Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and...

The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice Midway through Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet arrives at a moment of self-awakening which, notably, results from the influence of someone else: Fitzwilliam Darcy. For critic Susan Fraiman, this complication amounts to no less than, as she titles her article, The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet. From this moment forward, according to Fraiman, Elizabeth Bennet ceases to think for herself. She submits to Darcy as to a second father, relinquishes her trust in her own judgments, and thereby suffers a loss of clout.1 This pivotal moment comes because, after Elizabeth has rejected his proposal, Darcy justifies himself in a lengthy letter. It is†¦show more content†¦By accepting the fact that she has misjudged Darcy, Wickham, Jane, and Bingley, Elizabeth sharpens her ability to discern character. In turn, she develops a solidly based self-confidence. Before Elizabeths independent judgments can be formed, she must work her way painstakingly out of her existing prejudice. It is true that Darcy essentially forces his letter into Elizabeths consciousness. He has no other choice. The day after Elizabeth has rejected him, he waits along the path where she takes her morning walks, waylays her when she tries to avoid him, and even then must thrust his letter at her. Elizabeths impetus to free herself from her initial prejudice against Darcy is, thus, involuntary. Because Elizabeth naturally seeks truth, she instinctively (129) takes the letter from the hands of this man who has so offended her that she cannot believe any apology to be in his power (134). Unable to shut out all reason completely, Elizabeth begins to move beyond her hatred. With the strongest curiosity, (129) she focuses on the unalterable truth of Darcys letter. Attention to Darcys viewpoint is essential for the reader as well as for Elizabeth. Throu ghout the text, the reader has viewed Darcys character mainly through the filter of Elizabeths prejudice. Even Darcys proposal, which should have indicated the beginning of Darcys redemption, is distorted into Elizabeths version: Austen doesShow MoreRelatedPride and Prejudice: Influences on Society1873 Words   |  8 Pagesof a person other than material objects. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the archetypes of sisters, ritual and the woods/river, the character analysis of Mr. Darcy and the moral lesson that your initial judgments aren’t always right are some of the multifarious that reveal the underlined meaning of the novel. The bond of the Bennet sisters represents the archetype of trust and stability throughout the events in the story. Elizabeth could no longer wait to tell Jane what had happened between

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