Pride and Prejudice Essay

Lu Li
AP English – Mr. George
Apr. / 16/ 2009
Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice

_It is a truth not universally acknowledged, that a well-written book, which has just been completed, must be in want of a suitable title. It is utterly true that “a good title is the title of a successful book” (Gallagher); however, people usually prefer to concentrate more on the dramatic plot of a novel, rather than its simplistic title. Little do they know that an effective title can give readers a general sense of what they are about to read; in other words, it is a significant crystallization of the entire story. The title of Jane Austen’s world-famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, is a great example of how a profound title could carry the main theme of a story throughout a book. Using only three words, Austen was able to distil the main components out from her complex novel and use it as a guide for readers to follow along while reading.

_It is a love story after all; thus, love is the protagonists’ final destination. The book title is a sign post Austen purposely placed in the start, pointing at indistinguishable directions – until the end, no one knows if the pride sign or the prejudice sign can lead Darcy and Elizabeth to the final destination of love, or the opposite direction, which will separate them forever.
Curious and somehow confused, the readers entered the book with two words hanging above the top of their heads – Pride and Prejudice. However, as the readers proceed through the book, the significance of the title becomes obvious: Darcy, the male protagonist of the novel, is extremely proud; while Elizabeth, the heroine of the novel, is excessively prejudice.

_Pride was defined early in the novel: “Human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary” (Austen 21). This shows that pride itself is harmless, but when it is mixed up with vanity, it becomes vicious. Darcy entered the novel as proud as he could be; but fortunately, there was no vanity in it. He was so indifferent about others that he looked down on every inhabitant in Netherfield and disdained to dance, or even talk, to them. His haughty manners at the ball gave people a very bad impression of his personality, especially Elizabeth, whom he considered as “tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (13). This unpleasant first encounter of Darcy and Elizabeth foreshadowed the subsequent conflict between the two protagonists.

_Darcy introduced the word “pride”, which is the first word of the book's title, into the novel; while Elizabeth, with her decision to trust Mr. Wickham's one-sided story, introduced the other word of the book’s title – “prejudice”. Her prejudice toward Darcy mostly came from her initial negative impression of him at the ball. Later when Wickham attacked Darcy’s character brutally, her prejudice toward Darcy increased, even though Wickham was not trustworthy at all: “I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either” (94). Lizzy’s initial prejudice gradually turned into a strong antipathy, which made her move further apart from Darcy.

_Both characters were unaware of their weakness. Darcy’s blindness toward his own pride and Lizzy’s ignorance of her prejudice made the love story even harder to continue. Darcy’s wealth and high social status misled him to think that he has the right to be proud. He was totally unaware of the negative opinions of himself, which were mostly caused by his haughtiness. As for Elizabeth, she asked Darcy if he “never allow[ed] yourself to be blinded by prejudice” (94) without realizing that she is actually the one who is blinded by prejudice. The mist of prejudice spoiled her judgment; therefore, she cannot see any good in Mr. Darcy, who gave her a negative impression when they first met. When Charlotte tried to show Elizabeth the agreeable side of Mr. Darcy, Lizzy cried out in an disdainful manner: “To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate! Do not wish me such an evil” (91). Her mind could not be easily changed because of her strong prejudice.

_The word “and” was placed in the middle of the title Pride and Prejudice; thus, there must be a correlation between the two words, Pride and Prejudice.

_First of all, Pride and Prejudice are the overlapping of the two protagonists – both of them have pride and prejudice, although those characteristics are shown in slightly different ways. Mr. Darcy has his pride on the outside, while prejudice is the inner domination of his views to other people. He refused to interact with people other than his closest friends because he is supercilious - but that is just partly right - he is, indeed, so encumbered by his prejudice that he cannot see the goodness in others. On the other hand, Elizabeth is using her prejudice to cover up her pride: “Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never” (16). She is not surprised by others' compliments because she knows her good qualities already. She becomes extremely critical when meeting people from a higher social class, for example, Mr. Darcy, because her pride was violated by the air of aristocracy.

