Pride and Prejudice

1
Pride and Prejudice

• Chapters 13-23

Illustration Mr. Collins proposes. (source)
2
Outline

• Review Chaps 1-12
• Judgment and Prejudice
• Pride
• Communication through Letters

3
Chaps 1-12

• Two major themes
• Marriage
• Views of marriage
• Efforts of different characters
• Womens positions (accomplishments) and the issue
  of entail
• Education (Irony vs. Discrimination)
• Definitions of pride vs. vanity and prejudice
  (wrong judgment)
• The use of irony and laughter
• Snobbishness
• Lack of judgment

4
Chaps 13- 23

• Judgment Prejudice (focus Netherfield ball)
• Mr. Collins (and Mrs. Philips)
• appearance and reality Elizebeths prejudice
• The Bennets Inappropriate manners of the Bennet
  sisters Lack of scruples of the Bennet parents
• Communication, Class Distinction Marriage
• ? Collins a caricature of social climber
  admirer of upper class. (e.g. chap 15)
• ?(manners vs. feelings D and Es dance)
• rhetoric vs. feelings Mr. Collins proposal
• Letter writings Mr. Collins and Ms. Bingleys.
• Departure of the Bingleys (group)
• Charlottes decision (group)

5
Judgment Prejudice

• (Mis)Understanding of characters and their
  appearance
• Understanding of or fixing class distinction
• Of social propriety the proper things to do
  following social manners strictly.
• Morality

Individual
?
Social
6
Mr. Collins Lack of Judgment

• Collins pride flattering manners lack of
  judgment
• 1. A mixture of pride and obsequiousness,
  self-importance and humility.
• 2. admires Mrs. Philips's manners and politeness
  55 Mrs. Philips was quite awed by such an excess
  of good breeding (of Collins)
• 3. admires her house and compares it to LCs
  small summer breakfast parlour.
• 3. self-introduction to Darcy 74
• his response after being rejected 75
• ? His refusal to take Elizabeth no for no.

7
Mr. Collins Lack of Judgment example

• LC chap 14 -- reckoned proud by many people he
  knew, but he had never seen any thing but
  affability in her. She had always spoken to him
  as she would to any other gentleman she made not
  the smallest objection to his joining in the
  society of the neighbourhood, nor to his leaving
  his parish occasionally for a week or two, to
  visit his relations. She had even condescended to
  advise him to marry as soon as he could, provided
  he chose with discretion and had once paid him a
  visit in his humble parsonage where she had
  perfectly approved all the alterations he had
  been making, and had even vouchsafed to suggest
  some herself, -- some shelves in the closets up
  stairs.
• His proposal Twice she . . .gives me her
  opinion (unasked too!) on this subject. (81)

8
Elizebeths prejudice (1)

• ?for Wickham 57 W the happy man towards whom
  almost every female eye was turned
• p. 61 (in her mind) you, whose very countenance
  may vouch for your being amiable'
• Traces of Wickhams inconsistencies not
  attending the ball.
• His judgment reflects his envy of high class
• Wickham on Georgiana very very proud
• Wickham on LC 64--dictatorial and insolent. She
  has the reputation of being remarkably sensible
  and clever because . . .
• Joins the regiment because he needs good
  society.

9
Elizebeths prejudice

• Elizabeth against Darcy XVIII
• She was resolved against any sort of
  conversation with him, and turned away with a
  degree of ill humour, which she could not wholly
  surmount even in speaking to Mr. Bingley, whose
  blind partiality provoked her.
• (to Charlotte) That would be the greatest
  misfortune of all! -- To find a man agreeable
  whom one is determined to hate! -
• Ms. Bingleys defense of Darcy 72
  Janes/Bingleys of Darcy 73
• Wickham on Darcys pride pride 61-64
• (XVI for almost all his actions may be traced to
  pride -- and pride has often been his best
  friend. It has often led him to be liberal and
  generous, -- to give his money freely, to display
  hospitality, to assist his tenants, and relieve
  the poor )

10
Elizebeths prejudiceconversation with Darcy

• p. 69 1) goes by the rule and exposes the
  manners in dance conversation
• 2) not communicative
• E Suggest proper topics
• E Defends with witticism, which she later denies
  by refusing to judge her own performance.
• E Mentions Wickham
• E Tries three subjects without success
• D Books ? begs to differ
• D avoids prejudice, Elizabeth the only chance
  to do sketch it.

11
The Bennets

• Mrs. Bennet's misbehavior 76 Marys 77
• Mr. Bennet bemused by human follies, instead of
  trying to prevent them in his daughters.
• XIII 48 I have great hopes of finding him quite
  the reverse. There is a mixture of servility and
  self-importance in his letter, which promises
  well. I am impatient to see him.''
• p. 79 enjoying the scene of his familys
  misbehavior
• p. 86 -- I shall be glad to have the library to
  myself as soon as may be.
• Ending of Volume 1

12
Mr. Collins Marriage Proposal

• No feelings when he said he has.
• All reasons.
• Praises LC but not Eliza
• Denies his emphasis on money when he does (the
  issue of entail and inheritance)

13
Letter Writingsocial exchange

• chap. 7
• Caroline Bingley to Jane, inviting her to come to
  Netherfield.
• Jane to Elizabeth, reporting her illness.
• chap. 13 23
• Mr. Collins to Mr. Bennet, proposing to visit
  Longbourn.
• Jane to C. Bingley, expressing thanks.

14
Letter Writingsocial decorum

• One important rule of protocol of the period is
  that a correspondence between two unmarried and
  marriageable unrelated young people of the
  opposite sex is a sign that the two are engaged.
  (source)
• chap 13, 23 Collins writes to Mr. Bennet.
• Darcy to his sister Ms. Bingley to Jane.
• ? Darcy hand-delivers his letter to Elizabeth.

15
Letter Writingpersonal style

• Mr. Bennet
• Chap 48 "a most negligent and dilatory
  correspondent"
• Chap 27 he "so little liked Elizabeth's going
  that he told her to write to him, and almost
  promised to answer her letter".
• Chapter 10
• Darcy writes long and careful letters to his
  sister.
• Caroline "It is a rule with me, that a person who
  can write a long letter, with ease, cannot write
  ill."
• Bingley "He studies too much for words of four
  syllables. Bingley writes carelessly.

16
Letter Writing (2) different usages of
language--Collins

• -- 54 pompous nothings
• Chaps 13
• Collins letter mention Lady Catherine twice.
• Seeks peace because of his position and because
  LC has no use of him then.
• Chap 23why doesnt he write to Sir Lucas?
• Redundant? A matter of formality? Showing his
  victory?
• ? later hell write even more unfeeling letter.

17
Letter Writing (2) different usages of language

• chap. 21 Caroline Bingley to Jane, informing her
  that the Netherfield party have all gone to
  London.
• 1. go after Charles
• 2. will not come back for winter
• 3. Georgia Darcy
• 4. Bingleys ability to engage any womans heart.
• Uses the letter to indirectly stop the
  relationship between Jane and Bingley.