Pride and Prejudice

S. P. Dutta, M.A.(English), ACIB (London) 395 Ramakrishna Palli (Mission Palli) Sonarpur, Kolkata 700 150 :: TEL : 8145671599 ************************************************************************************** 01. Discuss the appropriateness of the title of Pride and Prejudice. You could not shock her more than she shocks me Beside her Joyce seems innocent as grass, It makes me most uncomfortable to see An English spinster of the middle class Describe the amorous effects of ‘brass’, Reveal so frankly and with such sobriety The economic basis of society. – W. H. Auden : Letter to Lord Byron (1936) Isobel Armstrong reminds us that despite the ‘light, bright, and sparkling air’ of Pride and Prejudice, it was written and rewritten across sixteen or seventeen very difficult years in Britain’s history. Drafted as First Impressions when the Terror of the French Revolution was at its height, between October 1796 and August 1797, it was published in the midst of the Napoleonic wars in January 1813 after Sense and Sensibility which was published in 1811.During this long sixteen years, it was revised again and again. First Impressions was first written in the epistolary style; later on it was redrafted and renamed Pride and Prejudice. Jane was inspired to name the first version of her novel First Impressions because she wanted to lay stress on the first impressions. But as she wanted to justify the universally acknowledged fact that appearance and reality, more often than not, are contradictory and that the first impressions are illusory and subject to change, she turned to a more suggestive and realistic title. The first six chapters of the novel deal with the first impressions, but thereafter, the process of chastening the first impressions begins. At the end of the story, the first impressions wither, and the real view of life and the characters is established. Had the novel continued to have the title First Impressions, it would have been misleading and only partially appropriate. The title Pride and Prejudice covers the whole aspect of the story, its central theme, and evokes greater curiosity in a man to turn to the book. The title Pride and Prejudice has its origin in Fanny Burney’s Cecilia. On the last page of the book, there is a sentence : “The whole of this misfortune has been the result of PRIDE And PREJUDICE.” The last three words are used twice and printed prominently in bold type. Jane who was an admirer of Burney’s novels avidly adopted the words ‘pride and prejudice’ for the title of her novel that was originally First Impressions. It is curious that a girl, just 21 years old, with no or little exposure to the larger society and leading a sequestered life under the protection of her parents, knew, just by intuition, so much about life – about first impressions and final impressions. Instead of borrowing from Burney, Jane could have slightly altered the title first given to the novel and renamed it Impressions - First and Final. Could I meet her, I would definitely suggest it. The title First Impressions would sound sensible only in respect of the first few chapters which deal with the prejudices of the characters. After that, the novel deals with the effects on the characters of the first impressions that lead to prejudices. The story is equally about the faults of people like Darcy who are proud at the beginning, and people like Wickham who do deceive others purposely. Therefore, the fault then lies not only with Elizabeth who misunderstood both of them at first. The novel is as much about Darcy’s change of attitudes as it is about Elizabeth’s correction of her first impressions. Hence, Pride and Prejudice is a better title than First Impressions. Baker considers that the novel can be dramatized into a play of five acts. The First Act would span over the first eighteen chapters. These are the chapters that deal with the first impressions. The novel begins with Mr. Bingley appearing at Netherfield and being immediately the cynosure of all eyes. Mrs. Bennet who has three marriageable daughters out of five immediately sets herself to the task of getting one of the three to be married to Mr. Bingley, an eligible bachelor by all considerations. The consideration is based on the implicit view of Austen’s statement: It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in need of a wife.’ Practically, in Austen’s time, the law of succession was unfavourable to women folk, and so they always needed to have prosperous men for husbands in order to have a secured life. Thomas Hardy’s statement in Chapter 20 of Far from the Madding Crowd provides an interesting support to the condition: “ It appears that ordinary men take wives because possession is not possible without marriage, and that ordinary women accept husbands because marriage is not possible without possession..” Anyway, the Chapter 3 is the most crucial as it initiates the conflict between Elizabeth, the second of Bennet girls, and Darcy, Mr. Bingley’s friend. Mr. Darcy suffers from conceit and declines to dance with Elizabeth whom he considers to be far below his station in the society. His open remark that Elizabeth is “not handsome enough to tempt me” wounds the vanity of Elizabeth, the vanity that she is unaware