Analysis of Key Characters in Pride and Prejudice

傲慢与偏见中主要人物分析Analysis of Key Characters in Pride and PrejudiceContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Social Background.1II. Introduction to the Author. 3III. General Introduction to the Novel.4IV. Analysis of the Main Characters.54.1 Elizabeth Bennet.54.2 Mr. Darcy.84.3 Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley.94.4 Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet.10V. Conclusion.11Reference.12Analysis of Key Characters in Pride and Prejudice摘要： 简奥斯丁的傲慢与偏见写于1813年，一直以来很受欢迎，并被广泛阅读。这部作品谈论生活在英国十八世纪的绅士和美丽的女士的爱情，婚姻和家庭生活。故事情节简单。讲述了年轻的女士如何去挑选丈夫。小说的主人公，本奈特伊莉莎白反对她父亲的继承人威廉科林斯的提议并拒绝富有的绅士菲茨威廉达西, 这篇论文主要谈的是傲慢与偏见中的女主人公伊丽莎白班纳特的性格刻画。论文的主要部分先是通过可展示女主人公性格特征的正反两方面来体现的。紧接着通过两个视角讽刺和婚姻观使女主人公的性格得到评析。关键词: 傲慢 偏见 人物性格 奥斯丁 社会背景 婚姻Abstract: Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. It talks about trivial matters of love, marriage and family life between country squires and fair ladies in Britain in the 18th century. The plot is very simple. That is how the young ladies choose their husbands. Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the novel, flatly rejected William Collins proposal, which is the heir of her fathers property and manor, and refused the first proposal from the extremely wealthy nobleman Fitzwilliam Darcy. This thesis is mainly about the depiction of the character of the heroine Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”. The main body of the thesis is presented firstly through the contrast aspects, which show the heroines character. Then from two points of view-irony and marriage, the heroines character is analyzed and evaluated. Key words: Pride prejudice Austen Social background marriageI. Social backgroundThe story of Pride and prejudice took place in the time of the regency in Britain. At that time, Britain was at the period of transition from the earlier stage of Capitalism-to-Capitalism Industrialization. In the countryside, the aristocratic family still held great power and right that country squires were likely to fawn upon them. However as the development of Capitalism and the expand of the rank of rich people, the distinction between social strata was becoming smaller and smaller, while money was getting more and more important in peoples mind about social value. A western literature critic once said “even David Ricardo (a British economist) had an unlikely clearer understanding about the function of money in daily life as Jane Austen had.” It is exactly because of the secure pledge in finance that the country squire society could exist strongly and solidly.The story depicts a society in the process of a dramatic social transition. The power, wealth and privilege of the old aristocracy is gradually giving way to the rising social status and power of the business class. Untitled, unpropertied aristocrats are going into business and bourgeois men of ambition such as Lucas are acquiring titles. The old aristocracy symbolized by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, which has been resting on its oars, lacks the fresh vitality and initiative needed for social progress. The central theme of the story reflects all the major attributes of evolutionary social development described as they express through the institution of marriage. Marriage is an instrument for social evolution in this society because the society is still physical. It still defines privilege and power primarily based on land, birth, and blood relation. In the coming era, money becomes the dominant instrument in a society that is dynamically vital. Today education and technology eradicate social barriers and reward individual capacity in a society that is increasingly mental in character.Each of the four marriages that occur in the story involves a social elevation that is characteristic of the evolutionary process. Elizabeth, the daughter of an aristocratic gentleman and middle class woman, rises by marriage into one of the wealthiest aristocratic families in England. Her sister Jane marries a man whose wealth is twenty-times greater than her own. Even the scoundrel Wickham, the steward son, who would have been outcaste or murdered for his effrontery in a previous age, not only marries a gentleman daughter but also becomes brother-in-law to his father former master. Moreover, by a strange course of events, the servile Mr. Collins becomes related through marriage to his august patroness, Lady Catherine.These events symbolize not just movement between the classes but a profound shift in social values as well. The collective is becoming individualized. Social conformity is giving way to formed individuality. Elizabeth rises in spite of her mother family background because she is a developed individual personality who values character more than wealth or status. It