The Pride and Prejudice of the Characters in Jane Austen’s Novel "Pride and Prejudice"

Abstract

In this essay, I will discuss the terms “pride” and “prejudice” and how they are conveyed in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. I claim that the title of the book describes the flaws of almost every character in the book, and not just the protagonists Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. I will first examine how these flaws show themselves in Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, and how they are not present in Jane Bennet and Mr Bingley, so as to be able to know what to look for in other characters, and compare them to the protagonists. I will then discuss the relation between the terms “pride” and “prejudice”, and also the role of the community as a whole. To support and enforce my discussion and my argument I will use books and articles by other writers who have analyzed Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the terms “pride” and “prejudice” and different characters and phenomena in it.