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Uittreksel Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

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Extracts English Literature
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Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

Publisher not known, (1847)

Title:

The novel was first published in 1813. It was Jane Austen's first novel, which she initially titled First Impressions. The seemingly unconquerable pride of Darcy, and Elizabeth's unreasonable prejudice are the obstacles which have to be removed before the two can truly love each other.

Author:

Jane Austen was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, as the youngest daughter of a clergyman. She received her education from her father, leading a very quiet life amongst her friends in rural south England and never married. In her novels she pictures the high class country society, and they contain accurate descriptions of the people and manners of the society in the eighteenth century. She is a master of character and she very cleverly makes her characters reveal themselves through their conversation. All her novels are about love and marriage, but always seen against the background of society. She brilliantly shows how her characters are influenced by their social environment. She wrote several other novels like Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, but Pride and Prejudice is the most famous and most read of her novels. She died in 1817 and her novels were not really appreciated until the twentieth century.

The literary period:

The Romantic period was a period in which the actual reality is of minor importance. This can be seen in Jane Austen's work for she never mentions any historically important events. She concentrates on her characters and the society which influences them.

The genre:

Pride and Prejudice

Summary:

'It is a truth universally acknowledged , that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife'. This ironic first sentence clearly sets the tone for the rest of the novel. When a rich young bachelor, Mr Bingley, establishes himself at Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire, there is great excitement amongst the inhabitants of Longbourn. Especially so for Mrs Bennet, who has five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia, who are all of marriagable age. It is Mrs Bennet's main concern to see her daughters safely married.

At the first ball Mr Bingley is present and has also brought his two sisters, Caroline and Mrs Hurst, his brother- in -law, Mr Hurst, and his good friend Mr Darcy. Mr Bingley feels quite at home and dances all dances and clearly favors Jane. Mr Darcy turns out to be strikingly handsome, but an arrogant and disagreeable young man. He confines himself to his own party and declines to be introduced to any other girl. Elizabeth overhears a conversation between Darcy and Bingley in which Darcy considers her to be tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt him. Elizabeth vows never to dance with him, and is able to laugh about it all.

Jane is invited by Bingley's sisters for dinner and Mrs Bennet sends her out on horseback because it is raining, thus ensuring that Jane will stay at Netherfield a little longer. When the news arrives that Jane has fallen ill, Elizabeth immediately walks the three miles to Netherfield to visit her sister. She has an unpleasant stay with the arrogant sisters, but notices that Bingley is genuinely concerned for her sister. Elizabeth also has some intellectual discussions with Darcy, which confirm her in her prejudice, but also make Darcy think better of Elizabeth and even convinces Darcy that Elizabeth is quite beautiful. When Jane is better, Elizabeth is glad to leave Netherfield.

Back in Longbourn, Mr Bennet announces the arrival of his nephew, Mr Collins, who will inherit Mr Bennet's estate as he has no sons. Mr Collins makes it clear that his patroness and aunt to Mr Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has advised him to marry, and he wishes to marry one of the Bennet girls to make amends for his inheriting their father's estate. When Mrs Bennet tells him that Jane is soon to be engaged, he proposes to Elizabeth, who refuses him. The Bennet household is then in such an uproar that their neighbours, the Lucas family, invite him for dinner. Mr Collins then proposes to Charlotte, their eldest daughter, who accepts him for practical reasons.

One day the Bennet-sisters walk to Meryton, where they meet Mr Wickham, a well-mannered army officer who wins the sympathy of Elizabeth. He tells her he is the son of late Mr Darcy's steward and knows Mr Darcy quite well. Mr Darcy has treated him unjustly and his account only increases Elizabeth's prejudice. When news arrives that the Bingleys have left the countryside for London, Jane decides to visit her aunt and uncle in London, hoping to meet Bingley again.

Elizabeth leaves for a visit to the Collins family in Kent, where she not only meets Lady Catherine the Bourgh, but also her nephews Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. The latter tells her that Mr Darcy recently saved his good friend Mr Bingley from a most unfortunate marriage. When Mr Darcy unexpectedly visits Elizabeth, he declares his love for her and wishes for her hand in marriage. However, he does this with so much contempt for her family's inferior social status that Elizabeth indignantly rejects him. She accuses him of having spoilt every chance of her sister's happiness and ill-treating Wickham. The next morning Elizabeth meets Darcy in a grove, where he presents a letter to her. It states his true dealings with Wickham, who in fact is a scoundrel and who has tried to seduce Darcy's sister Georgiana for her money, and pleads ignorance as to Jane's affections for Bingley. This knowledge makes Elizabeth highly ashamed for all the things she said to him, and she sees him in a different light.

Jane returns to Longbourn without having seen Bingley, but being treated by his sisters with disdain. In the summer, Elizabeth visits Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle from London, during which time they also visit Pemberly, Darcy's grand estate, believing Darcy himself to be absent. They are shown around the house by Darcy's housekeeper who is full praise of her excellent master. When they walk the grounds, Darcy himself arrives, and he is very agreeable in showing his estate to her aunt and uncle, who find him not at all proud. They are asked to dine at Pemberly when Bingley and his sisters and Darcy's sister Georgiana are also present. Finally Darcy and Elizabeth are gradually falling in love, when misfortune hits. Elizabeth receives two letters from Jane, telling her that Lydia has eloped with Mr Wickham. She is very distressed and then Mr Darcy arrives. When he hears the news he absently takes his leave and Elizabeth is convinced that she will never see him again.