of. This is not just self-esteem, but something different from it. Thomas Hardy remarks in Far from the Madding Crowd that ‘a woman’s vanity is a part of her countenance’, and when this vanity or rather the pride is hurt, the wound is too deep. Naturally, Elizabeth, an immature woman as she is, becomes prejudiced against Darcy. Her first impression of Darcy is that he is a high-handed fellow and is therefore not as her companion, and she drifts apart. In Chapter 15, Wickham is introduced. Elizabeth discovers that Darcy and Wickham know each other. In the supper party, at the Philipses (Chapter16) Wickham vitiates Elizabeth’s mind against Darcy. He tells her that although Darcy’s father had promised him a fortune, Darcy had turned him off the estate, ignoring his father’s promises. Infatuated by Wickham’s appearance and flattered by the fact that Wickham had chosen her to narrate the sad tale of his life to, Elizabeth becomes bitterer against Darcy and her prejudice against Darcy is further reinforced. Wickham would, in course of time, add an important dimension to the theme of first impression, of the tension between appearance and reality. His future acts would prove that he is a mean scandalmonger and a wretch. Not only the Darcy-Elizabeth relationship but also the whole Bennet family would have been crushed, had Darcy not taken up the task of crisis management. So, in that respect too, the first impressions are shattered by the final impressions. The first impressions constitute only half the story, and the less important part. The so-called Second Act may be said to consist of the next nine chapters. Collins proposes to Elizabeth but the proposal is rejected by her. He marries Charlotte and goes back to Hunsford to prepare the ground for Elizabeth’s visit to this place. Wickham appears at this stage and deepens Elizabeth’s prejudice against Darcy . The Third Act covers about 14 chapters, from the 27th to the 40th. These chapters in the main deal with Elizabeth’s visit to Hunsford. Here Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but Elizabeth who is already prejudiced against Darcy for his high-handed remark at the ball, rejects the offer of marriage. This section of the novel also works out the growing self-awareness of both Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth discovers that she has been unduly prejudiced against Darcy , and Darcy discovers that he has not acted properly, being steeped in pride, to win the heart of a worthy lady like Elizabeth. The next section of the novel that may be called Act IV of the drama extends over the next 17 chapters. Elizabeth goes to Pemberley along with the Gardiners. Her attitude to Darcy has already undergone a change after the receipt of Darcy’s letter. Mrs. Reynolds’ testimony further softens her attitude to Darcy. She praises Darcy effusively, and even Elizabeth discovers Darcy, who has returned home unexpectedly, very hospitable and decent. Here, at Pemberley, Darcy and Elizabeth meet in a congenial environment; Darcy in his own estate and Elizabeth in the company of the Gardeners who are really decent people. In Chapter 44, more testimony is received from the neighbours of Darcy about his good reputation and Wickham’s notorious treachery. Elizabeth continues to reexamine her original prejudice against Darcy, and before very long comes to feel respect and gratitude towards him. She realizes now that he probably loves her and wonders if she can ever love him. The situation becomes complicated (Chapter 46) as the news of elopement of Lydia, the youngest of the Bennet girls, with Wickham pours in. While this incident breaks the Elizabeth’s first impression about Wickham, it creates a crisis in the Darcy- Elizabeth relationship that is now moving towards reconciliation and union. This is a social scandal that would strongly affect the reputation of the Bennet family. It would be difficult for Darcy too to marry into the family whose reputation has sunk low and be the brother-in-law of a lewd and a hypocrite like Wickham who had once made an attempt to flee with his sister. Darcy’s love is now put to test and so is his pride. Elizabeth is now at worst ever crisis in her life. Austen would not leave her tale end unhappily in that condition, and so she works out a resolution. Darcy traces out Wickham and Lydia, and gets them married. When this fact which had been kept a secret by Mr. Gardiner at the suggestion of Darcy comes to light through a letter from Mrs. Gardiner, a sea change takes place in Elizabeth’s heart in respect of Darcy. Elizabeth is now shocked, pleased, overwhelmed, humbled. “ Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.” She repents of her past mistakes made due to faulty first impressions and longs to be united with him. When Lady Catherine who wanted her daughter to be married to Darcy particularly because of the status equality of the two families visits her and asks her to protest that she will not marry Darcy, Elizabeth refuses to oblige her. In Chapter 58, which may be said to be starting point of the Fifth Act, Elizabeth and Darcy frankly discuss all that had happened. They talk in a forget-and-forgive mood and both acknowledge their own faults. Darcy even goes to the extent of thanking Elizabeth for