Pride and Prejudice 1/7

Title Drop: Pride
pg 13 "His character was decided..he would never come there again"

• Pride ruins a man, Darcy immediately disliked because of it

pg 21 "'Pride,' observed Mary...think of us"

• Pride is innate/common in human nature
• Difference between pride (what we think of ourselves) and vanity (what we would have others think of us). Do you agree?
• At this point of the novel which characters would you characterize as proud? Vain?

pg 47 "Nothing is more deceitful...imperfection of the performance"

• Humility vs. the "indirect boast"

pg 69 "The subjection in which...importance and humility"

• Mr. Collin's senseless pride and boasts

pg 80 "Family pride...best of brother's"

• Good types of pride possessed by Darcy
• Do you agree that pride motivate Darcy in regard to maintaining his family name/fortune and looking after his sister?
• Are the pros of pride worth the cons?

Musings on Men and Marriage
pg 5 "It is a truth universally...in want of a wife"

• novel opens with idea of marriage!

pg 11 "If I can but see one of my daughters...I shall have nothing to wish for"

• Most important thing in Mrs. Bennet's life is getting her daughters married because, in their society a woman could not survive on her own/take care of herself economically/socially.
• Is she being a good mother in constantly trying to force her daughters onto whatever eligible men she can?

pg 24 "Happiness in marriage is...pass your life"

• What parallels can you see between this analysis on marriage and that in Rasselas? What differences?

pg 70 "a conversation beginning...succeeded her of course"

• Marriage is a social/economic business arrangement decided with conventions and logic rather than emotions

The First Impression is Everything

• other half of the title: "Prejudice" because as soon as an impression is made the entire community attaches that prejudice to everything they do-->hard to change the community's opinion of someone (redeem yourself)

pg 12 "Mr. Bingly was good looking...unaffected manners"
pg 12-13 "Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention...unworthy to be compared to his friend", "His character was decided..he would never come there again"

• Generally wealth and appearance are the most important indicators of how desirable a man is.
• Darcy's pride/rudeness outweighs it.

pg 17 "They were in fact very fine ladies...acquired by trade"


Lizzie's Sass
pg 27 "My dear Miss Eliza...Elizabeth was determined."

• Lizzie determines to harm Darcy's pride as he harmed hers. Admirable for sticking up for herself and being a powerful woman but also petty. Elizabeth can hold a grudge.
• Is it radical/unexpected for Lizzie to refuse Darcy's advances?

pg 50 "'Oh!' said she...he should be in some danger"

• Lizzie's attempts to affront Darcy just charm him
• Austin making a comment of how refreshing and attractive it is for a woman to be interesting/perceptive/have an "edge".
• Parallel with Pekuah's charm of intellect in Rasselas

Darcy's Dark Past
pg 71-72 "Mr. Darcy corroborated...impossible not to long to know."

• Lizzie's curiosity sparked by Wickham and Darcy's odd interaction

pg 76-80 Wickham's story
pg 77 "His father, Miss Bennet...memory of his father"

• Wickham's relationship with Darcy Sr.
• Was Darcy jealous? Mean? Proud?
• Is his discourse about the issue too good to be true?

pg 80 "It is wonderful...even than pride"

• Pride at the root of all Darcy's wrongdoing to Wickham

pg 84 "They have both...blame on either side."

• Is there more to this story than Wickham's side?