Jane Austen (1775-1817), author of such estimable classics as Pride and Prejudice and Emma, did not rely on resplendent deeds or the wild excesses of the Gothic novel to engage readers when she wrote her "novels of manners." She dealt instead with the most ordinary and realistic events and depicted ordinary English folk, the gentry of the Regency era (1811-1820). Jane Austen's demesne was limited, but her limitations were her strengths. Fating her characters to scenes of a domestic or diurnal nature-afternoon tea, gossip in the lane, dances at splendid estates-inured an artistic discipline so masterful that the British author Thomas Henry Lister praised her, "No novelist perhaps ever employed more unpromising materials, and by none have those material been more admirably treated."

The first passage of Pride and Prejudice indicates the unvarying topic of each of Jane Austen's novel: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Because each Austen novel repeats the theme of marriage, it is said that Jane Austen had only one plot.

Some readers may deem Jane Austen's empery of manners and romance too limited and her subjects trifling and petty. Perhaps a heroine who debates between her "spotted and tamboured muslin" for the evening assemblies at fashionable Bath in Northanger Abbey, impresses them as completely frivolous. Perhaps Hartfield society in Emma seems especially shallow as the genteel "walk about-gather strawberries-sit under trees," and make amiable speeches as the principal cares of a summer day. Jane Austen wrote of dances and card-parties, but the significance of God, religion, war, politics, passion, or science is never directly discussed in her novels. Are her works superficial and was she detached from "reality" because these themes appear to be absent?

Jane Austen was not aloof from "realities" She could not be oblivious to war or death when her brothers were stationed on active duty throughout the Napoleonic wars. She surely does not omit religion (the topic of Mansfield Park is ordination, and Edmund Bertram rebukes Mary Crawford for disparaging private prayers). Nor are her novels devoid of passion (read Mr. Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice for emotion depicted feelingly enough, although it must be always discreetly controlled in Jane Austen). Generally, Jane Austen kept her novel pleasant and sunny ("Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery," she proclaims in Mansfield Park) and when she did discuss weightier matters, she did so with her wonted delicacy.

Her novels belong to the Romantic period of literature, but Jane Austen's style resembles the rational, witty sensibility of the Age of Reason. The Age of Reason, which preceded the Romantic Movement, tabooed portrayal of uncontrolled or violent emotion, and endorsed uniformity, restraint, and the rational. Jane Austen's style is certainly reflective of this. A passage from her Emma helps us understand the understated emotion and meager description: "[It was] just enough touched on to show how keenly it was felt, and how much more might have been said but for the restraints of propriety" (italics mine).

The preoccupation of Jane Austen was character. "Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can,"Elizabeth Bennett declares in Pride and Prejudice, impressing one that theses were exactly Jane Austen's sentiments. Through the social "trifles"of her book-the dances, card-parties and more minute occupations-the dispositions and motives of Jane Austen's characters are brilliantly revealed and dissimulation exposed. Her minor characters are ever divulging their own superficiality through their speeches, but usually in a subtle manner. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things." (Matthew 12:35) Irony threads the novel s of Jane Austen, such as in Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Wickham avers "It gives me pain to speak ill of a Darcy," and then enters into this grievances against one of that family. Another instance of irony is when Charlotte Lucas consoles Elizabeth Bennett about dancing with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth replies, "Heaven forbid! That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!" and astonished everyone by marrying that formidable personage, in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen was competent at delineating the contradictions of the human heart, and she did so with sharp irony and many fillips of wit.

Pride and Prejudice
Character Development of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and Practical Application

How hasty one is to critique others' motives and manners! How readily one harbors prejudices and presumes to know the condition of another's heart based usually on a very superficial knowledge of that person. Originally entitled First Impressions, Pride and Prejudice chronicles the dubious "courtship" of the spirited Elizabeth Bennett and the haughty Mr. Darcy. Their relationship affords a conflict most dramatic (for their opposition is against each other and not simply against class inequalities) as it teaches us about reconciliation, overcoming bitterness and replacing arrogance with a gentle spirit.

