Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

By TangQinA Thesis Presented toA Brief Analysis of the Characters Personality in Pride andPrejudiceSichuan Normal universityIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement forThe Degree of Bachelor of ArtsUnder The Supervision of Mr. Liu YuanzhiFebruary 2012Thesis statement:Pride and prejudice was the second novel of Jane Austen. It was originally titled First Impression because the appearances of the characters created the plot of the novel. However, because the novel is also concerned with the effects of the character’s first impressions, that is their prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is written in gentle or Horatian satire. The main object of Jane’s satire in the novel is the mercenary and the ignorance of the people, a common criticism of the the eighteen century.OutlineⅠ. IntroductionⅡ. Strategies used by setting examplesA.The hero’s personality⒈The reason for Darcy’s pride⒉Darcy changes his viewB.The heroine’s personality⒈Elizabeth’s family condition⒉Elizabeth’s prejudice to Darcy⒊Elizabeth sober herself and fall in love to DarcyC.The other characters personalityⅢ. ConclusionThe characters’ personality in Austin’s Pride and Prejudice is very successfully. This novel is based on daily life, it reflects the current situation of the British’s life in eighteen to nineteen century.A Brief Analysis of the Characters Personality in Pride andPrejudiceSchool of Foreign Languages, ABTC, Sichuan, China, 610000Abstract: Pride and Prejudice is the second novel of Jane Austen. The hero Mr. Darcy looks like a pride and ungracious in the superficial, but he is a kindheartedness and one who can correct his mistake when he know it. The heroine Elizabeth witty, have courage, visionary, have very strong self-respect and thinking. At that time, it is the phenomenon that society is the mercenary and the ignorance of the people. Characters in the novel which best carries these qualities are Mrs. Bennet, a foolish woman who talks too much and is obsess with getting her daughters married; Lydia Bennet, the youngest of the Bennet daughter who to a life of dancing, fashions, gossips and flirting; and Mr.Williams Collins, the silly and conceited baboon who is completely stupefy by Lady Catherine in every aspect of his life that he has forgotten his own morals and duty. Like Mr. Bingley, Mr. Bennet and so on.Key word: Pride and Prejudice, characters, personalityJane Austen ( 1775―1817 ) , who was born at Steventown on December 16, 1775, was one of the greatest novelists in England. Pride and Prejudice is the most popular fiction of Jane Austen, it reflects three kinds of marriage views. The readers were deeply moved by the emotion of the hero and heroine, they have several experiences for their love; at the beginning, they are much alike in character, and then they misunderstand each other, after a long time, they decline their misunderstand, finally, they get together and have a happy time. In a word, the heroine has experienced pride、slight、prejudice and excellent idea about her view of emotion.There is never any deviation into the unnatural or exaggerated; and how worthy of all love and respect is the finely disciplined genius which rejects the forcible but transient modes of stimulating interest which can so easily be employed when desired, and which knows how to trust the never-failing principles of human nature. In thisnovel, each character has their own personality. And all the characters personality are stand for the human nature of that time. Then the analysis the characters personality in the following:Firstly, the personality of Mr. Darcy.Mr. Darcy is an extremely aristocrat, Darcy is proud, haughty and extremely conscious of class differences at the beginning of the novel. Darcy is Mr. Bingley's close friend, an intelligent, wealthy and reserved man, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers. He is wary of his friend Bingley's romantic entanglements with unsuitable women. He does, however, have a strong sense honor and virtue. Elizabeth’s rebukes after his first proposal to her help him to recognize his faults of pride and social prejudice. It is, in fact, precisely because Elizabeth is not so awed by his high social status as to be afraid to criticize his character that he is attracted to her. The self-knowledge acquired from Elizabeth’s rebukes and the desire to win Elizabeth’s love spur him to change and judge people more by their character than than their social class.Darcy was born a well-established family, and the master of great estate of the family. The narrator relates Elizabeth’s point of view of events more often than Darcy’s, 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 overly proud and overly conscious of his social status. Indeed, his haughtiness makes him initially bungle his courtship. When he proposes to her, for instance, he dwells more on how unsuitable a match she is than on her charms, beauty, or anything else complimentary. Her rejection of his advances builds a kind of humility in him. Darcy demonstrates his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her low connections, when he rescues Lydia and the entire Bennet family from disgrace, and when he goes against the wishes of his haughty aunt, Lady Catherine, by continuing to pursue Elizabeth. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth, and she ends up repenting her earlier, overly harsh judgment of him.Darcy also a man very cute, he asks Mr. Bingley to leave and to go to Londonbecause he thinks that Jane do not fall in love with Bingley. Therefore, he persuades Bindley to leave her.Secondly, the personality of Elizabeth.The heroine Elizabeth successfully molded reflects the Austin in matters of marriage values. Pride and Prejudice described the eighteen century at the beginning of the nineteen century British women, regardless of in the economic and social or family status, social rank in male attachment, marriage system of equal pay. Like Elizabeth such a middle-class origins and status, the only way is to marry a good man. Anyhow, the marriage is seeking economic security and social status.Elizabeth is a smart, frank, the thought is agile, humorous and educated young lady. Her love is met at militia self-defense of George Wickham officer, Elizabeth was started a “attractive” George Wickham fascinated by the meter. With her feel