Analysis: Chapters 14
The opening sentence of Pride and PrejudiceIt is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in
want of a wifeestablishes the centrality of advantageous marriage, a
fundamental social value of Regency England. The arrival of Mr. Bingley (and
news of his fortune) is the event that sets the novel in motion. He delivers the
prospect of a marriage of wealth and good connections for the eager Bennet
girls. The opening sentence has a subtle, unstated significance. In its
declarative and hopeful claim that a wealthy man must be looking for a wife, it
hides beneath its surface the truth of such matters: a single woman must be in
want of a husband, especially a wealthy one.
The first chapter consists almost entirely of dialogue, a typical instance of
Austens technique of using the manner in which characters express
themselves to reveal their traits and attitudes. Its last paragraph, in which the
narrator describes Mr. Bennet as a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour,
reserve, and caprice, and his wife as a woman of mean understanding, little
information, and uncertain temper, simply confirms the character assessments
that the reader has already made based on their conversation: Mrs. Bennett
embodies ill breeding and is prone to monotone hysteria; Mr. Bennet is a wit
who retreats from his wifes overly serious demeanor. There is little physical
description of the characters inPride and Prejudice, so the readers perception
of them is shaped largely by their words. Darcy makes the importance of the
verbal explicit at the end of the novel when he tells Elizabeth that he was first
attracted to her by the liveliness of [her] mind.
The ball at Meryton is important to the structure of the novel since it brings the
two couplesDarcy and Elizabeth, Bingley and Janetogether for the first
time. Austens original title for the novel was First Impressions, and these
individuals first impressions at the ball initiate the contrasting patterns of the
two principal male-female relationships. The relative effortlessness with which
Bingley and Jane interact is indicative of their easygoing natures; the obstacles
that the novel places in the way of their happiness are in no way caused by
Jane or Bingley themselves. Indeed, their feelings for one another seem to
change little after the initial attractionthere is no development of their love,
only the delay of its consummation. Darcys bad behavior, on the other hand,
immediately betrays the pride and sense of social superiority that will most
hinder him from finding his way to Elizabeth. His snub of her creates a mutual
dislike, in contrast to the mutual attraction between Jane and Bingley. Further,
while Darcys opinion of Elizabeth changes within a few chapters, her (and the
readers) sense of him as self-important and arrogant remains unaltered until
midway through the novel.
Analysis: Chapters 58
The introduction of the Lucases allows Austen to comment on the pretensions
that accompany social rank. Recently knighted, Sir William is described as
having felt his new distinction a little too strongly and moved away from town
in order to think with pleasure of his own importance. Sir William remains a
sympathetic figure despite his snobbery, but the same cannot be said of
Bingleys sister, whose class-consciousness becomes increasingly evident.
Awareness of class difference is a pressing reality in Pride and Prejudice. This
awareness colors the attitudes that characters of different social status feel
toward one another. This awareness cuts both ways: as Darcy and Elizabeth
demonstrate, the well-born and the socially inferior prove equally likely to harbor
prejudices that blind them to others true natures.
Charlotte Lucass observation that Jane does not display her affection for
Bingley illuminates the careful structure of the novel. Darcy notices the same
reticence in Jane, but he assumes that she is not in love with Bingley.
Charlottes conversation with Elizabeth, then, foreshadows Darcys justification
for separating Bingley from Jane. Similarly, the author prepares the reader for
subsequent developments in other relationships: Charlottes belief that it is
better not to know ones husband too well foreshadows her practical marriage
to Collins, while Elizabeths more romantic view anticipates her refusal of two
proposals that might have been accepted by others.
As in Sense and Sensibility, Austen emphasizes the matter of entailment in
order to create a sense of urgency about the search for a husband. Though
Jane is the eldest child in a fairly well-off family, her status as a woman
precludes her from enjoying the success her father has experienced. When her
father dies, the estate will turn over to Mr. Collins, the oldest male relative. The
mention of entailment stresses not just the value society places on making a
good marriage but also the way that the structures of society make a good
marriage a prerequisite for a good life (the connotation of good being
wealthy). Austen thus offers commentary on the plight of women. Through both
law and prescribed gender roles, Austens society leaves women few options for
the advancement or betterment of their situations.
Language proves of central importance to relationships in Pride and
Prejudice, as Austen uses conversation to reveal character. The interactions
between Darcy and Elizabeth primarily take the forms of banter and argument,
and Elizabeths words provide Darcy access to a deeper aspect of her
character, one that appeals to him and allows him to begin to move past his
initial prejudice. While their disagreement over the possibility of a perfect
woman reinforces his apparent egotism and self-absorption, it also gives
Elizabeth a chance to shine in debate. Whereas she does not live up to Darcys
physical and social requirements for a perfect woman, she exceeds those
concerning the liveliness of the perfect womans mind.
The novel begins to undermine the readers negative impression of Darcy by
contrasting him with Miss Bingley. Though his arrogance remains unpleasant,
he is unwilling to join in Miss Bingleys snobbish dismissals of Elizabeth and her
family. Like Lady Catherine de Bourgh later on, Miss Bingley serves as the
voice of society, criticizing Elizabeths middle-class status and lack of social
connections. Also like Lady Catherine, her primary motivation is jealousy: just
as Lady Catherine wants Darcy to marry her niece, Miss Bingley wants him for
herself. Both women exhibit a spite colored by self-interest.
