The objective of analysis or close reading of prose is to determine what the author is saying, how it is said and why (Levey et al 2015:13). This essay will attempt to discuss a close reading of the extracts from Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. This will be done taking the historical context of the novel into consideration.
Pride and Prejudice was published in 1809. During this period in time, women looked for self-improvement through the acquisition of wealth. This could only be accomplished by marrying a rich man.
Austen makes use of the third person omniscient point of view. Third person narrators are perceived to be more reliable or authoritative, because they know what all the characters think, say and do (Abrams 2005:249). …show more content…
The paragraph is started out with a description of Mr Bingley, with a rise in enthusiasm, which reaches a plato when the narrator refers to his Mr Hurst, who is merely ordinary compared to Mr Bingley. Mr Darcy causes a further rise in enthusiasm, but then also hits a crisis point and denouement when we discover his fatal personality flaw, which then leads to a fall in the narrative structure. This can be compared to the realistic effect that a person experiences when they discover that the assumptions they made about someone are wrong.
The author also uses various poetic techniques such as irony and contrast to create meaning in the extracts. In the opening sentence Austen says that “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” However the extracts suggest that it is actually the women who are in want of a rich husband. At the dance it is not as much the men who are looking for a suitable partner, but the women who are evaluating and gossiping about the men.
In conclusion it can be said that Austen uses this irony and the theme of pride and prejudice to suggest her own opinion about the conventions of marriage in the 18th century. She uses a very assertive tone in almost a sarcastic manner to highlight society’s flaws of what is considered important when choosing a
Pride and Prejudice was published in 1809. During this period in time, women looked for self-improvement through the acquisition of wealth. This could only be accomplished by marrying a rich man.
Austen makes use of the third person omniscient point of view. Third person narrators are perceived to be more reliable or authoritative, because they know what all the characters think, say and do (Abrams 2005:249). …show more content…
The paragraph is started out with a description of Mr Bingley, with a rise in enthusiasm, which reaches a plato when the narrator refers to his Mr Hurst, who is merely ordinary compared to Mr Bingley. Mr Darcy causes a further rise in enthusiasm, but then also hits a crisis point and denouement when we discover his fatal personality flaw, which then leads to a fall in the narrative structure. This can be compared to the realistic effect that a person experiences when they discover that the assumptions they made about someone are wrong.
The author also uses various poetic techniques such as irony and contrast to create meaning in the extracts. In the opening sentence Austen says that “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” However the extracts suggest that it is actually the women who are in want of a rich husband. At the dance it is not as much the men who are looking for a suitable partner, but the women who are evaluating and gossiping about the men.
In conclusion it can be said that Austen uses this irony and the theme of pride and prejudice to suggest her own opinion about the conventions of marriage in the 18th century. She uses a very assertive tone in almost a sarcastic manner to highlight society’s flaws of what is considered important when choosing a