They return home to Longbourn in a hurry where her mother is ill and her father is in London trying to find his daughter. Upon his return to Longbourn Mr. Bennet receives a letter from his brother- in-law, stating that they've found Lydia and Wickham and that they will be married soon. Mr Bennet cannot understand why Wickham has accepted Lydia for such a small amount of money and is convinced that his brother is the one who paid a large sum to make them marry. He blames himself for Lydia's elopement and does not know how to repay his brother in London. When the couple visit them, Lydia mentions that Darcy was also present at their wedding and when Elizabeth writes to her aunt she is told that Darcy is the one who found Lydia and Wickham and made them marry.

Then the Bennet family is suddenly visited by Bingley and Darcy. They visit frequently and soon Bingley and Jane are engaged. In the meantime Lady Catherine deBourgh visits Elizabeth, having heard a rumor that Elizabeth is engaged to her nephew Mr Darcy. Elizabeth denies this and when she wants Elizabeth to promise her that she will never enter into such an engagement Elizabeth answers that she cannot promise this. When the happy couple go for a walk, Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves walking together. Elizabeth now thanks Darcy for what he did for her family after Lydia and Wickham eloped. Darcy mentions that he only did it with her in mind and renews his proposals. Elizabeth states that her feelings have completely changed and she happily accepts Darcy.

Time:

The story is set in the same age as that the novel was written: early nineteenth century. The time-lapse in the novel is about two years and is chronologically written.

Setting:

The novel is set in Longbourn, Hertfordshire, England, but also takes place in London, Derbyshire and Kent.

Characters and relationships:

Elizabeth:

The heroine, she is high-spirited, good humored, bright, witty and gay. Her sister Jane is her confidant and she is her father's favourite. By what she sees of Darcy and through what she is told by Wickham she is prejudiced against Darcy. She is greatly ashamed for her family, who, by their actions in public, effectuate that she and Jane will have no chances of marrying well. Slowly she gets to know him and comes to love him.

Darcy:

He is the mysterious, handsome though proud hero. He has good manners, but is repulsed by the society he finds in Hertfordshire. When Elizabeth tells him that he is not a gentleman he really becomes interested in her, and he admires her for her spirit and honesty. Darcy is also very important to the plot, in which three love-stories, those between Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, Lydia and Wickham, take place. Darcy is the one who influences all three couples.

Wickham:

An army officer who impresses Elizabeth, although he is telling lies, who has superficially good manners but is really a scoundrel. He elopes with Lydia in order to ensure a good living. Darcy ends up paying him for the rest of his life. As the name suggests, he is the "bad guy" of the story.

Bingley:

A handsome, rich young bachelor, he is the hope of all daughters in the neighbourhood. He is infinitely good, and loves Jane very much. He is a very good friend to Darcy, whose opinion he values very highly. That is also the reason why he listens to Darcy and returns to London, leaving Jane.

Mr Bennet:

The father of the family, he is a cynical man, who likes to joke with his wife and children. Through Lydia's elopement he starts to realize that he should have thought about the future when he was younger, and he has learnt a valuable lesson.

Mrs Bennet:

The mother of the family, she is a foolish woman whose sole purpose is to get her five daughters safely married with suitable husbands. She is selfish and of a sickly constitution, and is fondest of her youngest and most silly daughter Lydia. When she hears of her elopement, she falls ill with hysteria, but instantly recovers when she hears Lydia is to marry Wickham.

Jane:

The eldest daughter, she is sweet tempered and just as good natured as Mr Bingley. She confides in Elizabeth, who advises her wisely. Just like Elizabeth, she is disadvantaged by the silly behaviour of her family.

Mary:

The third sister, she is the one who finds her happiness in books and music and does not care for men or balls.

Kitty:

The fourth sister, she follows Lydia in everything she does.

Lydia:

The youngest daughter, she loves the company of men, with whom she loves to flirt. She is an ignorant and silly girl, who, in her selfishness, brings shame on the whole family.

Mr Collins:

Heir to Mr Bennet's estate, he is pompous, stupid and vain. He is a humorless clergyman and greatly influenced by his patroness, Lady Catherine the Bourgh. When Elizabeth refuses to marry him, he quickly shifts his affections to Elizabeth's good friend and neighbor Charlotte Lucas, as Lady Catherine the Bourgh had advised him to marry quickly.

Credibility:

….

Theme:

The novel is about love and marriage. The novel also describes how the influence of society can make two people think so wrongly about each other that they cannot see their own love.

Motto:

None.

Linguistic usage:

The story is written in nineteenth century English, which makes it slightly more difficult to understand. Especially the pompous speeches of Mr Collins are at times hard to understand. Nonetheless the story itself is easy to follow.

Dedication:

None.

Perspective:

The story is written by an omniscient narrator in the third person, but mostly seen through Elizabeth's eyes. There is also a lot of dialogue which enables to really get to know the characters. The style of writing makes the reader really feel intimate with the main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, on whom the attention is focused.

Construction:

The story is told in 42 numbered chapters. The last chapter can be seen as an epilogue, for Jane Austen writes in this chapter what happens after Elizabeth and Jane become Mrs Darcy and Mrs Bingley.

Own opinion on the book:

Your opinion!

is usually called a novel of manners. It gives the reader a picture of how people behave or ought to behave in their own social circle. Jane Austen sees an intimate connection between manners and morals.

 

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Buddha