Pride and Prejudice Book Review - 1051 Words

The novel, Pride and prejudice, by Jane Austen criticizes the societal nature of England in the 18th century, through the characters and the story. She successfully integrates pride, prejudice and romance. She demonstrates that love can transcend societal divisions and personal pride although it can also be suppressed and overcome by them. The story revolves around the Bennett daughters centrally, Elizabeth and Jane who are being courted by different men who are wealthy, and a marriage to any of them is seen as a way for the women to have any chance of a prosperous life. Austen creates various challenges where the lovers have to overcome before they can find love and get their happily ever after. The people and events are used to depict†¦show more content†¦Elizabeth says, â€Å"Can such abominable pride as his have ever done him good?, when Wickham describes Darcy’s pride and alleged atrocities to her, it is evident that she does not doubt that he is capable of suc h actions (Austen 50). Darcy on the other hand is not only proud but openly prejudiced towards the women he considers unattractive and of poor upbringing, it is apparent that the only girl he found worth spending time with was Elizabeth who was qualified by her extraordinary beauty. Darcy holds himself high against everyone else and even attempts to break up the relationship between Bennett and Jane later since even with her looks he found her unworthy of being with an elite like Bingley. Ultimately, Elizabeth almost never saw the passionate, honest and honourable Mr Darcy who she came to fall in love with because her pride made it difficult to move past the first negative impression. Even though Darcy came to realize that Elizabeth was witty, bold, and intelligent, his prejudice towards her because of her low upbringing made him treat her coldly. The society Austen depicts is one where the value of a woman is primarily tied up two her categories, appearance and most importantly reputation and stepping outside the social norm left one at risk of ostracism. Without a doubt, life was harder for women than it was for men since their fate was oftenShow MoreRelatedThe Representations of Femininity in Pride and Prejudice904 Words   |  4 Pagescenters on the values, rituals, and manners of high society in England during the Regency Era. Her most popular novel, Pride and Prejudice published in 1813 maintains the interest of its audiences as it did almost two centuries earlier as evidenced by its frequent incarnations. In 1995, the British Broadcasting Corporation produced a six episode mini-series of Pride and Prejudice in partnership with Arts Entertainment Network starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth and Darcy. BBC alsoRead More Essay on Irony, Values and Realism in Pride and Prejudice1152 Words   |  5 PagesIrony, Values and Realism in Pride and Prejudice The focus of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice is the prejudice of Elizabeth Bennet against the apparent arrogance of her future suitor, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the blow to his pride in falling in love with her. The key elements of the story are the irony, values and realism of the characters as they develop. Jane Austen ¹s irony is devastating in its exposure of foolishness and hypocrisy. Self-delusion or the attempt to fool other people areRead MoreEssay on Jane Austen Novels: Success After Death1679 Words   |  7 Pagesher masterpieces Sense and Sensibility, and it seemed to not bring in as much success as it would later on in life. But the dry spell would eventually end. Two hundred years after Jane Austens death, her books gained a lot of attention (Leddy). Although Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma were not well known in the early eighteen hundreds, Jane Austen novels grew a substantial amount of popularity after Jane Austens death. Jane Austen started the novel Sense andRead MoreAnalysis of Chapter 11 of Pride and Prejudice Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesChapter 11 of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen opens with two lines from the third person, or omniscient narrator, who is focalizing through Elizabeth Bennett. Focalizing, meaning that it is the narrators voice that speaks, but we see through the eyes of the characters, gives us the chance to understand the characters without direct dialogue. By telling us that Elizabeth was growing more angry but trying to compose herself (Pride and Prejudice, p148) you start to understand that somethingRead MorePride and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright1305 Words   |  6 Pages For those that enjoy romantic costume dramas set in England, the 2005 film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightley and Mathew MacFadyen is the perfect movie to watch on a rainy day while sitting in a comfy chair, sipping hot tea, with a plate of biscuits nearby. Director Joe Wright’s and screen writer Deborah Moggach’s film â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† brings a romanticized slant to the world of the Bennet’s where the main dilemma facing the family is what to do with fiveRead MorePride and Prejudice: A Film Review Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesUpon being assigned to write a film review for Joe Wright’s 2005 instant classic Pride and Prejudice, for a â€Å"Writing by Women† course my pulse quickened and my pupils dilated. This physiological reaction to the task before me was not founded in the same excitement that had the dozen or so young women in my class squealing and clapping with giddy approval. Rath er it stemmed from a much more primal instinct—FEAR! A fear that was quickly confirmed; for, while my amygdila was still wrestling withRead More Characterization and Irony in Pride and Prejudice Essay2991 Words   |  12 PagesCharacterization and Irony in Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚   Like all true literary classics, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is still capable of engaging us, both emotionally and intellectually (Twayne back flap) through its characters and themes. This essay illustrates how Jane Austen uses the characterization of the major characters and irony to portray the theme of societal frailties and vices because of a flawed humanity. Austen writes about the appearance vs. the reality of the charactersRead MorePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà «853 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many differences between Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights. One of the main differences is the women in the stories and how they act. The two women that are surrounded by the two stories and all the problems throughout are Elizabeth Bennet, and Catherine Earnshaw. These two women share major roles in all the conflicts in their respective stories. These two women are also vastly different sharing very few simila rities. They have huge differences in resolve. Elizabeth’s resolveRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film American History X1537 Words   |  7 Pagesof Derek (Edward Norton) and his brother, Danny (Edward Furlong); however, the film tells the story of far more than these two brothers. It tells the story of all those who have ever overcame their prejudice feelings through the process of introspection and their proximity to those they are prejudice towards. While the situations and character transformations presented within Tony Kaye’s film are too radical and fast paced, it generates a true insight to the way of thinking that leads towards racismRead MoreThe Characters Of Women In Sense And Sensibility By Jane Austen739 Words   |  3 Pageson knowledge of books as Elinor finds Willoughby favorable due to their similar taste in books.   Ã‚  Ã‚   For most of her life, she lived with her family. When she was a teenager, she â€Å"wrote plays and stories†¦ for the amusement of her family† (Galens 120). Until 1801, she read the common literature, re-read her favorite works, kept in contact with friends and relations, visited her brother Edward in Kent, and danced at balls held by the local gentry. Then, she began publishing the books she had written