Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example ("Pride and Prejudice." 123HelpMe.com. 27 Feb 2009). Jane Austin received her formal education from her father. Her novels were initially published secretly. She never got a chance to live in south of England and had no connections with the literary community of London. Even though her work received optimistic reviews, she was not a famous novelist during her lifetime. The essay is an attempt to bring out the characters of the novel and to analyse them in the light of humour and satire which make up the novel. The opening lines in the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Pride and Prejudice, ch.1 (1813), is a statement which is true to this day. This statement brings out the intelligence of Austen as an author. She has asserted that the subject of the novel will be courtship and marriage and she has based the hilarious tone of the novel with a simple subject to work out and to speak sharply of. She has geared up the reader to guess whether it is a husband in search of a wife, or a woman in pursuit of a husband. Austen's authority of delicate prejudice and shrewd wisdom is exposed in Pride and Prejudice; she is able to express such a multifaceted message using a simple, but witty style. (http://www.online-literature.com/austen/prideprejudice/) The theme of the story is fundamentally an assessment of the obstructions which an eligible female encounters when she is on the look out for a prospective husband. Jane Austen reveals her mind through the immortal character of Elizabeth Bennet, who is the central character of the novel. Therefore with a reference to the term personality, there is a belief that Austen more or less resembles Elizabeth Bennet. This novel ends on a happy note. The novel emphasizes the point that pride and prejudice can be overcome. "Hence, nothing in Austin's novel is pointless or distracting from the main theme--pride and prejudice." ("Pride and Prejudice." 123HelpMe.com. 27 Feb 2009). Character analysis: Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet is the most striking character especially with her freely displayed wit and independent thinking and she is never attractive to readers but when she asserts herself against the arrogant Lady Catherine she raises a question of identity in the minds of the readers. She does everything with a pinch of thoughtfulness and simplicity especially when she refuses to reveal her age when it is demanded or even when she argues that younger sisters need not wait until their older sisters are married. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/canalysis.html) Elizabeth is always in conflict with the noble Mr. Darcy, and both incorrectly perceive each other because of their pride and its ensuing prejudice. The novel is in fact is about the challenges of the heart and at the same it pertains to the ways in which one can be educated. Darcy at first cannot visualize that there is anyone who deserves his attention in the constricted, simple world in which he detects himself. On the other hand Elizabeth is able to look only at his vanity and arrogance and is offended by his superior airs. Elizabeth and Darcy fight through their wits and of the society, till such time when Darcy's marriage proposal surprises Elizabeth. She rejects Darcy's offer and this