Pride and prejudice

This blog is a thinking activity assigned by Megha Ma’am. In here I shall explore a few questions about Jane Austen’s Novel “Pride and Prejudice”. To know more about the novel, click here. 

You can check out the short summary here:- 

1. Compare the narrative strategy of the novel and movie.

The novel “Pride and Prejudice” and its 2005 movie adaptation, directed by Joe Wright, explore the story of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy in slightly different manners. A few necessary changes have been made. In the narrative technique, they are:- 

Perspective: 

In the novel, the story is presented from a third-person limited perspective, centering on Elizabeth Bennet's viewpoint. This enables readers to delve into Elizabeth's thoughts and emotions while keeping other characters' inner workings concealed. It fosters a strong connection between the reader and Elizabeth, providing a unique lens through which to experience the narrative. In the movie adaptation, this perspective is maintained through the use of Elizabeth's voiceover narration. Her commentary offers insights into the story's events and her own sentiments, offering a distinct but effective narrative strategy to develop her character and explain her motivations.

Portrayal of Mr. Darcy:

Although both the novel and the film maintain Mr. Darcy's fundamental character traits, they differ in their approaches to his portrayal. The novel delves deeper into Darcy's character through internal monologue and gradual transformation, painting a more complex and ambiguous figure. He exhibits pride and arrogance, yet also kindness and intelligence. The movie adaptation, in contrast, presents Darcy as a more sympathetic and heroic character, relying on visual and performance elements to convey his emotions and character development in a condensed format.

Jane Austen's writing allows for subtle and nuanced character development in Mr. Darcy. His transformation from a seemingly arrogant aristocrat to a deeply in love man is gradual and multi-layered in the novel.

Pacing:

Austen's novel unfolds at a leisurely narrative pace, permitting an extensive exploration of characters, relationships, and societal norms. The story gradually reveals itself, affording readers ample time to comprehend the characters' motivations and personalities. In contrast, the film is compelled to compress the narrative, resulting in a faster pace with a focus on essential plot points. These differences in pacing are a consequence of medium-specific constraints and storytelling techniques.

These were some of the differences of narrative techniques between the novel in the movie.

2. Write an illustration of the society of Jane Austen's time. 

We can gather much information about Jane Austen’s society from Jane Austen's novels. They provide a vivid illustration of the early 19th century. Her characters are drawn from the gentry and upper middle class, and her novels explore the social and cultural norms of this group.

One of the most important aspects of Austen's society was the importance of marriage. For women, marriage was the only way to achieve financial security and social respectability. Men, on the other hand, were expected to marry women who would bring them wealth and status. This led to a great deal of pressure on both men and women to marry well.

Austen's novels explore the different factors that influenced people's choice of marriage partner, including love, money, social status, and family expectations. She also shows how marriage could be used to control women's lives. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet's aunt, Mrs. Bennet, is obsessed with finding good husbands for her daughters, even if it means marrying them off to men they don't love.

Another important aspect of Austen's society was the importance of manners and etiquette. People were expected to behave in a certain way in public, and any deviation from the norm could be met with social censure. Austen's novels often use humour to satirise the social conventions of her time, but she also shows how these conventions could be used to manipulate and control others.

For example, in Emma, the title character is a young woman who loves to interfere in the lives of others. She often uses her knowledge of social etiquette to manipulate people into doing what she wants. However, Austen ultimately shows that Emma's interference is harmful, and that she must learn to respect the choices of others.

In addition to marriage and manners, Austen's novels also explore other aspects of early 19th century English society, such as the role of women, the importance of education, and the class system. Women in Austen’s time were also overtly dependent on their male relatives. They had no independence as they could not even own property of their own. 

In Sense and Sensibility, the Dashwood sisters are forced to leave their family home and move to a smaller cottage after their father's death. This is because their inheritance is tied up in an entailment, which means that it can only be passed down to male heirs. This shows how women in Austen's time were financially dependent on men.

3. What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth never got together? What if Lydia's elopement had a different outcome?  Explore the consequences of these changes and write alternative endings to the novel.

 

What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth never get together - 

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are two of the most iconic literary couples of all time, but what if they had never gotten together?

In that case, it is possible that Elizabeth would have remained unmarried. She was intelligent, witty, and independent, and she had no need to marry for financial security. However, in Regency England, unmarried women were often looked down upon. Elizabeth would have had to face the challenges of spinsterhood, but she would have also had the freedom to live her life on her own terms.

It is also possible that Elizabeth would have met and married someone else entirely. Perhaps she would have met a man who was more like her, someone who was intelligent, witty, and kind. Or perhaps she would have met a man who was different from her, but who challenged her and made her grow as a person.

But one thing is for sure, if Mr Darcy and Elizabeth did not get together, it would have broken hearts of many readers. Maybe the novel would not have been this popular. 

What if Lydia's elopement had a different outcome -

Lydia’s elopement with Wickham was one of the most dramatic moments in Pride and Prejudice. In the original novel, Lydia’s elopement is resolved when Mr. Darcy pays Wickham to marry her. This saves Lydia‘s reputation and protects the Bennett family from scandal. 

However, in different circumstances, Lydia’s elopement would have meant a literal disaster for the Bennett family. Without Mr Darcy‘s help, Wickham would not have gotten married to Lydia and the scandal could not have resolved easily. The Bennett family would have to suffer much social disgrace. It is also possible, that none of the other sisters get an opportunity to marry well.

It is certain, that if Lydia’s elopement would not have been resolved quickly then it would have impacted the novel’s storyline as well as the characters.