Pride and Prejudice

Cormier is able to keep the reader engaged and interested throughout the novel, whilst exploring important social issues through a variety of narrative techniques. We all fall down centres on the story of four teenagers who vandalise a house and the effects after the trashing that not only have on the victims but also the trashers themselves, thus Comier is successful in creating a successful novel. Throughout the novel we observe the affect the vandalism has had on Jane Jerome. Through the use of shifting narrative perspective, Cormier allows us the view her thoughts and reactions to the trashing.

After the trashing we learn that “Jane used to love it here” living in Arbour Lane, however the effects of the trashing have left Jane feeling “Ashamed… wanting to hide somewhere, as if she had done something wrong not the culprits, not the invaders. ” The use of shifting narrative perspective shows that as a result of the trashing, everything changes for Jane, making the reader feel sympathetic and upset for Jane. The reader is drawn into the world of the “We all fall down”, interested and impelled to find out how Jane is going to get on with her life with the memories of the trashing, still very fresh in her mind.

Through the highlighted techniques, Cormier has written an interesting novel, that challenges the reader to think beyond the page and explore issues that could be in their lives. We all fall down maintains and engages the reader’s interest throughout not only because of the reader’s expectations of the thriller genre with conflict and tension, but also because Cormier confronts the reader with compelling ideas which challenge and entertain the reader.

Our honorable instructor, Professor Tang assigned us to read three novels in our National Day Vacation: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Woman On a Roof by Doris Lessing. Of these three, I favored Pride and Prejudice most, as apparently, neither the simple story of the sun-bathing woman in A Woman On a Roof was easier enough for me to understand its “representative of modern women figures”, nor the ugly face of the man who persuaded his girlfriend to take a “perfectly simple” abortion in Hills Like White Elephant interested enough for me.

So though I was actually a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, with more than five times novel reading experiences, and more than ten times movie audience experiences ( Pride and Prejudice starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen), I picked up this novel and read it in my vacation. ?? I presume that Pride and Prejudice was the most comical one of Jane Austen’s novels. People around me regarded this novel as a love story, yet to me, the novel is an illusion of the environment, the society at those years. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the heroine and Mr. Darcy, the haughty hero, a literary idol of girls like me, are the exceptions of the gender relationships at that time. In my humble opinion, the relationship between Jane, the second heroine in this novel and Mr. Bingley was a real picture that showed the characteristics of the relationship in that federal era. They loved each other and were deeply enchanted with each other from the bottom of their heart. Yet Mr. Bingley was too shy and too worrying, he set too many obstacles for himself, while Jane was a typically conservative lady, she was bounded by the old manner and so-called “courtesy”.

They hardly missed the chance to marry each other. When it comes to my favourite character—Lizzie, I must confess that she was the bravest heroine in all books I have read. At first she refused Mr. Darcy’s propose, but at last she changed her mind and was totally fell in love with him. This change represents her iron inner self and her unique personality, and that’s why she was so charming. Many writers these days like to use Lizzie as an example to stress the feminism, for she dared to chase what she care.

I think she was also a successful example for all of our girls, as now we are so young, and we have the chance to chase our dream. Chaucer once said that we soon believe what we desire. That is also the unique way of Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. All in all, Pride and Prejudice represent the climax of Jane Austen’s writing career. Also, the clues and the characters in this novel was filled with vividness, so that they are so real to our reality. That’s why I regard this novel as a real classic.

Mr. Darcy is an intelligent, tall, fine, handsome, wealthy and reserved gentleman, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers. Mr. Darcy has a strong moral fibre and a natural and somewhat embarrassed kindness. Mr. Darcy is the owner of the fictional estate of Pemberley, he is described as the perfect landlord, a sensible and honourable manager of the estate. He has a great responsibility to keep the estate running – and the locals who depend on it for a livelihood are lucky to have such a good master.

Mr. Darcy’s inflated personal pride, snobbish indifference and arrogance causes him to consider Elizabeth Bennet as low-born and plain, “tolerable” and “not handsome enough to tempt him”. However, afterwards he becomes attracted to Elizabeth, and courts her clumsily while struggling against his continuing feelings of superiority. His arrogance and rudeness enhance his desirability, and they are reconsidered later as a sign of his repressed passion for Elizabeth. Pride and Prejudice Writing Style

Surprising Turns of Phrase, Sarcastic, Subtle, Pointed Austen is the total master of the slow, subtle burn. It’s like poetry in motion – you just watch as sentence after sentence starts out nice and predictable and then – BAM! – right in the kisser. Let’s watch and learn how a pro does it in this paragraph that introduces Sir William Lucas, Charlotte’s dad: Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty.

The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world.

For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James’s had made him courteous. (5. 1) First we go swimmingly along, as Sir William is shown to be a well-off guy who even gets to make a speech in front of the king. Then, though, check out the long third sentence, as the narrator asterfully goes from Sir William’s point of view (he now finds actually working for a living “disgusting” and moves to a house in the country) to an outside perspective on Sir William’s growing egotism (all he does now is “think with pleasure of his own importance”), and then, finally, rounds it off with an amazing judgment on the way climbing the social ladder creates a useless man out of an industrious one (Sir William is free from the “shackles” of his work and now just spends his time being “civil”).