Before delineating the progress of Elizabeth and Darcy's acquaintance, it is necessary to "preview" the middle of Pride and Prejudice, which contains Darcy's notorious proposal to Elizabeth. Thus we can anticipate not only Jane Austen's dexterity in reconciling this thwarted pair (she is a master at resolving relationships), but observe the effects of unchecked pride and bitterness at its height. The pride that characterizes Mr. Darcy "I came to you without a doubt of my reception," he acknowledges later) and the prejudice that characterizes Elizabeth "My opinion of you was decided," she states) attains its grand summit in chapter 34. Elizabeth rejects Darcy's proposal and spurns him: "From the very beginning from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest believe of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that groundwork on which succeeding events have built to immovable a dislike; and I had not know you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."

First Impressions

Elizabeth and Darcy's "first impressions" are established at the Meryton assembly (chapter 3). Reports circulate that Darcy is proud and disagreeable. When Mr. Bingley suggests his dancing with the fair Elizabeth, Darcy haughtily protests, "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to your ladies who are slighted by other men." Elizabeth heeds Darcy's comment and "told the story-with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition which delighted in anything ridiculous."

That Elizabeth would reiterate the story among her comrades illustrates her lively turn of mind as well as her capacity for laughing at herself. (Darcy, Jane Austen informs us, had yet to lean to laugh at himself.) But in spite of her merry managing in insults, Elizabeth "remained with no very cordial feelings" toward the arrogant bachelor. His criticism is the first seed that burgeons into a root of bitterness. Elizabeth declares to Charlotte Lucas, "I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine" (chapter 5). How do we respond to unfavorable criticism? Can we trace a root of bitterness to a failure to forgive the first offence?

Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, Darcy "began to wish to know more of her" (chapter 6). He concedes that "her manners were not those of the fashionable world," but they exude a vivacity and artlessness bewitching to Darcy. Upon the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice he confesses that it was for the liveliness of Elizabeth's mind that he first admired her. ("The fact is that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking and looking and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused and interested you because I was so unlike them"-chapter 60).

Elizabeth's Delusion & Darcy's Pride

Elizabeth serves as a willing and compassionate confidante to Mr. Wickham as he relates his grievances against Darcy (chapter 16). Wickham's account magnifies and strengthens her prejudice against Darcy. In essence, Elizabeth has befriended Darcy's "enemy"

But observing the impropriety of sundry of the Bennett clan-namely Mrs. Bennett and the three youngest daughters' likewise precipitates Darcy's pride against Elizabeth and induces his contempt of her low connections (chapter 18). In Jane Austen's day, it was expected that men would improve their fortunes by marrying prudently; to Darcy, marrying Elizabeth would be a "degradation" socially.

During a dance with Mr. Darcy in chapter 18, Elizabeth attempts to study his character, but it evades her. Described in the beginning of Pride and Prejudice as "having certainty" and knowing "exactly what to think," Elizabeth's confidence and certitude rapidly diminish in succeeding events; the "blind partiality" she accuses Mr. Bingley of harboring for Darcy (theirs is a solid friendship, despite the adamantine of Darcy's nature) is what she herself entertains for Wickham. She dismissed Darcy with immediacy in the beginning of their acquaintance, because his manners were hardly civil; but she easily received the attentions of Wickham, who appeared so amiable on first impressions. (Like many of Austen's characters, Wickham's social abilities and "captivation softness" gild a lack of genuine integrity.) Elizabeth will later realize that she has been beguiled and lament, "How despicably have I acted! I, who prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities!...Pleased with the preference of one and offended by the neglect of the other, I have courted prepossession and ignorance and driven reason away where either were concerned"-chapter 36. Her confession reminds us to truth in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean to our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7), especially in matters of friendship and relationship.

Warnings

Four "warnings" are given to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice that enable her to reconsider her opinions about both Darcy and Wickham and not take her prejudice to extremes. Miss Bingley is acquainted with Darcy (and jealous of his esteem). What information does she give of him? "He never speaks much, unless among his intimate acquaintance. With them he is remarkably agreeable" (chapter 5). Elizabeth is not yet enlightened of any of the valid reasons Darcy offers for his resentful, taciturn nature: "I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers," and "I have not the talent which some people Possess-of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done" (chapter 31).

Again it is Miss Bingley who vouches for Darcy's honorable conduct and Wickham's duplicity in chapter 18: "Let me recommend you-as friend, not to give implicit confidence to all his [Wickham's] assertions, for as to Mr. Darcy's using him ill, it is perfectly false; for, on the contrary, he has always been remarkably kind to him; though George Wickham has treated Mr. Darcy in a most infamous manner."