having taught him a ‘lesson’ and having properly ‘humbled’ him. Both pride and prejudice now vanish, and the relationship is now based on mutual respect, understanding and surely, love. Thus we see that if the novel has an objective, it is to show that first impressions are incorrect and not everlasting. In a sense, the novel handles the eternal theme of the conflict between appearance and reality in its own way. The characters, mainly Elizabeth and Darcy, both grow in course of the novel, and at the end of the novel they are not what were at the beginning. Time works out the change, and the superficial impression gives way to a saner view. This view, as it has been attained through a long course of events, is stable and, therefore, acceptable. Austen probably disagrees with Phebe’s view : “Whoever loved that loved not at first sight?” In the pastoral world of romance, everything is possible, but at Netherfield, Longbourn or Pemberley, marriage must be based on a stable understanding. The influence of the prevalent faith in reason as the most acceptable philosophical doctrine may have worked. Jane, who remained a maiden all her life, palpably conducts a research on this theme in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and prejudice are faults that stand in the way of a happy union. We must remember in this connection that it would be a fallacious conclusion to think that Darcy embodies pride and Elizabeth prejudice. In fact, pride and prejudice are inextricably connected. Darcy’s ill-bred pride made him prejudiced against the people belonging to lower economic status, and Elizabeth’s pride was wounded when she was frowned upon by Darcy. She instantly became prejudiced against him. David Hume, in Isobel Armstrong’s version, expostulates that ‘pride is an exaggerated self-esteem, a prejudice in favour of the self which subsumes prejudice towards others. Prejudice is a matter of partial knowledge.”The progression of events in Austen’s novel leads the principal duo to self-awareness, and by dint of this newly acquired self-knowledge, they rediscover each other too. Both admit that their first impressions had been incorrect, and both stoop to conquer. Austen’s research is successful in her novel, but life to her remained as unkind as ever. She got Elizabeth united with a reformed Darcy, and Darcy with a reformed Elizabeth, but for herself she found none. The novel is remarkable for its irony, but it is a pity that greater irony overwhelms the life of the novelist. (2191) ****************************************************************************** S. P. Dutta, M.A.(English), ACIB (London) Formerly, Guest Lecturer in English, Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur RESIDENCE : 395 Ramakrishna Palli (Mission Palli) Sonarpur, Kolkata 700 150 :: TEL : 8145671599 ************************************************************************************** 01. Discuss the appropriateness of the title of Pride and Prejudice. You could not shock her more than she shocks me Beside her Joyce seems innocent as grass, It makes me most uncomfortable to see An English spinster of the middle class Describe the amorous effects of ‘brass’, Reveal so frankly and with such sobriety The economic basis of society. – W. H. Auden : Letter to Lord Byron (1936) Isobel Armstrong reminds us that despite the ‘light, bright, and sparkling air’ of Pride and Prejudice, it was written and rewritten across sixteen or seventeen very difficult years in Britain’s history. Drafted as First Impressions when the Terror of the French Revolution was at its height, between October 1796 and August 1797, it was published in the midst of the Napoleonic wars in January 1813 after Sense and Sensibility which was published in 1811.During this long sixteen years, it was revised again and again. First Impressions was first written in the epistolary style; later on it was redrafted and renamed Pride and Prejudice. Jane was inspired to name the first version of her novel First Impressions because she wanted to lay stress on the first impressions. But as she wanted to justify the universally acknowledged fact that appearance and reality, more often than not, are contradictory and that the first impressions are illusory and subject to change, she turned to a more suggestive and realistic title. The first six chapters of the novel deal with the first impressions, but thereafter, the process of chastening the first impressions begins. At the end of the story, the first impressions wither, and the real view of life and the characters is established. Had the novel continued to have the title First Impressions, it would have been misleading and only partially appropriate. The title Pride and Prejudice covers the whole aspect of the story, its central theme, and evokes greater curiosity in a man to turn to the book. The title Pride and Prejudice has its origin in Fanny Burney’s Cecilia. On the last page of the book, there is a sentence : “The whole of this misfortune has been the result of PRIDE And PREJUDICE.” The last three words are used twice and printed prominently in bold type. Jane who was an admirer of Burney’s novels avidly adopted the words ‘pride and prejudice’ for the title of her novel that was originally First Impressions. It