János Barcsák, Márta Pellérdi

English literature 1660-1900


Themes in Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Austen made the first draft of Pride and Prejudice entitled First Impressions in 1796. She began revising the text after the publication of Sense and Sensibility in 1811 and the novel was finally published anonymously in January 1813. The critical reception was moderate. In a short time, however, elite circles, even the Prince Regent came to enjoy Austen’s novel and invited the authoress for a visit to Carlton House. The major theme, just as in other novels of manners, once again is the moral progress of the heroine (Elizabeth Bennet) and how she arrives at self-knowledge. She is put to test through a series of social trials only to find the right marriage partner at the end as her reward. Elizabeth can be regarded as the heroine of the novel, but due to her close relationship to her much beloved elder sister Jane, her happiness cannot be separated from her sister’s. Elizabeth is witty, intelligent and high-spirited, her father’s favourite. Austen herself praised Elizabeth and referred to her as a “delightful creature as ever was in print.” Her major error is that she judges others too hastily, believing herself to be superior in judgement to others. Thus she takes an immediate dislike to Mr Darcy when she overhears him at a ball speaking critically about her. Unaware of it herself, and taking up a playful attitude over having been slighted by Darcy, she becomes prejudiced against him. Darcy, however, cannot help falling in love with Elizabeth. In the proposal scene (Ch. 34), which takes Elizabeth completely by surprise, he explains his reservations about her family. It is not so much Elizabeth’s social background that makes Darcy uneasy—the Bennets have no social connections, distinction, or money (although it is important to note here that Elizabeth is the daughter of a gentleman, thus a connection between a wealthy landowner with aristocratic relatives and the daughter of a gentleman is not wholly impossible). It is the ill manners of the mother and sisters, always the sign of inferior education, which disturbs him. Mrs Bennet, especially, is the object of Darcy’s dislike, since she has only one pastime to occupy her: getting her daughters married and doing everything possible to achieve this purpose, and worse, talking about it in public. Elizabeth’s refusal and her passionate dislike take Darcy by surprise. Upon reading Darcy’s letter of explanation Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy gradually changes and she is able to see others as well as herself objectively. It is in mid-book that she also comes to understand how she had overrated herself in believing herself to be superior to others in judgement and intelligence.

English literature 1660-1900

Tartalomjegyzék


Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2018

ISBN: 978 963 454 261 2

A history of the English literature is presented here, with a scope on the years 1660 to 1900. The book is written in three main parts; beginning with the Restoration Period of the 17th century, followed by the first, and second halves of the 18th century. Thus, a sequential development of literary genres is presented, with explorations of the key figures and texts which drove these. The book also synthesises the historical, cultural and sociological background which gave rise to this literature, and allows the reader to effectively contextualise these.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/barcsak-pellerdi-english-literature-1660-1900//

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