The characters that most notably align with pride include Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine. Right from the beginning, it is clear that Mr. Darcy aligns with pride when he refuses to dance with Elizabeth at the first ball. To justify his refusal, he claims that she is “…tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 11). In addition to this, he refuses to dance with anyone who is not rich or from a reputable family. When his demeanor is directly compared with that of Mr. Bingley, who is gentlemanly and optimistic about the women at the ball, the harsh contrast between the two is highlighted. For the majority of the novel, Mr. Darcy remains …show more content…
Darcy and Elizabeth’s tumultuous relationship in particular demonstrates that class-awareness is an issue that pervades every aspect of society and life during this time. Marriage, most significantly, poses the greatest possibilities for social mobility—whether that movement is upward or downward. This precisely seems to be the primary concern of the characters: who will marry into a more prestigious social class and who will settle into a “bad match” and tumble to the