Funny – but we’re not done yet. The problem isn’t really just that Sir William himself has become totally purposeless ever since getting his knighthood and becoming too high class for his business. The narrator next expands the issue further, pointing to the culture at large, which is more than happy to go along with Sir William and his new attitude.

Check out how, because he’s all fancy and titled, in the eyes of his neighbors he gets a fancier adjective to describe his behavior (instead of simply “friendly” he’s become “courteous,” which also carries the pun of “court” (as in royal court) inside it – the place where Sir William has picked up his new status). By the ‘two themes’ I assume you mean pride as one theme and prejudice as the other? Because there are many, many more themes to the text than that: don’t be led astray into thinking they’re the only ones (or the most important; the novel’s title is somewhat arbitrary).

One of my personal favourite ways Austen plays with language in P&P is how, once married, Charlotte Lucas is often lumped into conversation as if she is property and little more than an animal (the quote that comes to mind is something about Lady Lucas enquiring of the ‘welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter’ after the visit to Rosings — apologies I don’t have to text to hand to find the exact quote). If you’re looking for Irony, look carefully at practically anything Elizabeth says, particularly in conversations with her mother.

Elizabeth says an awful lot in jest, where as her mother is very literal and very closed-minded. In fact, any exchange that involves Mrs Bennet tends to include some irony as she never realises she is being laughed at. Take a story’s temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful? Ironic, arch, wry, full of witticisms and bon-mots, arm’s length Reading this novel is kind of like having a conversation with someone who says snarky things in a deadpan voice while onstantly raising her eyebrow. You know what we mean? Austen is just so clearly amused by her characters and their nonsense and also totally committed to discretely pointing out their foibles. It’s not that she hates them or is disinterested or anything, but her narrator definitely keeps a distance and functions as an observer who is always elbowing the reader to look at the next funny thing. Check out this description of the aftermath of Mr. Collins proposing to Charlotte: In as short a time as Mr.

Collins’s long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house he earnestly entreated her to name the day that was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must be waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with his happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained. 22. 2) Both Charlotte and Mr. Collins are clearly mocked here, although, obviously, Mr. Collins is a much easier and bigger target. Look at the different ways the mockery works, though. First, we’ve got the overhead view, meaning the narrator takes in the scene and shows us the ridiculous in all its glory: it’s funny to try to picture just how not “short” Mr. Collins’s “long speech” would be. There’s also that great joke in the idea that the proposal is “settled to the satisfaction of both” (because the satisfaction is kind of pragmatic since Charlotte is Mr.

Collins’s third choice and he is her choice only because he’s got a job and a house and it beats living at mom and dad’s). Next, we get to laugh at Mr. Collins more from Charlotte’s point of view. Even though they aren’t in quotes, the words about his “stupidity” and the lack of “charm” in his “courtship” are clearly her thoughts as he goes on and on in his pompous way. Finally, we circle back around to the narrator mocking the characters again, as we check out how Charlotte is going to deal with the fact that she can see how lame Mr. Collins is. Answer: she’s going to wait as long as possible to actually get married. ) What’s Up With the Title? You know what’s funny about this title? Well, you know how nowadays, the book jackets for novels written by the same author are usually really similar – same font, same general layout, and so on? (Think about those endless John Grisham novels. ) That’s because publishers are going for an if-you-liked-that-you’ll-also-love-this approach. Pride and Prejudice is basically the result of the same kind of thing, turn of the 19th century-style.

Originally, the novel was going to be calledFirst Impressions, but after Austen hit the big time with the blockbuster sales of Sense and Sensibility, her publisher asked if they could try for a little branding magic by sticking to the same title formula: noun-and-noun. This is all well and good, and sure enough, this new novel went over like gangbusters. Does anything change, though, about how we might see the novel when we go from the first title to the second? Well, with First Impressions, readers are right off the bat being shown things from the characters’ point of view.

After all, it’s Darcy and Elizabeth that are going be to be making and having these impressions, and, this title suggests, we’re going to experience these impressions right alongside them. Also, think about what first impressions are all about – people interacting with each other. A novel called First Impressions puts the idea of people meeting with and reacting to other people front and center. The focus is on manners, behavior, and outward appearance. Not to mention, oftentimes first impression are wrong. On the other hand, Pride and Prejudice turns the thing around 180 degrees.

With a title like that, we’re no longer looking at things through the characters’ eyes. Instead, the title sounds like someone is being called names – and it’s up to the reader to try to figure out who is who. The reader isn’t buddy-buddy with the characters any more, but is instead totally supposed to be all judgy and superior from the get-go. With Pride and Prejudice as the title, our novel BFFs aren’t Darcy or Elizabeth at all. Instead, our main pal is the narrator, who knows ahead of time that someone’s full of pride and someone else is probably full of prejudice.

