Pride And Prejudice Conclusion Essay Example
Pride And Prejudice Conclusion Essay Example

Pride And Prejudice Conclusion Essay Example

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife (Austen, 1). The first sentence of Pride and Prejudice, one of Jane Austen’s classic works, is probably the most celebrated opening of all English comedies with reference to social manners. It puts in a nutshell the ambitions of the empty headed Mrs.

Bennet. Her major her aspiration – as if it is her only role in life -- is to find a suitable husband for each of her five daughters from the middle-class young men of the family’s acquaintance.In this dream project, her husband remains apathetic and mere spectator. Indeed, she obtains little help from her easygoing and lethargic spouse, who take into account her objectives with an indulgent and clever skepticism. In general, Jane Austen’s irony is overwhelmi

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ng in its disclosure of society’s silliness and duplicity.

Apparently, she wanted to expose to her readers the folly of some of society’s existing rules by using her wit and humor. What else could it be when there is an assortment of forms of wonderful sarcasm in Pride and Prejudice?Sometimes the characters are unconsciously ironic. In this story, the most prominent of all seems to be Mrs. Bennet -- the mother of Elizabeth, the central protagonist, who seems to be an intelligent, witty, and opinionated young woman. Obviously, Mrs.

Bennet is an astonishingly exasperating creature; endlessly chattering and manipulating the lives of those around her, especially her daughters. The fact that she wants to marry off her daughters to “appropriate” gentlemen and does not stop until she sees them engaged is a testament that

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she is one dominant character.Boisterous and irrational, she is a woman obsessed by the yearning to see her daughters married. In fact, she seems to care for nothing else in the world. Ironically, Mrs. Bennet’s high-powered interest in this objective tends to backfire.

Her deficiency in social graces pushes away the very people whom she tries frantically to attract. In one scene, Elizabeth reprimanded her. “For heaven’s sake, madam, speak lower. What advantage can it be to you to offend Mr.

Darcy? You will never recommend yourself to his friends by so doing,” (76) she says.However, the author uses Mrs. Bennet to continually highlight society’s dictates of the necessity of marriage for young women. Mrs. Bennet also provides as a middle-class counterpart for snobbish aristocrats like Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley.

Elizabeth’s mother is a perfect paradox to these two ladies, and therefore Austen is able to show that foolishness can be found at every level of society. It is apparent in the story that all people want is to marry into a higher social rank. Even those who are already secure with their social status desires to marry someone of at least equivalent rank.This idea seems to motivate every action that is taken in the story.

Mrs. Bennet’s character also confirms that one cannot mould all his/her offspring however she so desires. At least one of them would always rebel, just as Elizabeth does. In fact, Elizabeth is one intelligent and opinionated woman – something which exasperates her mother no end.

However, Elizabeth does not totally disregard social propriety. She has good manners. Even her slight breach of decorum -- that is, walking alone to

Netherfield Park -- is justified by her sincere apprehension for her ill sister.Elizabeth also has good manners.

Most importantly, she demonstrates that she has tremendous self-control even under enormous pressure. In the end, Mrs. Bennet proves such an unattractive figure. She lacks redeeming characteristics of any kind.

Her character is so terrible to the point of being funny that some readers have accused Austen of discrimination as far as portraying her is concerned. Like Mr. Bennet, it seems that Jane Austen took vicious gratification in poking fun at a woman already ridiculed because of her uncouth character.

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