is curious that a girl, just 21 years old, with no or little exposure to the larger society and leading a sequestered life under the protection of her parents, knew, just by intuition, so much about life – about first impressions and final impressions. Instead of borrowing from Burney, Jane could have slightly altered the title first given to the novel and renamed it Impressions - First and Final. Could I meet her, I would definitely suggest it. The title First Impressions would sound sensible only in respect of the first few chapters which deal with the prejudices of the characters. After that, the novel deals with the effects on the characters of the first impressions that lead to prejudices. The story is equally about the faults of people like Darcy who are proud at the beginning, and people like Wickham who do deceive others purposely. Therefore, the fault then lies not only with Elizabeth who misunderstood both of them at first. The novel is as much about Darcy’s change of attitudes as it is about Elizabeth’s correction of her first impressions. Hence, Pride and Prejudice is a better title than First Impressions. Baker considers that the novel can be dramatized into a play of five acts. The First Act would span over the first eighteen chapters. These are the chapters that deal with the first impressions. The novel begins with Mr. Bingley appearing at Netherfield and being immediately the cynosure of all eyes. Mrs. Bennet who has three marriageable daughters out of five immediately sets herself to the task of getting one of the three to be married to Mr. Bingley, an eligible bachelor by all considerations. The consideration is based on the implicit view of Austen’s statement: It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in need of a wife.’ Practically, in Austen’s time, the law of succession was unfavourable to women folk, and so they always needed to have prosperous men for husbands in order to have a secured life. Thomas Hardy’s statement in Chapter 20 of Far from the Madding Crowd provides an interesting support to the condition: “ It appears that ordinary men take wives because possession is not possible without marriage, and that ordinary women accept husbands because marriage is not possible without possession..” Anyway, the Chapter 3 is the most crucial as it initiates the conflict between Elizabeth, the second of Bennet girls, and Darcy, Mr. Bingley’s friend. Mr. Darcy suffers from conceit and declines to dance with Elizabeth whom he considers to be far below his station in the society. His open remark that Elizabeth is “not handsome enough to tempt me” wounds the vanity of Elizabeth, the vanity that she is unaware of. This is not just self-esteem, but something different from it. Thomas Hardy remarks in Far from the Madding Crowd that ‘a woman’s vanity is a part of her countenance’, and when this vanity or rather the pride is hurt, the wound is too deep. Naturally, Elizabeth, an immature woman as she is, becomes prejudiced against Darcy. Her first impression of Darcy is that he is a high-handed fellow and is therefore not as her companion, and she drifts apart. In Chapter 15, Wickham is introduced. Elizabeth discovers that Darcy and Wickham know each other. In the supper party, at the Philipses (Chapter16) Wickham vitiates Elizabeth’s mind against Darcy. He tells her that although Darcy’s father had promised him a fortune, Darcy had turned him off the estate, ignoring his father’s promises. Infatuated by Wickham’s appearance and flattered by the fact that Wickham had chosen her to narrate the sad tale of his life to, Elizabeth becomes bitterer against Darcy and her prejudice against Darcy is further reinforced. Wickham would, in course of time, add an important dimension to the theme of first impression, of the tension between appearance and reality. His future acts would prove that he is a mean scandalmonger and a wretch. Not only the Darcy-Elizabeth relationship but also the whole Bennet family would have been crushed, had Darcy not taken up the task of crisis management. So, in that respect too, the first impressions are shattered by the final impressions. The first impressions constitute only half the story, and the less important part. The so-called Second Act may be said to consist of the next nine chapters. Collins proposes to Elizabeth but the proposal is rejected by her. He marries Charlotte and goes back to Hunsford to prepare the ground for Elizabeth’s visit to this place. Wickham appears at this stage and deepens Elizabeth’s prejudice against Darcy . The Third Act covers about 14 chapters, from the 27th to the 40th. These chapters in the main deal with Elizabeth’s visit to Hunsford. Here Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but Elizabeth who is already prejudiced against Darcy for his high-handed remark at the ball, rejects the offer of marriage. This section of the novel also works out the growing self-awareness of both Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth discovers that she has been unduly prejudiced against Darcy, and Darcy discovers that he has not acted properly, being steeped in pride, to win the heart of a worthy lady like Elizabeth. The next section of the novel that may be called Act IV of the drama extends over the