Also, we’ve now moved into some deep psychological territory here. Feeling prideful and being prejudicial are things we do in the privacy of our thoughts, not things we wear on our sleeve. A novel named in this way makes readers immediately get ready for being all up in the characters thoughts, seeing how they make decisions and what their value systems are all about. Which title do you prefer? Why? ————————————————- Style Pride and Prejudice, like most of Jane Austen’s works, employs the narrative technique of free indirect speech.

This has been defined as “the free representation of a character’s speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character’s thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke”. [8] By using narrative that adopts the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth), Austen invites the reader to follow events from Elizabeth’s viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. The learning curve, while undergone by both protagonists, is disclosed to us solely through Elizabeth’s point of view and her free indirect speech is essential … for it is through it that we remain caught, if not stuck, within Elizabeth’s misprisions. “. [8] Clear, Witty, Sarcastic In this dialogue-driven novel, wit and sarcasm predominate the text. Pride and Prejudice is often an exercise in reading between the lines, as Austen’s characters must almost always use polite language to mask their true intentions. The greatest exception is, of course, when Elizabeth chews Darcy out after his proposal. ) We’ll offer two examples up for you. Mr. Bennet’s response to his wife after she subjects him to a play-by-play of Mr. Bingley’s actions at the ball: “If he had had any compassion for me,” cried her husband impatiently, “he would not have danced half so much! For God’s sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first place! ” Mr. Bennet clearly doesn’t mean these things. What he’s really saying is that he wishes his wife would spare him the details.

The following snippet of conversation between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth takes place at the end of a long interrogation from Lady Catherine. “‘Upon my word,’ said her ladyship, ‘you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age? ’ ‘With three younger sisters grown up,’ replied Elizabeth, smiling, ‘your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it. ’ Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence. See what we mean? Elizabeth dodges Lady Catherine’s question, but does so in the politest way possible. We call it…polite resistance, and it requires a great deal of quick thinking. STYLE Jane Austen’s graceful, economical narrative style was unique in her time. It was an era in literature given to flowery wordiness and emotional excess. Readers of the day could take their choice among collections of sermons to improve their minds, tales of sin and punishment to improve their morals, and horror stories to stimulate their circulation.

Pride and Prejudice is told in a readable prose without a single superfluous word, and it frequently breaks into dialogue so lively and so revealing of characters that entire scenes have been lifted bodily from the novel and reproduced in dramatized versions for stage and screen. In some passages the author enters into the mind of one or another of her characters, most often into her heroine Elizabeth’s, and there she reveals her character’s capacity for humor and self-criticism. Austen’s style is so deceptively lucid that we can hardly believe she submitted her writing to so much polishing and revision. | POINT OF VIEW Pride and Prejudice is mostly written from the objective view of an external observer. However, from time to time the novel departs from this objective storytelling approach to explore the thoughts and feelings of a character-either Darcy as he slips little by little into love with Elizabeth, or Elizabeth as she considers her own behavior and the behavior of others. Whatever the approach whether through Elizabeth’s mind or through the voice of a narrator, the point of view is always and unmistakably Jane Austen’s.

It is always her sharply critical eye, youthful though it was when she wrote the novel, that observes and subtly comments on her society’s follies and foibles, making us laugh but also making us aware. When we finish her book we know very well the defects she saw in the people of her world, but we also know how much she enjoyed her life among them, faults and all. FORM AND STRUCTURE Like her writing style, the structure of Jane Austen’s novel is deceptively simple. She appears to be telling a straightforward story, character by character and happening by happening, exactly as it occurred in chronological sequence.

We can in fact read the novel that way. But on closer look we find that Pride and Prejudice is not merely a record of events. Instead, it is an interweaving of plot and subplots, an intricate pattern with various threads. The main plot follows the far from smooth course of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy and the conflict of his pride and her prejudice. Their feelings, born of first impressions, are not the only obstacles between them. Three subplots complicate their relationship. The first is Bingley’s attraction to Jane Bennet and Darcy’s intervention to save his friend from what he sees as an undesirable marriage.

The second is Wickham’s involvement with the Darcy family, and his ability to charm Elizabeth and deepen her prejudice against Darcy. The third is Charlotte Lucas’ marriage to Mr. Collins, which throws Elizabeth and Darcy together and sharpens their differences. Elizabeth ends up rejecting Darcy in what we come to see as the first dramatic climax of the story. The Wickham subplot brings on the second dramatic climax: his elopement with Lydia and the scandal and probable ruin of the entire Bennet family. Austen maintains an air of suspense to the very end. She also keeps her three subplots alive with a novelist’s juggling skill.

In the end, all three subplots contribute to the resolution of the principal plot, and the hero and heroine come together in happiness at last Writing Style: In Pride and Prejudice there is very little focus on natural surroundings such as trees, bushes, flowers, or descriptions of the weather. Rarely does Austen describe character’s psychological states, instead this aspect of the characters is revealed through dialogue. The unnaturally flowery language in Pride and Prejudice may be seen by modern audiences as “cold” or “sterile,” but it is this use of language that helps to develop the characters and themes.