George Wickham, poured their own calumniatory Mr. Darcy said: “to be honest, except in Netherfield, my family will go to any nearly. Hertfordshire no one like him, his deputy arrogant manner which saw all hate. You never heard that is good.” The words of wise hopelessly flaunt but without notice, Elizabeth unexpectedly George Wickham nose was blinded by love. She complained about an injustice for George Wickham and blamed Darcy, she said Darcy is an amiable people. Darcy’s pride based on his indomitable personality, because of he speaks damage caused her prejudice, Elizabeth, also because Elizabeth’s self-respect to produce the Darcy prejudice, pride and prejudice have reached the peak. There is a turning point about their relation is that Darcy gave the letter to Elizabeth and told her about the truth. This letter made Elizabeth to seriously, sober herself, the first awareness “her previous too blindly, too, of human existence eccentric bias.”Elizabeth has several times to Darcy proposed different attitudes, actually reflects the female equal rights for independent personality. Elizabeth witty, have courage, visionary, have very strong self-respect and thinking. This made her love and issues to obtain happiness. Facing the emotion she still has those personalities.“How despicably have I acted!”she cried. ―“I, who have prided mysel f on mydiscernment! ―I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. ―How humiliating is this discovery! ―Yet, how just a humiliation! ―Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly.” It reflects the personality of Elizabeth, she regrets her behaviour to Darcy when she knew Darcy is right.Thirdly, the other characters personality.At that time, people was divided to different social stratum according to their fortune, however, no matter what social stratum, women were had a low social status. Therefore, it is the phenomenon that most men seek wealth. In Pride and Prejudice, which best carries these qualities are Mrs.Bennet, a foolish woman who talks too much and is obsess with getting her daughters married. Mrs. Bennet is a miraculously tiresome character. Noisy and foolish, she is a woman consumed by the desire to see her daughters married and seems to care for nothing else in the world. Ironically, her single-minded pursuit of this goal tends to backfire, as her lack of social graces alienates the very people (Darcy and Bingley) whom she tries desperately to attract. Austen uses her continually to highlight the necessity of marriage for young women. Mrs. Bennet also serves as a middle-class counterpoint to such upper-class snobs as Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley, demonstrating that foolishness can be found at every level of society. In the end, however, Mrs. Bennet proves such an unattractive figure, lacking redeeming characteristics of any kind, that some readers have accused Austen of unfairness in portraying her—as if Austen, like Mr. Bennet, took perverse pleasure in poking fun at a woman already scorned as a result of her ill breeding.Jane Bennet is a beautiful, kindhearted and restrained woman.“All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life.” Jane said. It proves that Jane is a kindhearted woman, the world in her eyes is beautiful. But Jane is also a restrained person. Jane does not show her love easily because she is restrained. As an unmarried woman, her reserve really shows she is educated; but in front of her love, it almost makes her miss her true love. It is surelyher shortcoming.Lydia Bennet, the youngest of the Bennet daughter who to a life of dancing, fashions, gossips and flirting, she knew nothing. And she is foolish, like a clown, don’t have life goals except dancing, fashion, gossip and flirting, it is foreshadowing that she is eloped with Wickham.She is extremely flirtatious, naive, headstrong and reckless.Mr.Williams Collins, A clergyman and cousin of Mr. Bennet. Mr. Collins, as the closest male relative, stands to inherit the Bennet estate. When not pompously full of himself, Collins is a narrow-minded sycophant, excessively devoted to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He is always keen to show his admiration and gratitude. the silly and conceited baboon who is completely stupefy by Lady Catherine in every aspect of his life that he has forgotten his own morals and duty. It likes if he leaves Lady Catherine, he can not live. He thought that Lady Catherine was the sky of him, all the center of his life, including his marriage. He is a miserable man.Mr. Bingley is frank, kind and a gentle man, he attach importance to the friendship of Mr. Darcy. he born a well-family. In a word, Mr. Bingley is an outgoing, wealthy young man who leases property near the Bennets' estate. He is a good man for girls.George Wickham is a dashing, handsome young soldier who attracts the attention of Elizabeth Bennet. His father was the manager of the Darcy estate, so he grew up with Mr. Darcy and his sister. Though a favorite of Darcy's now-deceased father, there is bitter enmity between him and Darcy, due to his attempt to elope with Georgiana Darcy for her substantial inheritance.Georgiana Darcy the youngest sister of Mr. Darcy. The age difference is so great that he is more of a father figure than a brother. Since their parents' death, she has been under the joint guardianship of Darcy and their cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. She became infatuated with George Wickham and was persuaded by him to elope. Fortunately, she felt it was her duty to inform her brother and he quickly put a stop to this ill-advised plan.Lady Catherine is the aunt of Mr. Darcy and patroness of Mr. Collins. A proudand domineering woman, she had planned for the marriage of Mr. Darcy and her daughter since they were infants. Lady Catherine is a so boring woman that she likes to know others’ things.Mary Bennet is the third sister of Bennet, bookish and shy. Mortified by unfavorable comparisons between her appearance and that of her beautiful sisters, she disdains their frivolous interests and seeks to impress others instead with her scholarly yet ill-timed aphorisms and limited musical abilities.Anyhow, Austen in Pride and Prejudice is successfully the characters personality, all of them reflect the view of marriage, person’s social status, social economic and the family wealth. 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