Themes Inn Pride and Prejudice

Choose three important themes from the novel Pride and Prejudice. How are the themes that you have chosen illustrated by characters and events?

Throughout the novel three themes among all have been the most evident: pride and prejudice, marriage, and class distinction. Jane Austen had used not only events but also characters to bring out these themes more effectively.

Darcy and Elizabeth symbolize pride and prejudice respectively, this being proven during their first meeting at the Meryton Ball in Chapter 3. Darcy was first introduced to Elizabeth by Mr. Bingley when he asks him to dance with her. Darcy refuses to do so as he claims that he doesn’t dance with people whom he isn’t “particularly acquainted with”. When Bingley suggests he dance with Elizabeth, Darcy makes a rude remark saying “she is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me”. Apparently, this conversation was overheard by Elizabeth. However, she is neither in any degree affected nor is she bothered to find out what he has against her so she “tells the story with great spirit among her friends”. This when Elizabeth’s prejudice starts acting up; she starts forming her impression of Darcy, deciding that his character is highly as unfavorable as his words sound. Darcy on the other hand is overcome with pride; he knows of Lizzy’s social standing and her absurd mother makes her family background much more badly than it already is. Darcy is influenced by his class-conscious social circle so becomes a slightly class-conscious person too. This prevents him from humbling himself to get to know Elizabeth more while the first impression he had created on Elizabeth startsto prevent her from understanding his peers.

During Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth, a part of his pride had been portrayed again. This was when Elizabeth refuses him and he starts stating facts about her low social status and relatively low wealth. This heightens Elizabeth’s growing prejudice for him, another portrayal of the novel’s...