Exaggeration and hyperboles (in a melodramatic form) are also common writing styles of Austen. In terms of style conventions, the usage of “Miss” and “Mr. ” in Pride and Prejudice makes it at times unclear which character is talking, and therefore at times very confusing to follow the story. The frequent dialogue between characters also makes it difficult to distinguish which character is speaking. A number of plot points are also advanced in Pride and Prejudice through the writing of letters between essential characters, which tend to be some sort of monologue regarding a possible theme or conflict in the story.

Lucetta enters the story when Elizabeth Jane meets her at her mother’s grave. Elizabeth -Jane noticed that it was a lady much more beautifully dressed than she. This mysterious woman disappears in to the distance as Elizabeth goes to confront her. Soon Elizabeth Jane meets Lucetta for the second time, she sits on the bench inside the churchyard. Lucceta asks if Michael is well. She tries to help Elizabeth in her troubles. She soon leaves after she made a proposal about Elizabeth coming to stay with her. Elizabeth accepted the offer and soon she had moved in with Lucetta. The story continues from there.

Lucetta’s antics begin at chapter twenty one. She begins to show us how shallow she is when she hears her servant showing a visitor into the room. Lucceta decides to put on a little show for a visitor ” she flung herself onto the couch in the cymarecta curve with her arm above her brow.” She puts herself into a curved position to make her self look irresistible to any visitor who may happen to step up to her quarters. It turns out that it is Donald Farfrae and of course lucceta knows how to play him like an instrument. At first she stupidly jumps up in fright and hides behind a curtain because she is so pathetic this is already a good example to show how shallow she is, to take time to beautifully arrange herself and when it comes to it she is startled by the thought of herself being seen when that is what she really wants. She hid behind the curtain ” in a freak of timidity”.

She seems to have a lot of fun taking farfrae to pieces. She explains to him that he must sit down now that he is here. They start chatting and we gather that Lucetta knows a lot about men in the way that she turned a level headed business man to the colour of “modest pink”. The impression that we get from the conversation with farfrae is that she loves to play with people and she doesn’t worry about the consequences. At first she is just playing with Donald, then she finds that he has seemed to get the wrong idea out of the act and has fallen in love with her. Still she plays along in the game and entices him even more with lines such as: ” you are quite interesting”.

From the window Lucetta sees that a young family is being torn apart because the young man is finding it hard to find a job in Casterbridge. “The girl’s lips quivered” she horrified in the thought. Donald goes to impress Luccetta by giving the men jobs. We can definitely see that he is trying to impress Lucetta because this is something that he would usually do. She explains after that” Lovers ought not to be parted like that. Donald quite agrees and then leaves because he has important work to carry out.

Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant from 2005 is an odd little short story. The story’s narrative technique and language is very unique because it allows you to see a child’s world from its perspective. The way the story is written makes you think of your own childhood where ghosts and the darkness were the scariest things in the whole wide world. Below, I will analyze this odd little short story, and also give you an interpretation of Mary-Louise Buxton’s Mount Pleasant where she so curiously writes about Elizabeth and her imaginative everyday life.

The short story is about a girl Elizabeth who narrates the reader through her everyday life. How she discovers the world, how she sees her parents, and how she interprets things. This short story is not like any other short story, because normally you would have this big climax, with life-changing experiences, and the main theme to tell you how to live your life. This story is “just” a little child’s experiences. The thing that makes this story interesting is the extraordinary first-person narrator. The story is in a way written like some sort of diary by a six-year-old. I think the narrator is about six because she talks about the boy on the picture and he looks around 9-10 not much older than her: “He’s maybe nine or ten, not that much older than I am” The Narrator does not alter the spoken language; it makes the story seem a bit messy but also childish. The language is a big part of this short story because the writer, Mary-Louise, plays with names for objects and concepts, words, and the way the different parts of the story are put together.

Talking about names, it could be named such as: “Mammy” “The Look” “Granny ‘Omi’s Duckering Ball” “Babby” “Boo Boo” Playing with nicknames like this gives the story a childish feeling, and if Mary-Louise had chosen to use a “grown-up” language the story would not have been the same, so this is most likely why this kind of language is chosen. You instantly know the narrator is a child because the little girl is having a constant urge for being entertained. It is hard for her to focus. It is seen a couple of times in the story, at first it is kind of confusing, but the second time you read the story the meaning of it gets more clear. The best example is when she is talking about her mother’s behavior, in the situation where her dad puts the picture of the little boy on the mantelpiece. Then out of nowhere, our protagonist begins talking about the area and how everyone knows her and her sister, how the nuns treat them, the different shops in the area, and then followed by a very descriptive list of sweets you can get at the corner in the tub shop:

And then there’s the tub shop on the corner where you can go in and buy big tubs of ice cream, and get sweets out of great big glass jars behind the counter – raspberry ruffles and chewing nuts and chocolate raisins and licorice sticks and ice cups and strawberry bootlace” And after talking about the candy she suddenly returns to the time and place she broke loose from. Changing the subjects is confusing, but also what you would expect a child to do. Another thing that keeps it childish is the small ‘wake up! ’ line such as Mammy said not to get dirty. ” “We never want to go home. ” They spice up the language, and would definitely be something a child would do. It fits very well with the narrative structure of the story If you look at the characters other than the protagonist, you immediately think of the parents. I think it is good writing, because not only are the parents the most important character in a child’s life, it is also two of the most important character in this short story. You get the impression that the mother is the strict one:

If I see that bloody picture again at tea time” “Mammy said not to get dirty” The father is the exact opposite he is the fun one, the one who lets Elizabeth and her sister stay op late and the less strict one. The father has a more childish language saying Boo Boo and Bobby dazzler. However, the father may not be as sweet and loving as you would expect. One night he takes his two daughters to bed and the dog will no move and instead of calling it by its name he is saying ‘dog’ and then he slaps the dog so hard that it gets scared and hide under the table.

I did not notice it at first because our narrator does not make it unusually and a big deal, it makes you think that it could have happened before. All through the story, I waited for something bad or devastating to happen, but nothing happened, or maybe the real disaster is hidden? In the end, it is mentioned that the mother picks up the picture of the boy and puts it back on to the mantelpiece, and you hear Elizabeth’s thoughts about it dropping down in the night. But earlier in the story, it says: “I run to the mantelpiece and put the picture in the grate”. She had put it there herself, so it could be understood as a symbol of the disorder. The night where this happens could very well be the night where Elizabeth sees a ghost walking around and locking her to her bed. When you have a child as your narrator, it is always hard to tell if something really happened, maybe Elizabeth did see this ghost, or it could be that nothing happened during that night, it was just normal behavior from a child who was scared in the dark. It is a hard deal knowing when children speak the truth and when they overreact.

This story is definitely not like your typical short story, it is cryptic and you have to read it a few times before you get what is going on. Maybe the message is just how a child sees the world and how you have to remember to dream and imagine, with themes such as being imaginative, childhood, and fear.

How does Jane Austen introduce Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to the reader in the opening scenes? Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813 is a novel that is acknowledged as a masterpiece. The opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice is famously ironic, “it is universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”, this sentence is completely against Jane Austen’s characteristics; it states an opinion like it was fact; it’s a stereotype and an exaggeration, and is ironic as Jane Austen was known to be a rationalist.

The novel itself was fashionable but not respected, as a woman wrote it. Jane Austen’s main characters are Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, both of which are very similar and fail to realise this, they are proud, ironic and judgmental, a perfect match? Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are introduced to the reader in the first few chapters, their introduction and their opinions towards each other are very particular, in this essay I am analysing how Jane Austen introduces the reader to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in the opening scenes.

Elizabeth is one of five Bennet sisters unlike many main characters Elizabeth isn’t the prettiest, but she is witty and intelligent: the result is that the reader doesn’t expect Elizabeth to be the novels heroine, as is doesn’t possess the Disney fairytale qualities. Mr. Darcy is first portrayed through indirect speech as a handsome and rich gentleman who is destined to marry, that is until the reader meets Mr. Darcy, the reader is deceived into thinking Mr. Darcy is a pompous rich over-proud gentlemen, as they mold prejudice opinions towards him.

The 18th century and today’s era vary in similarity as women and men still marry and some women are deemed as housewives. Jane Austen’s has radical ideas for both time elapses; as it is portrayed that women are normally in need of rescue from a handsome prince, but in Austen’s novel Elizabeth Bennet isn’t like that, in fact she is quite opposite, because of this Elizabeth is radical. Elizabeth Bennet isn’t a typical heroine is she’s in no need for recue. Jane Austen is using this theme to show women in particular that there is no law to marry, and that women are equal to men.

Jane Austen increases her impact on the reader as Elizabeth wants to marry for love and with no other selfish gain, which was unprecedented in the 18th century; women were to marry for social status and economic reasons. When the reader is introduced to Mr. Wickham the reader is shocked by how affectionate Elizabeth is towards him shown through nerves and exaggeration about Mr. Darcy, “he is not at all liked in Hertfordshire. Everybody is disgusted with his pride. You will not find him more favorably spoken of by anyone”, Elizabeth is normally composed and clear minded, but when she’s talking to Mr.

Wickham she exaggerates and seems bemused, this shows the trap in how people fall into love. This is interesting because it shows that Elizabeth is definitely an 18th century women; as she still wants a husband and will escalate the truth using indirect speech, but it is a bit suspicious because Elizabeth is ironic, and doesn’t normally exaggerate, the reader wonders if Jane Austen is speaking or Elizabeth as she lived in life of a single women, it shows that love is still important. Jane Austen uses various techniques to make Pride and Prejudice’s plot exciting.