_As the story continued, Darcy’s pride and Lizzy’s prejudice exchanged their initial owners. Although Darcy’s haughtiness was humbled by love, his prejudice towards Lizzy’s family was substantially excessive because of his few superficial observations of the Bennets. Lizzy, on the other hand, turned to be excessively proud of her own judgment of her family. She continued to keep Darcy away because she thought he disdained her family, even though she has read the letter Darcy wrote to explain every possible misunderstanding. Till this point, the conflict of pride and prejudice has been raised into a higher level, which would be solved later in the text when the two protagonists realize their flaws and try to overcome them.

_Secondly, Pride and Prejudice are the common obstacles that the two protagonists have to overcome. Darcy and Elizabeth’s love relationship is beneficial to both of them:

It was a union that must have been to the advantage of both: by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance (302).

Both of them start as people who have some missing pieces of a perfect character – Darcy has pride and Elizabeth has prejudice. When the two protagonists encountered their imperfections, they seemed to pull the two away from each other because they could only see the flaws in the other person. However, as they gradually found out that pride and prejudice are actually intertwined with each other, they understood that love is the only way to untie the knot of pride and prejudice.

_The two protagonists introspection and love relationship were expressed perfectly by Darcy to Lizzy in the end:

You taught me a lesson hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased (357).

Like holding a mirror, which can reflect one's faults, Darcy and Lizzy are mirrors for each other. They forced themselves to throw away their deep-rooted pride and prejudice, although it may be painful sometimes. It was the power of love, which promoted the changes in Darcy and Elizabeth: “for herself she was humbled; but she was proud of him, - proud that in a cause of compassion and honor he had been able to get the better of himself” (316). During the course of their self-realization, they also realized that the perfect piece to make them whole is a piece of each other's heart.

_The two protagonists were tangling with pride and prejudice throughout the novel. They also struggled to put down their pride and get rid of their prejudice in front of the irresistible love that is slowly but surely growing between them. Luckily, “a person may be proud without being vain” (21); there is no vanity in their pride and there is no hatred in their prejudice. So the time when they realize how much they share in their personalities, and how much they have been through, is also the time when prejudice dissolves, pride humbles, and love completes.

_When the story ended and the book was closed, the readers’ mind would be needled with two words – Pride and Prejudice. These two words, probably the most important and significant words of the novel, are the characteristics of the protagonists, catalysts for their conflict, motivation for their self-realization, and what eventually leads them to the happiness we root for. The readers “never really know the title of a book until it’s finished” (Wesley). Not until the last moment is the title revealed as the original cause and the ultimate outcome of the entire plot. Just as Darcy and Elizabeth completed each other, the significant and suitable title, Pride and Prejudice, completed this extraordinary book and embroidered its cover, which let this novel shine timelessly.


Works Cited

Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003.
BrainyMedia.com. 15 April 2009. Title Quotes. 21 December 2001

Character Description #2: Jane Bennet

Lu Li
AP English – Mr. George
Apr. / 13/ 2009
Character Description

Jane Bennet Analysis

_Jane Bennet, the eldest and most beautiful daughter of the Bennets, is an amiable, naïve, and extremely optimistic young lady whom sees no evil or illness in others.

_Besides her seraphic appearance, Jane is kind and thinks no harm of anyone in the world. In Elizabeth’s words, Jane is the kind of person who “like[s] people in general” (16). “You never see a fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life” (16), cried Elizabeth, when her elder sister was praising Mr. Bingley’s amiable and good-humored personality, even though she has just met him once. However, Jane’s excessive optimism blinds her from seeing those obvious illnesses in people: “Jane united with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and an uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent” (22). This overly positive attitude towards general human beings made Jane innocent, but at the same time, simplistic and naïve.

_Jane is like a beautiful sunflower with soft honey-yellow petals. She is comely and vivacious, just like a lively sunflower stretching tall and proud to the sun in an elegant manner. Sunflowers always grow facing the direction of the sun – Jane prefers to see the goodness of a person; in another word, she always tries to face the bright side of an incident, rather than the dark side.

_With rosy cheeks and pleasant smile on her face, Jane is like the Noonan sisters, who are always cheerful, friendly, and see the best in people, even when they got stuck in some really bad situations.