is this trait that surprises and attracts Darcy, and makes him fall in love with the light in her eyes. Society nurtures and applauds Eliza individual development rather than frowning on or preventing it. Society is shown in the process of redistributing the fruits of social status by a new set of criteria to a wider class of its members. Mrs. Bennet and her relations have already acquired aristocratic status through her marriage to Mr. Bennet and that status is about to rise enormously through the marriages of her two elder daughters. By Eliza marriage, the lower level of the aristocracy, which has strong links with the business community, unites with the highest level of the aristocracy. In France, this intermixture of the classes did not happen, so the only way the society could develop was to eradicate the aristocracy, cut off their heads, chase them out of the country, and distribute their land, money and titles to the new class that rose to power. The French aristocracy was too rigid and orthodox; too unwilling to compromise and share its power, so it lost it. II. Introduction to the AuthorJane Austens Pride and Prejudice had a long and varied life before it finally saw publication on January 28, 1813. Austen began the book, originally titled First Impressions, in 1796. Her father submitted it to a London publisher the following year, but the manuscript was rejected. Austen continued to work on the book, and scholars report that the story remained a favorite with the close circle of friends, relations, and acquaintances she took into her confidence. She probably continued working on First Impressions after her family relocated to Bath in 1801 and did not stop revising and rewriting until after the deaths of both her father and a close friend in 1805. After this point Austen seems to have given up writing for almost five years. She had resumed work on the book by 1811, scholars report, and the final product appeared anonymously in London bookstalls early in 1813. The critical history of Pride and Prejudice was just as varied as the evolution of the novel itself. At the time the novel was published in the early nineteenth century, most respected critical opinion was strongly biased against novels and novelists. Although only three contemporary reviews of Pride and Prejudice are known to exist, they are all remarkably complimentary. Anonymous articles in the British Critic and the Critical Review praised the authors characterization and her portrayal of domestic life. Additional early commentary exists in the diaries and letters of such prominent contemporary readers as Mary Russell Mitford and Henry Crabb Robinson, both of whom admired the works characters, realism, and freedom from the trappings of Gothic fiction. After this period, however, criticism of Pride and Prejudice, and of Austens works as a whole, largely disappeared. With the exception of two posthumous appreciations of Austens work as a whole by Sir Walter Scott and Archbishop Richard Whateley, very little Austen criticism appeared until 1870. In 1870, James Edward Austen-Leigh, son of Jane Austens brother James, published A Memoir of Jane Austen, by Her Nephew. This biography was the first major study of Austen as a person and as an artist, and it marked the beginning of a new era in Austen criticism. Although most critics no longer accept its conclusion that Austen was an “amateur genius” whose works were largely unconscious productions of her fertile imagination, it nonetheless performed a valuable service by bringing Austen and her works back into critical attention, Modem critical opinion of Austen began with the publication in 1939 of Mary Lascelless Jane Austen and Her Art, which escaped from the Victorian portrait of Austen put forth by Austen-Leigh.III. General Introduction to the NovelThe story of the novel Pride and Prejudice is set in England where the worth of a man is his wealth, and that of a woman her man. No wonder, marriage is the ultimate aspiration for a girl and her family, especially in the middle class.This is the note on which the novel opens, with the heroines mother Mrs. Bennet, planning to introduce her five daughters to two newly arrived young, handsome and rich (read most eligible) bachelors, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. The bachelors introduction to the Bennets and their five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary Catherine (Kitty) and Lydia begins the subtle drama that forms the whole theme of the novel. Mr. Bingley, much more agreeable than his friend Mr. Darcy, takes a liking to the mildest and prettiest miss Bennet, Jane, and she reciprocates his feelings. However, Mr. Darcy, who is an arrogant class-conscious gentleman, derides the match and thus gains the contempt of Janes outspoken sister