Pride and Prejudice - P&P #8 and 9 - Confusion About Pride

Many people take Mr. Darcy to be a man whose disposition is one of excessive pride; However, Elizabeth is starting to unravel that Mr. Darcy is not like this at all. Mr. Wickham says that Mr. Darcy "[assumes] the appearance of what is right" (198). This is the impression that has been spread about Mr. Darcy around where Elizabeth lives. When Elizabeth goes to Pemberley, she and her aunt and uncle meet the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, who only has propitious words to say about Mr. Darcy. She has known him since he was four and states that how she talks about him is "what everyone will say that knows him" (207). Mrs. Reynolds states that "some people call him proud; but I am sure I never saw anything of it" (208). This description would infer that what Mr. Wickham has spread about Mr. Darcy was being false and his good actions and kind manner was simply a pretense. Of course, people can be viewed wrong, such as is the case with Miss Darcy. She is quite shy and it is written that her shyness "would easily give to those who felt themselves inferior the belief of her being proud and reserved" (223). Mr. Darcy can also be viewed this way, for he does not really know how to handle himself in front of others sometimes and this can be viewed as being overly proud. All in all, the prejudices are starting to be put aside and the truth of the matter is coming to light.

Pride and Prejudice - P&P #1 - #5 - Title Application and Mr. Collins' Proposal to Elizabeth

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a novel whose title relates to its text's main topics, pride and prejudice. Pride is defined as "a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether ascherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pride). So far, many characters have spoken about the pride of other characters in the novel. At one point it is mentioned that "vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride - where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation" (Austen 51). This is to say that it is not bad to be a bit proud as long as one does not become haughty. Mary Bennet says that "pride [...] is a very common failing [...] that human nature is particularly prone to" (19). Eligible young men are supposed to be prideful of what they have, but not overly so. One should have pride in their family standing. Prejudice is defined as "an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prejudice?s=t). The society of the novel is superficial and judgmental. Sometimes one's character is marred by supposition before one can even speak for themselves. Jane is the character who is least prejudiced. She is always one to try to think from more than one mindset as to why someone is the way they are. Elizabeth is the opposite of this for she tries to tell her sister that she is too nice to people who seem to be rude. Mr. Darcy is viewed with prejudice because Elizabeth hears only one side of their story from Mr. Wickham.

Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth is anything but cordial. While he seems polite, he is thinking only of his own wants and needs. His first reason for marriage is that "[he thinks] it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like [himself]) to set the example of matrimony in his parish" (92). This statement may make Mr. Collins seem sincere, yet he is simply trying to become a role model while also promoting his wealth. He then says marriage will "add very greatly to [his] happiness" (92). He speaks nothing at all about how Elizabeth would feel while being married. He also feels like it would be a nice offer to be able to give one of his five cousins their house again when their father dies. Yet he knows that this is a reason they should want him as a husband and uses it as a tempting part of his offer. He didn't even care which daughter he was to try and marry, for he originally wanted Jane, then mindlessly switched to Elizabeth once learning of Jane's prior affections. Mr. Collins says that he has "violence of [...] affection," yet nothing about his long, windy speech speaks at all to the idea of love (93). He only wants to believe he loves Elizabeth, yet he does not really love her at all. When she rejects him, Mr. Collins does not accept it as true. He becomes even more bothersome and only ceases to be when Elizabeth's friend says yes to his proposal of marriage a few days later. This proves that he never cared about Elizabeth like he wanted everyone to think.