Darcy's Character

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Akua Frimpong

Explore Jane Austen’s presentation of Mr Darcy throughout the novel        

Pride and prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austen, it was published in 1813. The title can help the reader have an idea about what the story is going to be about. Pride means a feeling of self-respect and personal worth, prejudice means a fixed opinion formed without examining the facts fairly. The definitions of these words can give the reader the idea that the novel is based on these attitudes which may be descriptive of the characters in the novel.

In this essay, my focus will be on Fitzwilliam Darcy, the antagonist of the novel. I will look at the way he is first presented in the novel and how his character progresses throughout the novel. I will observe his language and his actions. I will contrast him to other characters and look at his mannerisms. In the beginning of the novel when we first see Darcy he is seen as handsome, tall, wealthy and an eligible bachelor; although he is rude, insulting proud and arrogant. He disregards Elizabeth who the plot revolves around. As the book continues his affection  for Elizabeth grows; he is especially drawn to her fine eyes. He communicates and opens up more. We discover that he likes to be challenged and enjoys stimulating conversations. He gradually becomes more amiable, however this may be because Elizabeth the protagonist of the novel changes her approach towards Darcy.

The novel is set in the late 18th century when social awareness was at its peak.. There was an extreme division between the rich and poor. People were divided into groups according to the class. Class affected the way you behaved and how others will treat you and relate to you. It was completely wrong to marry someone of your class, it was nearly impossible for a middle class person to marry an aristocrat. Austen created vivid images of characters who portrayed the stereotypical image of their class.

 

Marriage was also very important, girls were expected to be married by 25 years old. People didn’t tend to marry for love, they married for wealth and connections. Austen tends to emphasise this, it could have been a concern for her because she believed people should marry for love instead of these things. The beginning of the novel identifies it when it says “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife,” it briskly introduces the arrival of Mr. Bingley at Netherfield. This sets the scene of the novel. It shows  us the opinion of the people who lived in that era. As we know it is not a “truth” that a single man is not in want of a wife, it is irony and sarcasm used by Austen to show that their opinions were limited and it wasn’t actually the men who were need of a spouse, it just reflected the desperation of mothers and daughters.

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We are introduced to Mr Darcy at the Meryton assembly. He is known as a good friend of Mr Bingley. When he first arrives at the assembly he causes a stir and he becomes the talk of the ball instead of Bingley. He was “fine, tall, handsome…having ten thousand a year” so here we get an insight to his physical appearance and his character.  These are the features that present him as handsome. His character turns to an object of disgust when his infamous pride emerges. Darcy is portrayed as condescending and snobbish, this is shown when ...

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