It is a truth universally acknowledged, that all high school students have to read Pride and Prejudice. It is also true that all high school students must, at some point, write about Pride and Prejudice. How then is one to devise an original idea about which to write? Well, one must make an extreme choice about a topic. Moderation and extremism is a core theme in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Set in England, Pride and Prejudice tells the story the five unmarried daughters of an English Lord, when a wealthy bachelor and his friend arrive in the neighbourhood, the Bennet sisters attempt to court the men. Wealthy, unmarried, and charming Mr Bingley is an instant smash with the Bennet girls. By contrast, Mr Bingley’s friend, Mr Darcy, also
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Darcy is tied to Elizabeth by the novel’s title, Pride and Prejudice. Darcy first meets Elizabeth at a Meryton assembly, a ball or dance. Mr Darcy is a friend of Bingley, a new resident of the area, and Darcy accompanies Bingley’s party to the assembly. Once at the assembly, Darcy treats all those in attendance with great contempt, even going so far as to insult Elizabeth within her hearing. This slight spoils Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy for the majority of the book. Elizabeth views Mr Darcy as a pretentious fool, unworthy of her time, effort, or interest. Darcy eventually proposes to Elizabeth, however Elizabeth rejects his proposal, continuing to view Darcy as a classist, condescending to her and her family based on social status. She also rejects Mr Darcy’s proposal after hearing he had a hand in the split of a relationship between Elizabeth’s sister Jane and Darcy’s friend, Charles Bingley. As the novel continues, Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy improves drastically after a visit to Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, where Elizabeth received high praise of Darcy from the servants. Elizabeth also receives a letter from Darcy explaining his actions with Bingley and Jane. Darcy later proposes to Elizabeth for a second time, and on this occasion Elizabeth accepts his offer, seeing her perception of him was flawed. Elizabeth view Darcy very harshly in terms of love. Citic Andrew Wright says of Elizabeth’s treatment of Darcy, “Elizabeth does not give Darcy a chance–or rather she does not give herself the chance to know how she really feels about him.” This quotation supports the description of Elizabeth by the Narrator, “Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings toward [Darcy]” (Austen 23). These two statements show Elizabeth’s radically stern interpretations. Elizabeth does not give Darcy a chance to prove his worth as a suitor to her, she judges him entirely upon an unfortunate first
Darcy is tied to Elizabeth by the novel’s title, Pride and Prejudice. Darcy first meets Elizabeth at a Meryton assembly, a ball or dance. Mr Darcy is a friend of Bingley, a new resident of the area, and Darcy accompanies Bingley’s party to the assembly. Once at the assembly, Darcy treats all those in attendance with great contempt, even going so far as to insult Elizabeth within her hearing. This slight spoils Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy for the majority of the book. Elizabeth views Mr Darcy as a pretentious fool, unworthy of her time, effort, or interest. Darcy eventually proposes to Elizabeth, however Elizabeth rejects his proposal, continuing to view Darcy as a classist, condescending to her and her family based on social status. She also rejects Mr Darcy’s proposal after hearing he had a hand in the split of a relationship between Elizabeth’s sister Jane and Darcy’s friend, Charles Bingley. As the novel continues, Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy improves drastically after a visit to Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, where Elizabeth received high praise of Darcy from the servants. Elizabeth also receives a letter from Darcy explaining his actions with Bingley and Jane. Darcy later proposes to Elizabeth for a second time, and on this occasion Elizabeth accepts his offer, seeing her perception of him was flawed. Elizabeth view Darcy very harshly in terms of love. Citic Andrew Wright says of Elizabeth’s treatment of Darcy, “Elizabeth does not give Darcy a chance–or rather she does not give herself the chance to know how she really feels about him.” This quotation supports the description of Elizabeth by the Narrator, “Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings toward [Darcy]” (Austen 23). These two statements show Elizabeth’s radically stern interpretations. Elizabeth does not give Darcy a chance to prove his worth as a suitor to her, she judges him entirely upon an unfortunate first