Character Description #1: Mr. Bennet

Lu Li
AP English – Mr. George
Apr. / 13/ 2009
Character Description

Mr. Bennet Analysis

_As the father of the five Bennet Sisters, Mr. Bennet is a witty old gentleman who always has a sarcastic, cynical, but somehow indifferent tone when he talks to people.

_Mr. Bennet is “so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice” (7). He hates and despises the classist structuring society, which he has to live through. However, his disdain of society did not make him a reformer who advocates changes of the rigid social structures, but an old unsociable man who is detached from the society – he prefers to lock himself into the library and spend a whole day reading books rather than going out to make acquaintances with others. Although he is loved by his family and is also well respected by his daughters, his careless and indifferent state of mind made him an irresponsible father: “contented with laughing at them, [he] would never exert himself to restrain the wild giddiness of his youngest daughters” (209). He withdraws from those never-ending family affairs and issues by simply making jokes about it and walks away with a playful and indifferent heart.

_Mr. Bennet can be seen as a man sitting in a couch, watching TV, with his right hand holding a box of popcorn. He has always been a speculator throughout the novel, as if he is not a part of the big picture of society. He mocks, sneers, and laugh about the things going on behind the TV screen. When he feels uncomfortable with a situation he is in, he just simply pick up the remote control and switch the channel – just as he always escapes from those annoying family incidents by locking himself in the library.

_With the sarcastic, cynical sense of humor, Mr. Bennet is similar to Mark Twain, who is also a humorous critic of society.

Huckleberry Finn Essay

Lu Li
AP English – Mr. George
Mar. / 25/ 2009
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Enslaved by Slavery

_In the sunset decades of the nineteenth century, when discrimination against blacks was still common, Mark Twain wrote a novel entitled, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which early American lifestyles and the beliefs of the South in the mid-1800’s are depicted through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy living along the Mississippi River. As the readers follow Huck and Jim’s adventure to freedom, they also experience the journey of Huck’s moral development, which contrasts the immoral side of society. During this period of time, the southern society considered blacks as inferior and as possessions. Growing up in the South, Mark Twain witnessed the oppression and discrimination against black slaves. “Man is the only Slave,” sneered Clemens in his book Letters from the Earth, “and he is the only animal who enslaves” (Twain 237). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is more than a novel; it is, indeed, a critique of the slave-holding South. In Twain’s opinion, the society was actually enslaved by its own belief in slavery, which prohibited the development of personal morality and social justice.

_The superiority of whites was one of the causes of slavery. White men were born with privilege and superiority, whereas blacks were doomed to be slaves. Mark Twain revealed in the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, that pride can lead to the unnecessary insecurity of one’s inherent privilege: “You're educated, too, they say; can read and write. You think you're better’n your father, now, don’t you, because he can’t? I’ll take it out of you” (28-29). There was a sense of insecurity in Pap’s voice. He was intimidated by the fact that his son, being civilized, is going to become a better person than he is: “I’ll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better’n what he is” (29). Therefore, from a historical perspective, this insecurity has a symbolic meaning – the whites’ fear of losing their dominance over black people. In Pap’s mind, he “was Huck Finn's boss” (33) and his son was his “property” (36). It may be strange for us to hear, and hard for us to understand, that Pap would view a person as his own property; but back in those days, when slavery still existed, it was very common to own someone's freedom and make full use of it. On one hand, Huck's dad uses him as a cash cow to get money for alcohol, which implicates the Old South Tradition of whites forcing slaves to work on cotton fields in order to make a fortune. On the other hand, Pap saved his brittle pride by dominating his son, which symbolizes the evil privilege of whites dominating black slaves in the old days.

_The influence of society on people was substantial. Rules and doctrines were made by the society, and people were taught to obey them: “I wouldn’t stand by and see the rules broke” (260). It does not matter whether the rule is right or wrong, as long as it is a rule. Living in the Old South, it is hard for someone to stay away from the stain of slavery, even Huck, who should be considered as an outsider to society. Racism and slavery are a great challenge for Huck to overcome. So when Jim said he was going to get his two children back, Huck was frozen: “He would steal his children - children that belonged to a man I didn't even know; a man that hadn't ever done me no harm” (101). Although Huck has a great companionship with Jim, and learned that black people have their own dignity, he is still stuck between his conscience and the widely-accepted tolerance of brutal slavery.

