The Transformation Of Mr. Darcy In Pride And Prejudice

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In “Pride and Prejudice” we are introduced to both the wealthy and not so fortunate. In this introduction we are forced to decide whether each character exhibits pride or prejudice. Some characters held true to who they were for the duration of the novel however, we are introduced to a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy who evolves through love into a completely new man. Fitzwilliam Darcy, most referred to as Mr. Darcy, is the typical romantic hero. Generally the romantic hero tends to be self-centered and all about their personal existence and Mr. Darcy embodies that at every turn. This lends to the theme of pride that the author intends to convey in the narrative. In true romantic hero fashion, Mr. Darcy is not friendly or forthcoming and is rejected …show more content…
Darcy’s sights are not initially set on Elizabeth due to her social economic status as we see in chapter 3, but that changes as the story evolves. The preconceived notion that Mr. Darcy has towards Elizabeth, as well as others of her social status, evenly matches the criteria of prejudice. Despite his intent to express his love for Elizabeth later in the novel, Darcy still elaborates on his prejudice in saying “In vain have I struggled. It will I not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” (Austen 131). By saying this he leads us to believe, as he later mentions, there are various reasons including her financial position, why he should not see fit to love her. Elizabeth, still holding tight to her prejudices from the first encounter, declines Darcy’s proposal as he continues to emphasize her lower rank than truly asking for her hand in marriage. Elizabeth asserts that Darcy is mistaken if he believes she "might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner," (Austen 134) basically saying the way he proposed prohibited her from accepting despite her growing feelings towards him, which we later learn to be untrue.. This I do believe caused a subsequent shift in character for Mr. …show more content…
Darcy is now willing to lay his true feelings for her on the line and step away from his prideful nature. Before bowing to her he says “I have been walking in the grove some time in the hope of meeting you. Will you do me the honour of reading that letter,” (Austen 135). This gesture in itself shows his humbling nature. It is then in the letter that Elizabeth finds all his truths and motives for each action that previously caused her prejudice towards him. This not only shows a shift in Darcy’s character but likewise for Elizabeth’s. Sometime later she accompanies the Gardiners, after processing all of Darcy’s feeling for him and also accepting hers, and tours Darcy’s manor in what she thought was his absence. Along the tour Darcy appears and has now taken a new form. He is now extremely polite, so much so that Elizabeth internally asks herself, “Why is he so altered? From what can it proceed? Is cannot be for me, it cannot be for my sake that his manners are thus softened.” (Austen

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