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Was "Pride and Prejudice" A Suitable Title For Jane Austens Novel
Pride and prejudiced is an appropriate title for Austen’s novel.
Do you agree?
Refer to at least four different characters to illustrate your answer.
Was Pride and Prejudice a suitable title for the novel? Was a first impression better? Did the time Austen wrote the novel affect the characters? I will show evidence from the text that answers these questions.
In Jane Austen’s novel one of the mail themes is Pride and Prejudice (hence the title).
The pride and prejudice within the novel is based upon the first impression the characters are given, (hence the old title) but under the title of “First Impressions” the book was not published. Her next book “Sense and Sensibility” was however published and two years later Jane Austen published First Impressions under the new title of Pride and Prejudice.
Although the book was published the authors name was not on it because it was considered wrong for women to write books. These social rules are illustrated in her novel. The women have to be introduced to the male company by someone who is acquainted to them.
For example when Mrs Bennet wants to visit Mr Bingley but Mr Bennet has to visit first.
“for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.”
This is evident throughout the novel in the behaviour of the female society.
Mrs Bennet who from the beginning of the novel comes across as a frivolous, superficial, fickle lady whose sole purpose in life is to get her five daughters all suitable married and well connected.
This is evident when Mrs Bennet would not allow Jane to take the carriage to Netherfield because it seemed likely to rain and she would have to for the night.
Mr Bennet takes up his usual attitude and remarks
“if your daughter……. should die, it will be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr Bingley.”
This shows Mr Bennet’s “odd mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice” compared with Mrs Bennet’s one tracked mind.
In contrast to Mrs Bennet Elizabeth Bennet is a levelheaded, perspicacious, astute sensible young lady who will not marry for wealth or connections but for love. Just as well when it comes to Mr Darcy.
Mr Darcy is a very rich aristocrat who owns a large estate in Derbyshire. Though in accordance with the first line of the novel Mr Darcy should really work on his people skills.
He doesn’t put himself out to make new friends at the Meryton ball and his very first comment on Elizabeth was that she was “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt” him.
He really didn’t recommend himself to Elizabeth or anyone else she new.
From this very first encounter Elizabeth was prejudiced against Mr Darcy and will find it hard to forgive him.
“I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”
From her very first meeting with Darcy her first impression lasted with her. However Elizabeth's perceptive personality seems to of been deactivated. Her meeting with other characters who are also opposed to mr darcy seem to make her [next page]