next 17 chapters. Elizabeth goes to Pemberley along with the Gardiners. Her attitude to Darcy has already undergone a change after the receipt of Darcy’s letter. Mrs. Reynolds’ testimony further softens her attitude to Darcy. She praises Darcy effusively, and even Elizabeth discovers Darcy, who has returned home unexpectedly, very hospitable and decent. Here, at Pemberley, Darcy and Elizabeth meet in a congenial environment; Darcy in his own estate and Elizabeth in the company of the Gardeners who are really decent people. In Chapter 44, more testimony is received from the neighbours of Darcy about his good reputation and Wickham’s notorious treachery. Elizabeth continues to reexamine her original prejudice against Darcy, and before very long comes to feel respect and gratitude towards him. She realizes now that he probably loves her and wonders if she can ever love him. The situation becomes complicated (Chapter 46) as the news of elopement of Lydia, the youngest of the Bennet girls, with Wickham pours in. While this incident breaks the Elizabeth’s first impression about Wickham, it creates a crisis in the Darcy- Elizabeth relationship that is now moving towards reconciliation and union. This is a social scandal that would strongly affect the reputation of the Bennet family. It would be difficult for Darcy too to marry into the family whose reputation has sunk low and be the brother-in-law of a lewd and a hypocrite like Wickham who had once made an attempt to flee with his sister. Darcy’s love is now put to test and so is his pride. Elizabeth is now at worst ever crisis in her life. Austen would not leave her tale end unhappily in that condition, and so she works out a resolution. Darcy traces out Wickham and Lydia, and gets them married. When this fact which had been kept a secret by Mr. Gardiner at the suggestion of Darcy comes to light through a letter from Mrs. Gardiner, a sea change takes place in Elizabeth’s heart in respect of Darcy. Elizabeth is now shocked, pleased, overwhelmed, humbled. “ Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.” She repents of her past mistakes made due to faulty first impressions and longs to be united with him. When Lady Catherine who wanted her daughter to be married to Darcy particularly because of the status equality of the two families visits her and asks her to protest that she will not marry Darcy, Elizabeth refuses to oblige her. In Chapter 58, which may be said to be starting point of the Fifth Act, Elizabeth and Darcy frankly discuss all that had happened. They talk in a forget-and-forgive mood and both acknowledge their own faults. Darcy even goes to the extent of thanking Elizabeth for having taught him a ‘lesson’ and having properly ‘humbled’ him. Both pride and prejudice now vanish, and the relationship is now based on mutual respect, understanding and surely, love. Thus we see that if the novel has an objective, it is to show that first impressions are incorrect and not everlasting. In a sense, the novel handles the eternal theme of the conflict between appearance and reality in its own way. The characters, mainly Elizabeth and Darcy, both grow in course of the novel, and at the end of the novel they are not what were at the beginning. Time works out the change, and the superficial impression gives way to a saner view. This view, as it has been attained through a long course of events, is stable and, therefore, acceptable. Austen probably disagrees with Phebe’s view : “Whoever loved that loved not at first sight?” In the pastoral world of romance, everything is possible, but at Netherfield, Longbourn or Pemberley, marriage must be based on a stable understanding. The influence of the prevalent faith in reason as the most acceptable philosophical doctrine may have worked. Jane, who remained a maiden all her life, palpably conducts a research on this theme in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and prejudice are faults that stand in the way of a happy union. We must remember in this connection that it would be a fallacious conclusion to think that Darcy embodies pride and Elizabeth prejudice. In fact, pride and prejudice are inextricably connected. Darcy’s ill-bred pride made him prejudiced against the people belonging to lower economic status, and Elizabeth’s pride was wounded when she was frowned upon by Darcy. She instantly became prejudiced against him. David Hume, in Isobel Armstrong’s version, expostulates that ‘pride is an exaggerated self-esteem, a prejudice in favour of the self which subsumes prejudice towards others. Prejudice is a matter of partial knowledge.”The progression of events in Austen’s novel leads the principal duo to self-awareness, and by dint of this newly acquired self-knowledge, they rediscover each other too. Both admit that their first impressions had been incorrect, and both stoop to conquer. Austen’s research is successful in her novel, but life to her remained as unkind as ever. She got Elizabeth united with a reformed Darcy, and Darcy with a reformed Elizabeth, but for herself she found none. The novel is remarkable for its irony, but it is a pity that greater irony overwhelms the life of the novelist. (2191) **************************************************************************************