_The belief in slavery put people’s thoughts at that time in a box of common sense. Within this opaque box, there is no way for the light of justice to shine in; therefore, people had no idea how malicious it was to enslave blacks, and treat them as if they were animals, even Mark Twain himself:

“In my schoolboy days I had no aversion to slavery. I was not aware that there was anything wrong about it. The local papers said nothing against it; the local pulpit taught us that God approved it, that it was a holy thing, and that the doubter need only look in the Bible if he wished to settle his mind – and then the texts were read aloud to us to make the matter sure”(IMDb).

People were taught that way, so it was not their fault; thus, the morally-deformed society, not the people, should be responsible for the disgrace and discrimination of the blacks.

_Unconsciousness and indifference led to the public tolerance of slavery. They made people think that slavery was normal. People do not usually question the common assumptions which were already been practiced for hundreds of years. Men were being told that “it [in this case, slavery] is the regular way” (257). Huck said with certainty that “the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way” (137). The world is filled with a bunch of hypocrites; and the way to get along with those kind of people is to "let them have their own way" (137). This social laissez-faire policy is simply a denial of righteousness and justice. The same thing goes with the issue of slavery. When society is corrupted as a whole, the standard of morality is lowered; therefore, enslaving blacks is not be a fault, because everyone is doing it. The world became pathetic and dark when the candle of justice went out.

_All men are equal under the eyes of God: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Therefore, slavery is a sinful combination of inequality, discrimination, and hatred. It violates the sacred integrity of a human being and the God-given right for one to pursuit the happiness of life. Mark Twain criticized the society of the mid-1800’s south through Huck Finn’s adventures along the Mississippi River. The issue of slavery was not a phenomenon that accidentally happened; it was, indeed, caused by the whites’ privilege and superiority, the negative influences of society on people, and the ignorance and unconsciousness of men. Without the lighthouse of justice, people would get lost in the sea of prejudice, and fail to find their way to freedom.

_Fortunately, there is hope for us on the shore of freedom as Huck said in the end with a delightful spirit, “I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before” (307). Everyone has been there before – the entire human race was once lost in the dark region of slavery and discrimination. However, it is never too late to light the torch of hope, since God will always give us a second chance. Huck and Jim are already heading to the ultimate Territory where no prejudice and injustice exist. So when shall we be setting out for our journey to the kingdom of equality and freedom?



Works Cited

Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Penguin Books Ltd, 1985.
Mark Twain. Letters from the Earth. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2004.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. New York: Crossway Bibles, 2001.
IMDb. 24 March 2009. Memorable quotes for Mark Twain. 21 December 2001

Pride & Prejudice 10: Chapter 13-15 [#14]

I. Quotation
1. "It is well. You refuse, then, to oblige me. You refuse to obey the claims of duty, honor, and gratitude."(page 346)

• Lady Catherine is a representation of the rigid social structure of that period of time. Sitting on the top of the social hierarchy, Lady Catherine is supercilious, haughty, and lavish. She thinks herself the best of all and look down to everyone around her. Ironically, she is still popular among others because her high aristocratic social standing. She used to be surrounded by sycophants, like Mr. Collins; therefore, Elizabeth's refusal to her demands was like a slap on her face. Elizabeth refused to obey Lady Catherine's orders, as well as the social rules that were represented by her.
  
• People always want to use their money or ingratiation to gain a higher place in society. However, women have their special way - mercenary marriage. How can marriage be defined as a destination of love if the only way to break through the boundaries of one's social level is to marry someone of a higher hierarchy? Lady Catherine believes in mercenary marriage, the society believes in it too; but Elizabeth does not. "Neither duty, nor honor, nor gratitude," replied Elizabeth [to Lady Catherine], "has any possible claim on me, in the present instance. No principle of either would be violated by my marriage with Mr. Darcy" (347). The disobedience of Elizabeth to Lady Catherine is actually a protest against the rigid social structure - she refused to marry for money and she also refused to bow to authorities.
  