Elizabeth. Gradually, the character sketch of the protagonists unfolds in the story during various interactions between them in homely get-togethers. Since Elizabeth is a sharp and sensible girl, who would rather speak out her mind than maintain a coy demeanor, she makes her dislike of Mr. Darcy quite clear to him at times, which quite unexpectedly, fascinates him and draws him more towards her, although he does not admit it. There is an element of liking for Mr. Darcy in Elizabeth too, even though she does not realize it till late. Apparently both are quite disagreeable to each other, but the undercurrent of silent attraction that develops, finally triumphs over the misunderstandings and temporary separations that come their way due to various twists and turns of the plot brought about by the events occurring in the lives of their friends and family. The romance between the second important pair, Mr. Bingley and Jane runs parallel in the story, reaching a crest and then a trough, before getting resolved in the end. The eccentricities of characters like the superficial Mrs. Bennet and her frivolous daughter Lydia, apart from the many suitors who make an appearance in the five miss Bennets lives, add charm to the story and propel it forward. So does the fact that Mr. Darcys pride in his status checks his love for Elizabeth, while her prejudice against Mr. Darcy, formed mainly by a series of misunderstandings, stop her from reciprocating his love. While some aspects of the novel may seem outdated in modern world, its mockery of class differences and celebration of brains over beauty, still holds relevance. Like the author Jane Austens other famous work, Sense and Sensibility this novel too gives more importance to the intellect of the heroine rather than her beauty, and applauds her spunk to sneer at people who have superiority over her in class, plus the tendency to display it.Pride and Prejudice is an interesting read, if not for its plot then for the terse and witty exchange of dialogues between its characters. Besides, the romantic nature of the story also holds an everlasting appeal, making it a classic read.IV. Analysis of the Main Characters4.1 Elizabeth Bennet Elizabeth Bennet is the second of the five daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth is the most logical and level-headed of the Bennet daughters, and that makes her fathers favorite. Although Elizabeth is thoughtful, intelligent, and practical, she comes to realize that she is just as capable of letting her own feelings get in the way of her good sense as her feather-brained sisters. Elizabeth realizes her grave mistake when she understands that she has greatly misjudged both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.The second daughter in the Bennet family, and the most intelligent and quick-witted, Elizabeth is the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice and one of the most well-known female characters in English literature. Her admirable qualities are numerousshe is lovely, clever, and, in a novel defined by dialogue, she converses as brilliantly as anyone. Her honesty, virtue, and lively wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society. Nevertheless, her sharp tongue and tendency to make hasty judgments often lead her astray; Pride and Prejudice is essentially the story of how she (and her true love, Darcy) overcome all obstaclesincluding their own personal failingsto find romantic happiness. Elizabeth must not only cope with a hopeless mother, a distant father, two badly behaved younger siblings, and several snobbish, antagonizing females, she must also overcome her own mistaken impressions of Darcy, which initially lead her to reject his proposals of marriage. Her charms are sufficient to keep him interested, fortunately, while she navigates familial and social turmoil. As she gradually comes to recognize the nobility of Darcys character, she realizes the error of her initial prejudice against him.Since Elizabeth is a sharp and sensible girl, who would rather speak out her mind than maintain a coy demeanor, she makes her dislike of Mr. Darcy quite clear to him at times, which quite unexpectedly, fascinates him and draws him more towards her, although he does not admit it. There is an element of liking for Mr. Darcy in Elizabeth too, even though she does not realize it till late. Apparently both are quite disagreeable to each other, but the undercurrent of silent attraction that develops, finally triumphs over the misunderstandings and temporary separations that come their way due to various twists and turns of the plot brought about by the events occurring in the lives of their friends and family.Elizabeths and Darcys relationship isfilledwithtrialsandtribulations, misjudgments and prejudice, eventually culminating in a blissful union