Thirdly, Jane apprises Elizabeth that "Mr. Wickham has deserved much less attention from Mr. Darcy than he has received; and I am sorry to say that by his [Mr. Bingley's] account as well as his sister's. Mr. Wickham is by no means a respectable young man" (chapter 18). Elizabeth, however, is not convinced, and persists in her prejudice and partiality.

Elizabeth is affected deeply by Charlotte Lucas' marriage to the pompous Mr. Collins, and then by Wickham's sudden preference for another young woman of considerable wealth. "The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it: and every day confirms my belief in the inconsistency of all human characters and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense" (chapter 24). Elizabeth seems to maintain Jane Austen's own conviction that "anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection," but does she vacillate momentarily in her conversation with Mrs. Gardiner (chapter 27) as she reflects on marriages entered with "mercenary" motives? Charlotte certainly dispenses with her usual discretion to marry the curate. Elizabeth "would not have supposed it possible that when called into action she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage." We know that Elizabeth is to act differently from Charlotte and we admire her for it. Thankfully, she waits for a man she can respect and love, in spite of the disconcerting actions of her neighbors. How do we respond to pressure or to others' poor choices? Are we tempted to compromise our convictions if our neighbors are doing so?

Reconciliation

At Rosings, Mrs. Collins suspects Darcy's partiality for Elizabeth, but Eliza scorns the notion-another instance of her blindness. Presently Elizabeth is acquainted with the facts of Darcy's interference in the Jane Bingley match; she had always "attributed to Miss Bingley the principal design and arrangement" of measures taken to divide Jane and Bingley, but she had suspected Darcy's involvement as well. Agitated for Jane, deeply affronted, Elizabeth stays home from tea at Rosings. Timely enough, Darcy arrives and makes his celebrated declaration of love to the disconcerted Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth will proclaim in chapter 40 that "the misfortune of speaking with bitterness is a most natural consequence of the prejudices I have been encouraging."

At this point, their respective roles of pride and prejudice are reversed. It is Elizabeth's pride which causes her to reject Darcy's proposal-and Darcy's prejudice against the inferiority of her relations which, in turn, mortifies her pride. Both hero and heroine do come to admit their faults. They never excuse their infringements. From Darcy's example we could ask ourselves if we deal with our faults that others point out to us. Are we quick to make restitution?

After the proposal, the plot of Pride and Prejudice is a descending slope. LYdia's elopement is the conventional climax; but the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy gains no disquieting denouement. Therefore, what causes Darcy to abandon his prejudice against Elizabeth? What causes Elizabeth to abdicate her pride against Darcy? Certainly Mrs. Bennett and the three youngest Bennett daughters-the ones he accused of a "total want of propriety"-do not improve for his benefit. If anything, they worsen.

The civilities, deference, hospitality, and kindness Darcy endeavors to show Elizabeth and the Gardiners (her relations) at Pemberley astonishes, humbles, and finally convinces Elizabeth. "My object then-was to show you by every civility in my power that I was not so mean as to resent the past; and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill-opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to," says the transformed Mr. Darcy (chapter 58). What a contrast to his resentful speech in chapter 11, "My good opinion once lost is lost forever!"

Elizabeth's pride is humbled at Pemberley. It was necessary for Darcy to learn humility before he addressed Elizabeth again; but it was also necessary for Elizabeth to humbly reckon (when the gulf between them seems most indomitable) that he is "exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her" (chapter 50).

The Gardiners are definitely the mediator in the Elizabeth-Darcy recital; "their good sense and breeding," writes Robert Daniel in his introduction to Pride and Prejudice, "form a bridge between the haughty refinement of Pemberley and the Bennett family at Longbourn. Minor characters as the Gardiners are, the emphasis that they receive in the last sentence of the book befits their importance in bringing about this change in Darcy's attitude:" With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.-Pride and Prejudice

Jubilee Barker, 23, is a homeschool graduate and the editor of the literary magazine, Rose of Sharon. Rose of Sharon is published to enrich literary awareness and provide edifying literature in the spirit of Philippians 4:8. It contains classic book reviews, poetry, literary articles, and old-fashioned inspirations-written by readers as well as writers of the past. Subscription is $10 for four issues. Please write Jubilee Barker, 2809 Marshall Way, Sacramento,CA 95818.