Jane Austen’s style of writing is very unique; she put her emotions into her writing creating a real image and a believable plot, she uses irony in a very witty and funny way – “Mr. Darcy is all politeness” said Elizabeth, which is ironic as it is after Mr. Darcy has been rude about her. Jane Austen has a very precise and exact style when she writes, all the vocabulary she uses fit Pride and Prejudice perfectly as it contains a balance use of complex and simple sentence structures, with a range of sophisticated language.

She adds humour into the novel but it not unsophisticated. Jane Austen never (with one acception – Mr and Mrs Bennet) describes anyone in full detail, but she drips information about them, this allows the reader to form their own opinion about a character, Jane Austen uses this to pull to reader into a prejudice view. Jane Austen as a writer in the 18th century had to be careful about her plot, as women and men forbidden to be as intimate, she also had to be very intelligent to come up with a believable plot where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Jane and Mr.

Bingley could be together. Jane Austen managed this by having a prolonged stay at Netherfield while Jane Bennet was recovering from a small dose of a cold. Jane Austen also used Jane Bennet’s and Mr. Bingley’s relationship as a base to keep Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together. The reader is undecided if the couples can form relationships because of the early prejudices. Jane Austen is unique and highly skilled because of the way she manipulates the reader through language. Jane Austen uses her language in a way that lulls the reader into one frame of mind about Mr.

Darcy. Elizabeth is plagued by prejudice and so is the reader, it’s not until the reader is introduced to Mr. Darcy’s housekeeper in chapter 43 that the reader gets any trustworthy details about him, “I have never had a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever since he was four years old”, this is a quite subtle hint of Jane Austen being radical, using a character from the working class which was very unusual in the 18th century, but Jane Austen only using the housekeeper for one chapter so it isn’t completely radical.

The reader is shocked because they believed that Mr. Darcy was a rude and too proud, but suddenly his real character starts to unfold. Jane Austen manages to consume the reader with prejudice by using language in a certain way and using devices. One of the reasons why Pride and Prejudice became the high light of the 18th century is because of Austen’s inventiveness of language and the details in the words she uses to string together sentences.

Jane Austen uses: pride, sarcasm, irony, indirect speech, exaggeration and contradiction, so she can lull the reader to believe what she writes. Chapter 3 paragraph 5 “ but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer then Mr.

Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned his tide of popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company and above being pleased; and not at all could his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having the most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. ” This is an example of Jane Austen using indirect speech to describe someone; Jane Austen uses indirect speech very often with Mr.

Darcy this is because she has to lull the reader into believing every word said about him. This speech is an excellent example of antithesis, Mr. Darcy goes from “handsome features” to “most forbidding, disagreeable countenance”, she uses this technique regularly, but in this particular situation it leaves the reader wondering if Jane Austen actually cares about the way her characters look, there is a hidden moral behind this, Jane Austen is trying to get her readers to understand that it doesn’t matter about how someone looks, but what their personality is like.

Jane Austen chooses her genre chose very precisely as it benefits the novel. Jane Austen has used a significant genre choice because in novels there is normally an introductory paragraph about each character, but this normal technique wouldn’t work in the novel Pride and Prejudice because Jane Austen has to use indirect to describe Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen has to manipulate the reader to form a prejudice opinion towards him by using: indirect speech, exaggeration and contradiction.

Jane Austen also has an interesting genre choice because she doesn’t use the objective narrator to describe her character which also makes it hard to form any trustworthy opinions on any of the characters. Pride and Prejudice is a very twisted romance novel. The title of the novel was chosen was very precise care, as the whole novel is based on the two words ‘Pride’ and ‘prejudice’. First Impressions was the former name of Pride and Prejudice; this is interesting because the novel is based on first impressions, which turn into prejudiced.

For example “his character was decided” (chapter 3, paragraph 6) this quote proves that the characters in the novel are too quick to judge Mr. Darcy; this also shows that a vast proportion of the characters in the novel are prejudiced – or just slightly, because they all base their views on Mr. Darcy from their first impressions. The novel was named Pride and Prejudice, the character who received the most prejudiced is Mr. Darcy Jane Austen is very clever with the way she introduces Mr. Darcy to the reader, Jane Austen never describes Mr. Darcy through the objective narrator, but through indirect speech.

The indirect speech comes from gossip which is not reliable; but the reader still forms a prejudiced opinion on Mr. Darcy which is unfair, the reader doesn’t realise their being prejudiced. Jane Austen develops Mr. Darcy’s characteristics very gradually, our opinions on Mr. Darcy are constantly changing as people’s views on him change, for example Mrs. Bennet’s first opinions on Mr. Darcy are that he is “tall” with “handsome features”, this opinion is formed because of the amount of money Mr. Darcy earns annually (? 10,000). Mrs. Bennet changes her views on Mr.

Darcy when he slights her daughter “she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by men”, Mrs. Bennet now finds Mr. Darcy “unworthy to be compared to his friend”. This makes it easy for Jane Austen to lull the reader into making a prejudice opinion on him. Mr. Darcy characteristics are quite strange. Mr. Darcy is very hypercritical for example at the end of chapter 11 he says “but pride – where there is real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation” this is evidence of Mr.

