| PRIDE AND PREJUDICEJane Austen 1775-1817 published her novels in the first year of 19th century. Uneventful life: she studies at home in her father’s rectory, classical readings, writing was a pleasant, simple family life in a stimulating provincial society, no marriage, both period return to the countryside and beginning of a prolific of novel writing.Works, novels of manners, more or less the same plot:-Norhanger Abbey (a parody of gothic novel)-Sense and sensibility-Pride and prejudice-Mansfield park-Emma-PersuasionNo vision of the historical and social events of the time, no concern with the literary movements of the time. Restricted provincial. General features:1. Themes: everyday life made up of dinners, parties, excursions, dames marriage, social convention, the experience of a young heroine and herself growth and self understand2. Structure and plot: well planned and organised3. Setting: provincial England, villages, country houses, garden (Bath)4. Characterisation: rural middle class, landed gentry, country clergy (Mr Collins), her characters are lively, precisely described, finely psychologically studied, round5. Realism: she never romances her story but she pictures domestic life without heroes and heroines, intense observation she describes with a scientific detachment neither idealising nor sparing their faults.6. Lack of sentimentality: excessive feelings are absent or concealed. Everything must be based on calm and judgement or on mutual understanding.7. Morality and behaviour: interest in moral standard and rules, moderation, balance and no excess are the key words for a right moral behaviour. Criticism to dishonesty, falsity, irresponsibility and corruption.8. Style: 3rd person external omniscient unobtrusive narrator. Objective, realistic precise made up of: dialogues to reveal characters, letters, irony, sarcasm, precise use of words, acute observations, humour, made up of unexpected paradoxes.9. An Augustan temper: her interest in moral standards of behaviour, in society and her didactic aim make her an Augustan writerShe said “ordinary life contains all the dilemmas, joys and dangers necessary for a novel” • Title: refers to the two main character, Darcy and Elizabeth, because they both have to overcame their pride and prejudice in order to get to know each other and to love each other. The book can be divided in two part:? Part one: deals with the meeting of Darcy and Elizabeth and shows how they form impressions of each other, and how Darcy eventually becomes so much in love that he asks Elizabeth to marry him. The climax of the first part is Darcy’s proposal and Elizabeth’s rejection.? Part two: shows how both the lovers come to a better understanding of each other. There are many obstacles with threaten to ruin their affection. However these are finally overcome and they are united at last• Many themes: ? Love and marriage? Social rank and good breeding? Immoral standardsThe main theme is love and marriage, it’s the choice of the right person and in particular about the difficulties to people have to overcome before they can marry (in the case of Darcy and Elizabeth they have to overcome their pride and prejudice). Elizabeth is attractive and intelligent, Darcy is rich and handsome, but both have to gain self knowledge. Darcy is proud and doesn’t want to lower himself, Elizabeth is too hasty in her judgement and bases her judgement an appearance.• Characters: ? Elizabeth (round): intelligent, attractive, lively, witty, she is not very beautiful like Jane, plain, balanced, independent, stubborn and strong willed, she is Mr Bennet’s favourite and she is very similar to him. They shared the same wit and the same irony. Elizabeth stands at the central of the novel and she is the characters through which we see and we judge most of what happens. She takes a little part in the everyday gossiping of her mother and her sisters, she is not so superficial. She doesn’t place marriage at the centre of her ambition and she is ashamed of her mother and sisters’ behaviour. She is mature and clear sighted but she misjudges Darcy at the beginning. Her change of mind about him is the novel central thread (p16-21-35...)? Darcy (round): member of the aristocracy, Mr Bingley’s friend, he has a large estate in Derbyshire. He is handsome but also too proud, aloof and superior, in his behaviour to his new friends, he is very formal and reserved. Elisabeth attracts him against his willed. As the novel goes on we learn that Darcy is a shy character, he is generous to his servants and very affectionate to his sister Georgiana. He is in fact a good man who has been made stiff and proud by his upbringing. His concern about the Bennet’s social inferiority cause him to detached Bingley from Jane and to offend Elizabeth when he first proposes to her. The hidden sight of Darcy is mostly revealed when Elizabeth visit Pemberley.? Jane (round) she is the eldest sister and the most beautiful, she is modest and she and she never thinks ill of anyone. She has warm feelings and she doesn’t show her love for Mr Bingley. For this reason Darcy and Mr Bingley misunderstand her feelings. She is very closed to Elizabeth and she proves wiser than her when she feels certain that there must be more to the relationship between Darcy and Wickhnam than fist appear. She has no wealth but she has the advantage of beauty which gives her an eligible husband.? Bingley (round): is Darcy’s friend, he is a young man of fortune from the north of England, he belongs to the new rich, a class who has made money with trade exactly like Gardiners, so he is not a member of the aristocracy like Darcy. He is straight forward person and he isn’t snob like his sisters. He is a gentleman and he is friendly with most people. He is immediately attracted by Jane at the ball, but he is too easily influenced by Darcy and his sisters. He allows other people to separate Jane and himself. He is handsome and loyal? Miss Bennet (flat): “she is a woman of mean understanding, little information and uncertain temper”. The business of her life is to get her daughters a good marriage, her favourite post time is visiting and gossiping. She is Jane Austen’s chief comic and the object of her irony. She is gealous of her neighbours except when she can triumph over them. Once she was beautiful and that’s why Mr Bennet married her, she backbites everyone and always wishes to have her own way. She is irritable and materialistic, she is socially inferior to Mr Bennet? Mr Bennet (flat): close to Elizabeth, he is witty and intelligent, his remarks are always funny, he is always ready to humour, to mock, but never to intervene. He neglects his duty as a father (Elizabeth blames him for Lydia’s uncontrolled behaviour). He is a gentleman by birth but he made an unwise marriage and for this reason he retires to his library. He takes pleasure in ridiculing his ignorant wife and daughters. He is a character who doesn’t show any change at the end of the novel.? Wickhnam (flat): handsome, charming, excellent conversationalist, unscrupoled character. By the end of the book we find out that he is a liar who is always ready to seduce and exploit woman for his personal pleasure and material game (Georgiana Darcy and Lydia). Saved by Darcy. Elizabeth too is deceived by his appearance. Wickhnam’s fathers was the steward Darcy’s father therefore he isn’t a noble.? Mr Collins: he is the reverent, he belongs to the country clergy, he is pompous, narrow minded and servile to Lady Catherine. He makes long speeches in which he shows his hypocrisy and superficiality. He proposes to both Elizabeth and Carlotte is a space of less than a week. He is a cousin of the Bennet and he will inherit Longbourn when Mr Bennet dies.? Lady Catherine de Bourgh: she belongs to the aristocracy, she is very arrogant and conscious of self importance, she wants to be respected of everyone, she always gives her opinion and she doesn’t expected to be contradicted. She behaves in an intensive way, ordering everyone’s life. She wants her daughter to marry Darcy.
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