II. Multiple Choice Question
1. The novel "Pride and Prejudice" is...

A. a critique of the classist structuring of society
B. a romantic love story
C. a exploration of humanity
D. a comparison of different views on marriage
E. all the answers above

Pride & Prejudice 9: Chapter 13-15 [#14]

I. Quotation
1. "His understanding and opinions all please me; he wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently his wife may teach him."(page 315)

• Darcy and Elizabeth's love relationship is beneficial to both of them: "It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both: by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance" (302). Both of them start from a person who has some missing pieces of a perfect character - Darcy has pride and Elizabeth has prejudice. When the two protagonists encountered, their imperfectness, seemed to pull them away from each other because they could only see the flaws on the other person. However, as they gradually found out that pride and prejudice are actually intertwined with each other, they understood that love is the only way to untie the knot of the intertwined pride and prejudice.
  
• Like holding a mirror which can reflect one's fault, they are mirrors for each other. They forced themselves to pull out and throw away their deep-rooted pride and prejudice, although it may be painful sometimes. It was the power of love, which promoted the changes of Darcy and Elizabeth: "for herself she was humbled; but she was proud of him, - proud that in a cause of compassion and honor he had been able to get the better of himself"(316). During the course of their self-realization, they also realized that the perfect piece to complete their imperfectness of character is the piece of each other's longing heart.
  

II. Multiple Choice Question
1. Mr. Collins letter to Mr. Bennet shows...

A. his endless affection to Elizabeth
B. his hypocritical composure of Elizabeth's engagement
C. his jealousy towards Darcy and Elizabeth's upcoming marriage
D. his blindfold and idiotic loyalty to Lady Catherine
E. his amiable character as a priest

Pride & Prejudice 8: Chapter 19-2 [#10]

I. Quotation
1. "It was gratitude; - gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection."(page 258)

• If the letter showed Darcy's past, beliefs, and manners; then, Pemberley visualized his wealth, civility, and the love for Elizabeth. The attitude Lizzy has toward Darcy have changed over times: from indifferent to curious, prejudicial to hateful, fair to grateful, and eventually to love. Lizzy's visit to Pemberley is a watershed in the development of the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. She found out that "such a change in a man of so much pride excited not only astonishment but gratitude - for to love, ardent love ,it must be attributed" (258). After all these days, she finally realized the goodness in Darcy, and was surprised to find out that she was actually in love with him. Darcy is no longer proud - he has changed, because of love. Would Elizabeth put down her prejudice and change, because of the same reason? The answer is positive.
  

II. Multiple Choice Question
1. "It is above eight months. We have not met since the 26th of November, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield" (255). What does this quote implicate?

A. Mr. Bingley tries to show Elizabeth that he is good at math
B. Mr. Bingley is still madly in love Jane and cannot help thinking of her
C. Mr. Bingley has a good memory
D. Mr. Bingley is fond of dancing
E. Mr. Bingley wants to go to Netherfield to admire the idyllic countryside again

Pride & Prejudice 7: Chapter 11-13 [#8]

I. Quotation
1. "Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away where either were concerned."(page 205)

• The letter served as a catalyst for both Darcy and Elizabeth's self-realization. Being rejected by Elizabeth, Darcy began to realize the negative impacts of his arrogance.Writing a letter to Elizabeth, whom just accused him for something he did not do, is extremely hard for Darcy. The revealment of his painful private life is, indeed, a humbling process, which was once, against his haughty nature.
  
• As for Elizabeth, the letter is an alarm clock, which woke her up from the dream of prejudice. After reading the letter, she was not only astonished by the truth, which Darcy has revealed to her, but also being ashamed by the fact that "of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd" (204). The letter showed to Elizabeth how she misjudged both Darcy and Wickham.She realized her prejudicial nature after reading the letter:"Till this moment, I never knew myself"(205); and somehow being ashamed of herself, she began to look for a change in her personality.
  

II. Multiple Choice Question
1. Which of the following is not true, according to Mr. Darcy's revealment of Wickham?

A. He tried to elope with Georgianna, who was only 15 at that time
B. He went to law school, instead of staying in the parish
C. He got 3 thousand pounds from Mr. Darcy for his education
D. He used to be Darcy's best friend back in the days
E. He killed Old Mr. Darcy to inherent the Pemberley estate