Darcy being a hypocrite, as earlier in the novel Elizabeth was “tolerable”, the reader knows that Elizabeth is proud and they wonder if Darcy likes this about Elizabeth. The reader finds Mr. Darcy a very believable character as he is serious and an aristocrat. The reader is surprised when Mr. Darcy says that he admires Elizabeth’s fine eyes and felt that “he began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention”, the reader thinks that they have misjudged him or he is a hypocrite. In the chapters of the novel the reasons about Mr. Darcy behavior are acknowledged. As the novel un-folds the reader becomes more sympathetic towards Mr.

Darcy, when Lady Catherine de Bourgh says to Elizabeth Bennet “young women of inferior birth, of no importance in the world” the reader wonders whether Mr. Darcy has a right to be arrogant, if this is how is brought up from childhood, as a only child, spoilt and taught to think that anyone in a lower class to him was inferior. The reader realises how Mr. Darcy has been raised and they begin to understand his personality better, especially towards Elizabeth. When Elizabeth is introduced to the reader she first says “but you forget, mamma,” said Elizabeth “that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs.

Long has promised to introduce us”. This is interesting because Elizabeth is the main character, who turns down two marriage proposals, from two rich men so it’s “universally acknowledged” that they are looking for wives, the fact that Elizabeth’s first speech is to do with marrying a man is ironic. To the reader this seems like a normal thing to say as Elizabeth is trying to calm Mrs. Bennet down, but really it’s a secret introduction to the whole novel. Jane Austen is careful about the amount of information she lets the reader receive about each character.

Jane Austen restricts the amount of information the reader receives about Elizabeth, but from indirect speech and the objective narrator they can gather that Elizabeth (nickname- Lizzy) is a strong, confident women who is not defined by a man, and who feels that there is more to life than raising a family and being possessed by a husband like a china doll. The reader can see an array of Jane Austen characteristics through Elizabeth especially her wittiness, sarcasm and irony, but Elizabeth is proud, and occasionally quick to judge and hypocritical.

The reader wonders how compatible Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Austen really are. The reader gets emotionally attached to Elizabeth as they know that Mrs. Bennet judges each of her daughters and constantly compares each of them. Mrs. Bennet also embarrasses Elizabeth many times in front of company which many women can relate to. From the moment Mr. Darcy slights Elizabeth the reader feel a connection with her, which is strengthened as Jane Austen makes it easy for the reader to compare themselves with Elizabeth. Elizabeth finds Mr.

Darcy arrogant and prejudiced from the opening scenes, but this only reflects Elizabeth’s character towards Mr. Darcy in the later scenes- prejudiced, and unfair. Jane Austen characteristics can be seen in Elizabeth, the reader wonders if Jane Austen wants to be Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is very much Jane Austen’s heir but Jane Austen lets Elizabeth fall into a trap – which the reader does too, when Mr. Darcy first insults her at the ball (“she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me”) she becomes so blinded by Mr.

Darcy’s prejudice that she get consumed by her own, Elizabeth does realise her prejudice eventually but doesn’t believe it “this must be false, this cannot be” (on Elizabeth receiving the letter from Mr. Darcy to herself, her first reaction) at this point the reader has realised that Elizabeth has fallen into the same trap as them – prejudiced. Jane Austen treasures her character Elizabeth; it is easy to see Jane Austen’s morals in her. Elizabeth is a free and independent woman, which is expressed through her and other characters; (beginning of chapter 8) Mrs.

Hurst – “I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild” said Mrs. Hurst; this quote implies that she is independent and free. Mrs. Hurst says this infront of Mr. Darcy, for two reasons a) because Mr. Darcy is falling for Elizabeth Bennet, and b) Miss. Bingley (Mrs. Hurst’s bestfriend) wants Mr. Darcy to marry her. Mrs. Hurst says this in hope that it will make Mr Darcy see how uncivilised Elizabeth is. When Jane Austen introduces Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy she lets the reader know their opinions of each other. The introductions between Elizabeth and Mr.

Darcy are most particular because their first impressions are that Elizabeth is only tolerable, and Mr. Darcy is too proud. When the audience is introduced to Mr. Darcy his impressions on Elizabeth are that “she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by young men”, Elizabeth overhears this but by her reaction the reader can gather that Elizabeth is confident and doesn’t care what people think about her (which is false as later in the novel Elizabeth admits to being consumed by prejudice and pride).

It is quite obvious to the reader that Mr. Darcy doesn’t particularly like Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy’s attitude wrecks the ball and shows that he is not willing to look at anyone in a good light, or is he? This is what Jane Austen wants the reader to think; to be consumed by prejudice and not like him. The reader realises the mistakes they have made as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy fall in love “I thought only of you” (Elizabeth) “dearest, loveliest Elizabeth” (Mr. Darcy).

Pride and Prejudice carries some quite heavy morals like who are real heroines, not fairly tale princesses but real people who actually achieve things, and that prejudices should always be faced. The class system is also very important in Pride and Prejudice when Lady Catherine de Bourgh insults Elizabeth Bennet “are the shades of Pemberley to be polluted” which is suggesting that Elizabeth being only upper middle class and bourgeoisie, would make it a disgrace if she was to marry into the Darcy’s family name.

