"Pride and Prejudice"

 "Pride and Prejudice" 

             -jane Austen

Themes 

 

Introduction 

        Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 Novel of manners by English author Jane  Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet , the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. Themes are shown in the novel through the relationships and interaction between various characters. 

Themes 

Social class   

  

  In Pride and Prejudice social status takes an important role.The lives of characters depend entirely upon their place in society. The relationship between the characters are also wholly dependent upon their social status.social class in pride and prejudice is one of the driving forces for the various conflicts. Social class is primarily determined by wealth, but other factors also contribute. A person's family , standing and even how that wealth was acquired are all taken into account when determining a person's class.  characters  must navigate the web of social norms and expectations to secure their futures. " Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. 

Love and Marriage 

        Austen examines the complexities of love and marriage , critiquing societal expectations and the idea of marrying for love versus practicality. Ultimately , the novel is a strong recommendation of love as a basis for marriage , something that was not always the case in its era. Novel suggests that an excess of pride is costly. Not until he learns to temper his pride with compassion that he becomes a Worthy partner . Jane Austen is famous for talking about love relationships.Her novels start with love and end with marriage . She gives every novel a happy ending . " Love and Marriage " is a common theme of her novels including family life and class besides other themes of " pride and prejudice " . She depicts good and bad marriages in this novel. In fact, each type of marriage has been presented by her . Ironically , she sheds light on pros and cons of all types of marriages as she uses irony in pride and prejudice . Novel is about a society in which women are dependent on men. They are bound to household activities . Every girl of her era including Jane Austen spent her life serving her family . " Pride and Prejudice " is a clear representation of her own society with an additional theme of " love and Marriage ".

Prejudice 

   Title itself suggests a theme of preconceived judgments. The novel explores the consequences of making assumptions about others based on first impressions . Prejudice in pride and prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another based on presumptions. The theme is displayed mostly through the character of Elizabeth , who is quick to judge others upon meeting them.these judgments turn into prejudice , even though they are often incorrect . This is shown especially though  they are often incorrect. This is shown especially through Wickham and Darcy. Elizabeth's Early judgments of each character are wrong . She sees Wickham as charming and handsome. She finds out over time that he is despicable and he is not what he seems . Elizabeth sees Darcy as rude and superior . Although he is prideful , he is more caring than he appears. He usually has the best intentions in his Deeds. Dracy is not trying to be rude when she first  meets him. He is simply a shy man who does not see the value in dealing with strangers. Jane Austen presents prejudice in the novel as a stage in a person's moral development , something that can be overcome through reason and compassion. 

Independence 

  

 There are many examples of independence in this novel . One is mrs. Bennet and the neighbourhood's dependence on each other for gossip. They depend on each other for fresh rumours. Jane and Elizabeth are interdependent. Since their characters are in such opposition, their opinions often balance each other out. Jane thinks god of everyone , while Elizabeth is cynical and judges too quickly . They depend on each other to help see the reason in each situation. Their opposing views on life help each other see what is really going on and what their true feelings are . Another example of Independence is between Lady Catherine and mr. Collins. Mr. Collins. Depends on mr. Collins for company and to run her parish.  Throughout the novel, the characters depend on each other to support themselves in varying ways .

Morality and Ethics 

     The mortally good jane, desiring the happiness of others more than her own , also desire to think Better of others than she desires to think of herself ; she is thus only willing to apply her good sense to her own actions, and not to the actions of others, in order to refrain from judging others unkindly . The novel highlights the importance of moral values and ethical behavior in relationships and society. The novel portrays the societal norms and expectations of the time, emphasizing the importance of social standing, wealth, and class. Characters like Lady Catherine de Bourgh embody the rigid social structure, while Elizabeth Bennet challenges these norms with her independent thinking.The characters' moral compasses are tested throughout the story. Mr. Darcy's initial pride and Elizabeth's initial prejudice serve as examples. As the characters evolve, the novel suggests that true morality involves self-awareness, humility, and the ability to overcome personal flaws. Austen explores the moral implications of marriage as both a social contract and a personal choice. Marrying for love versus marrying for financial stability is a recurring theme. Elizabeth's refusal of Mr. Collins and her eventual marriage to Mr. Darcy exemplify the novel's stance on the ethical dimensions of marital choice.

In essence, "Pride and Prejudice" explores morality and ethics through the lens of its characters' choices and societal expectations, encouraging readers to reflect on the timeless themes of pride, prejudice, and the pursuit of genuine moral character.

Satire and irony 

  This stiare and irony is dervided thruogh their Pride and prejudices. Darcy's Proposal to Elizabeth at the end of  the novel is possibly the most ironic twist to the entire story.  But it also shows Austen's views on the wealthy; Dracy thought that because he was wealthy that Elizabeth could not refuse. In her humours treatment of a serious subject . Austen opens the novel with what appears to be a sarcastic sentence , which acts as a springboard for the action and motivation of the story . The text presnets two men with large fortunes. And by the and of novel , both men ". Of a good fortune" have wives . What appears mere scrscam becomes ironic when realized " IT is a turth universally acknowledged ".

Conclusion 

In conclusion, "Pride and Prejudice" explores themes of love, social class, and personal growth. The novel highlights the consequences of pride and prejudice in relationships, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and understanding. Through the characters' journeys, Jane Austen delivers a timeless message about the complexities of human nature and the transformative power of love and self-reflection.