Comparing First Impressions In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

Originally, the novel, Pride and Prejudice was titled First Impressions. Jane Austen, the author, was advised by her publisher to change the title to sound more similar to her previous novel, Sense and Sensibility (for good marketing). Although First Impressions makes readers think of a more physical, social interaction, Pride and Prejudice has a more deeper, psychological meaning that can have the reader question which of the two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, exemplify each of the two nouns named in the title. Instead of one attitude being shown through only one character, the two characters each show both pride and prejudice throughout the story (Shmoop Editorial Team). Elizabeth and Darcy overcome their character flaws, their pride and their prejudice, …show more content…
These pieces were the precursors of many of her greatest works, including Sense and Sensibility (originally titled, Elinor and Marianne), First Impressions (later named Pride and Prejudice) and Susan, later published after her death by her brother as Northanger Abbey (Biography Editors). In 1811, Jane’s brother, Henry, helped her anonymously publish Sense and Sensibility. She later published Pride and Prejudice, or as she called it, “her own darling child” (BBC) in 1813. Pride and Prejudice was accepted with raving reviews, including how the novel “rises very superior to any novel we have lately met with in the delineation of domestic scenes” (Critical Review). In 1816, Jane Austen began to suffer from what was probably Addison’s Disease. She traveled to Winchester to undergo treatment and died there on July 18, 1817. After her death, her brother posthumously published her two novels, Emma and Mansfield Park. Up until her brother revealed her identity after her death, all of her critically acclaimed works of literature were published anonymously