of two complementary souls. Their relationship beginsat an inauspicious starting point when they first meet at the meryton assembly, with both receiving unfavorable first impressions. Elizabeth thinks Darcy a proud, cold man as a result of his reserve and his slighting her. Her assessment of his character, given her limited exposure to him, in those unfortunate circumstances is most natural and understandable. Darcy, on the other hand, is to be blamed for his lack of prudence and his pride, which leads him to criticize Elizabeth most unfairly in that first encounter. This indeed, jeopardizes his prospects of a lasting happiness with Elizabeth as he leaves an indelible first impression which colours Elizabeths later judgments of his character.However, as the novel progresses, Darcy shows enough flexibility and good sense to change his opinion of Elizabeth. Thus, his first inclination of scorning her is erased as he becomes enamored of Elizabeth as a result of her witty intelligence and spirit, such that he began to find that “her eyes were rendered uncommonly intelligence, Darcys first impression of her is completely replaced by ardent affection, as he sees her in a comrade spirit. It is his prudent judgment and flexibility which temper his inclination to corn and criticize, such that he is able to recognize in Elizabeth a worthy wife and companion, despite her social standing and Lydias elopement. Therefore, we must credit his prudent judgment for his remarkable change in opinion, which paves the way for his future happiness with Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Elizabeth displays little of her prudent judgment and astute Asses segment with regard to Darcy. It is for this singular reason that her relationship with Darcy is fraught with difficulty. After her first meeting with Darcy, Elizabeth determinedly preserves her prejudice against Darcy, even after repeated incidents, which attest to his credibility of character, displaying uncharacteristic lack of intelligent and careful judgments.When Elizabeth meets Wickham, she is immediately won over by his appearance and suave charm, and is whole-heartedly inclined to believe his every word, simply because his amiable manners and looks. This rash inclination results in her being even more convinced of Darcys unworthiness of character. In spite of the fact that Wickham sullies Darcys family in front of a comparative stranger, after declaring himself determined to honour the late Mr.Darcys reputation, and that he purposely avoids Darcy at the Netherfield ball, after stating staunchly that he is not afraid of meeting Darcy, and would fear no confrontation with him. Elizabeth sees no reason to doubt him. Her brash inclinations to Wickham justify his mercenary pursuit of Mary King, even as she condemns Bingley for abandoning Jane for the socially advantageous Georgina Darcy. She discredits Bingleys opinion of Darcy and Miss Bingleys warning against Wickham, and refuses to temper her first impressions with any objectivity, even after Jane, who sees only well in everyone, has confessed. Her lack of discernment precipitates her harsh refusal of Darcys initial proposal, jeopardizing unwisely her possible happiness with him. It is only when Elizabeth reads Darcys letter that she is forced to face the truth, to acknowledge that she has been utterly wrong, and has completely misjudged Darcy.In Jane Austens Disposition Shows Her Character, there is a sentence taken from the novel, “she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous.” This sentence can well summarize her lovely disposition. Such disposition that she owns make she retroactive, well liked by other women (her aunt and Charlotte Lucas in particular) and much admired by Men. She is the most favorite daughter of her father. From this sentence, we can see her father likeness of her”. Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sister.” Elizabeth also“has a healthy sense of humor, even to the point of joking about Mr. Darcy prude behavior toward herself at the hall.” After hearing such rude words “she is to lerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I Am in no humor at present to give consequence to young Ladies who are slighted by other men.” Elizabeth does not Fluster and exasperate. Instead, because she owns the sense of humor, she even tells these words with great spirit her friends. What a lovely girl Elizabeth is! Elizabeth has much spirit, too. She makes good use of her cleverness and in to challenge the upper class People who show contempt against her.4.2 Mr. DarcyThe son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley, Darcy is Elizabeths male counterpart. The narrator relates Elizabeths point of view of events more often than Darcys, 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 prop