflected glory of his patroness.

 

Complex varieties of Pride and Prejudice In Charlotte, Lucas

 

In Charlotte, Lucas, we watch the sinking of self-pride for the sake of marriage to a man(Mr.Collins) whose own self-pride is lost. In Mr. Bennet we see self-pride embittered, turned to malice, elated into a power of isolation and affected indifferences.

 

Conclusion

 

The “Pride” and “Prejudice” analyses can be carried out rewardingly in all the characters but it is a narrow and static line of analyses and Jane Austen‟s statement through the novel is that characters of human complexity cannot be understood or explains by this kind of labelling. In effect, the novel rejects such fixed terms of classification and judgment and requires us to adopt the flexible and dynamic values of judgment formed in the novels structured of dramatic irony. Within that context, the terms “pride” and “ Prejudice” have a place, however not the leading role that they are assigned ironically, in the novel‟s title.

 

15.9 Critics on Pride and Prejudice

  • Pride and Prejudice is rather too light and bright and sparkling, it wants shade, it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be had, if not, of solemn spacious nonsense, about something unconnected with the story, an easy on writing, a critique of Sir Walter Scott or the history of Bonaparte, or anything that would form a contrast and bring the reader with increased delight to the playfulness and epigrammatism of the general style. (Jane Austen)
  • The kind of Moral also which these novels inculcate , applies equally to the paths of common life (Walter Scott)
  • Miss Austen‟s very finely written novel Pride and Prejudice…that young lady had a talent for describing the involvement and feeling and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful, I ever met with…What i pity such a gifted creature died so early! (Walter Scot)
  • We know not whether Miss Austen ever had access to precepts of fiction who have illustrated them more successfully.(Richard Whatley)
  • While other writers have had more power over the emotions more vivid imagination, deeper sensibilities, deeper in sight and more of what is properly called invention, no novelst had approached her in what we may style the „ economy of Art‟ by which is meant the easy adaptation of means to ends, which no aid from superfluous elements. It is easy for the artist to choose a subject from every day life, but it is not easy for him so to represent the characters and their actions that they shall be at once life like and interesting…(C.H.Lewis)
  • Of the popularityof Miss Austen‟s six novels, of the estimation in which they are held, we need not speak . it is honourable for the public that she should be so thoroughly appreciated, not merely Walter Scottand Lord Macauly, but by all a who take up her books for mere amusement.(Julia Kavanagh)
  • Like all great comedians, she satirizes in relation to a universal standard of vvalue her books express general view of life….Jane Austen was profoundly moral. She thought you lived onlyto be good, that it was the first duty of everyone to be sincere, unselfish and disinterested. (David Cicil)
  • One of Jane Austen‟s most successful method is to offer her readers every excuse for reading as rather exaggerated figures of fun, people whom she herself detests, and fears. Mrs. Bennet, according to Austen tradition is one of our richly comic characters about whom we can feel superior, condescending, perhaps a trifle sympathetic and above all heartily amused and free from care. (D.H. Harding)
  • I will begin…with the exception. Jane‟s attitude to „work‟ is the antithesis of that of a capitalist, and pre-eminently of the Victorian bourgeosis. There is hardly a single male character in her novels who does any work, to work at all is, indeed, almost in a compatible with the status of a gentle man, she recognises as socially possible only the following professions, the army, navy, the church and with some reservations, the law. (Leonard Woolf)
  • In Pride and Prejudice particularly in the presentation of Darcy‟s character, Jane Ausen has shown an almost Jamesian awareness of the multiple waysof reading man‟s behaviour. She conveys her sense of the possibility of very different interpretations of the same, action as James often does, through dialogues, which look trivial and which are extrely ambiguous. (Robert Liddell)
  • Jane Austen Like wise often uses irony as a stylistic device and for quite un-ironic purposes to fly, to poke fun, to underline a decided judgment when there is no real contradiction involved. Pride and Prejudice and Emma are jane Austen‟s great detective novels, in Emma the underlying mystry is kept up longer but the plot of Pride and Prejudice till the moment of Darcy‟s declaration, affords even more wonderful opportunities for irony and misunderstanding. (Robert Liddell)
you can view video on Jane Austen-Pride And Prejudice

 

Reference

  1. Austen, Jane (1996). Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Classics, note 2 to Chapter 3
  2. Austen, Jane, and Carol Howard. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics Collection, 2003.
  3. Quindlen, Anna (1995). “Introduction”. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library..
  4. Fox, Robert C. (1962). “Elizabeth Bennet: Prejudice or Vanity?”. Nineteenth-Century Fiction (University of California Press)
  5. Armstrong Isobel (1992). New Feminist Discourses: Critical Essays on Theories and Texts
  6. Clark Robert (1994). ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘ Pride and prejudice’ contemporary critical Essays (New Casebooks) 
  7. Krikham, Margaret (1983) Feminism and Fiction
  8. Newton Judith Lowder (1981) Women Power and Subversion; Social Strategies in British Fiction.
  9. Todd Janet (1983) Jane Austen: New Perspectives, Women and Literature 3
  10. Duckworth, Alistair M. (1971) The Improvement of Estate: A study of Jane Austen’s novel.
  11. Pinion, F B (1973). A Jane Austen. Companion. Macmillan. 
  12. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice, Ch 61.
  13. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice, Ch 1.
  14. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice, Ch 34. 
  15. Rogers, Pat (ed.) (2006). The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice. Cambridge University Press. 
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice – cite_ref-20 Stafford, Fiona (2004). “Notes on the Text”. Pride and Prejudice. Oxford World’s Classics (ed. James Kinley). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  17. Fergus, Jan (1997). “The professional woman writer”. In E Copeland and J McMaster. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Cambridge University Press. 
  18. Valérie Cossy and Diego Saglia. “Translations”. Jane Austen in Context. Ed. Janet Todd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.