Pride and Prejudice is one of those unforgettable novels where the reader feels slightly tricked and guilty, but the reader is left with a message – that people should never judge before knowing the real person: and what matters in marriage is true love. Pride and Prejudice is inspiration to many authors because of the diverse range of skills and techniques she uses. I think that Pride and Prejudice is novel that pivots from pride to romance. Emma Bell 10JM

People interact with and also with their surroundings. This impacts on their sense of belonging or their sense of isolation. We see this is William Shakespeare’s play ‘As You Like It’ and the Anglo-Indian genre movie, ‘Bride and Prejudice’ by Gurinder Chadha. The relationship between people and the interaction with place heavily impacts on the sense of belonging among the characters in the prescribed text. Rosalind and Celia are cousins who share a common understanding and identical values. Being from the same parental stock their social perception of life is similar.

Their fathers being brothers, they share the same social economic circle. Their closeness is stressed when Celia paradoxically emphasises, “you know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have”. This shows Celia is prepared to forfeit the dutchy for her cousin Rosalind, which cements their friendship and helps them to improve their sense of bonding with each other. The ducal court and the lust for power sees Celia’s father usurp the dukedom from his elder brother, Duke Senior, Rosalind’s father.

This chaotic deed breaks the bond of unity and segregates Duke Senior, Rosalind, Celia, Orlando, Jacques and Adam. The two fathers are located in a contrasting environment. The court of Duke Fredrick is seen as a contrast to the forest od Arden. Duke Fredrick’s court seems to foster values of flattery, falsity and autocracy. These values create friction on the bond of belonging and unity. Where as the forest of Arden is an allusion of the garden of Eden.

The interaction with this rustic setting acts as a whet stone to refine the disturbed banished crew of exiles. Duke Senior’s syntactical expression, “running brooks’” and “sermon in stones” shows the peace and serenity of the forest of Arden. This natural environment of forest of Arden also fosters friendship. Hardship also accompanies the calm serenity of this so-called paradise because the harsh, “churlish chidings” and “bites and bolows” of the weather fosters a sense of independence on each of the exiled members in the forest.

Rosalind’s impersonating as Ganymede protects not only her virginity but also her cousin Celia’s maidenhood. These good times and bad times and the will to succeed are essential qualities that assist the sense of belonging in the prescribed text. Love is another pervading factor in emotional belonging. The sisterly affection between Rosalind and Celia acts as a wedge that not only glues them together but also binds Orlando with Rosalind; Duke senior with his younger brother Duke Fredrick; Celia with Oliver and Phoebe with Silvius.

Thus we see how Shakespeare portrays how belonging can be nurtured with love, understanding and a firm purpose of commitment for a common good. Shakespeare justifies the power of love and in the concept of belonging by making Rosalind metaphorically refer to love as madness, “love is merely a madness…that he whispers are in love too”. By this quibble Rosalind tries to humorously convince Orlando that just as he is in love with her, she is also madly in love with him. This reciprocal interaction with each other helps to foster unity among all the characters in the play.

Similarly Gurinder Chadha’s romantic musical film, Bride and prejudice portrays the concept of belonging that is nurtured on account of interaction with people and places. The Bakshi Family has a strong sense of togetherness within the home and also the microscopic environment of their rural setting in Amritsar. The film in the opening scene uses mise en scene with the protagonist Lalita Bakshi serene in her environ. In the scene that follows we see The Bakshi Family, in their Indian accent, discuss marriage.

The love and closeness of the sisters, Jaya, Maya and Lakhi establish their security, warmth and comfort within their home. This closeness and sacrifice is also displayed in the prescribed text where Rosalind and Celia make sacrifices for each other. Interaction with a place is presented where Lalita, the heroine, has to build an affinity not only with Amritsar in India but also with Will Darcy’s wealthy American family hotel in America. Her education al competence helps her easily integrate with the American way of life.

In like manner even though Darcy felt out of place on his first visit to Amritsar in India, his love for Lalita made him adjust with the Indian culture and also with the Indian locale. The contrast of Darcy’s occidental attire in the early scenes is different in the concluding part of the film. The oriental drum beat played by Darcy himself and his Indian outfit piloted, by an elephant, shows how in belonging sacrifices need to be made. These sacrifices create a bond between the members who yearn for a common goal. In the case of Bride and Prejudice the love between Will Darcy and Lalita

Bakshi cement a relationship between the Bakshi family and the Darcy family; so also in As You Like It the love between Celia and Oliver and Rosalind and Orlando foster a sense of belonging between the members of the ducal court and the members in The Forest of Arden. Thus establishing the fact that interaction between people and places heavily impacts on the sense of belonging. On analysing both texts we see, William Shakespeare and Gurinder Chadha uncover how a sense of belonging or isolation is created by the people we interact with, the environment in which we are and the love , understanding and concern we express for each other.