Pride / Prejudice Essay, Research Paper
Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Type of Work: Study of manners
Setting: Rural England; early nineteenth century
Select four major characters and explain why each is important in the work you read( at least one full paragraph for each character).
Elizabeth Bennet – The novel’s protagonist. The second daughter of a landed gentleman in the village of Longbourn, she is the most intelligent and sensible of the Bennet sisters. She is well-read and quick-witted, and has a tongue that is sometimes too sharp for her own good.
Darcy Fitzwilliam – A wealthy gentleman, the master of Pemberley, and the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He is intelligent and honest, but has too much pride and tends to look down on others.
Jane Bennet – The eldest Bennet sister, and the most beautiful, she is both more reserved and kinder than Elizabeth.
Charles Bingley – Darcy’s best friend. A genial, well-intentioned gentleman with a considerable fortune
Select one major character and answer the following:
A. Explain what problem the character faces (one paragraph)
The main character would undeniably be Elizabeth Bennet. She is the idealist, who will not marry just for money, either to a fool, or a man she dislikes (Darcy at first). It seems as if Elizabeth has allowed herself to be so smitten with Mr. Wickman(an army officer), that she let her emotions of dislike towards Darcy turn into out right hatred on the basis of hearsay and not fact. Though she is quick-witted she is still young and impressionable and by deciding to trust someone so quickly she allowed their problem to be her ?prejudice?.
B. Explain what he does to solve the problem and why he decides to take that action ( at least one paragraph).
Mid-way into the novel Elizabeth?s feelings toward him turn neutral. She considers him overly proud, but like him enough to carry on conversations. At one point down the line Darcy becomes so in love with her that he asks her to marry him. Of course she turns him down but after many more tiffs she finally realizes that she too has a thing for him.