Part Three: Literary Merit

Source: Wikipedia

Hello readers, welcome back to another blog post! I am now three-quarters through Pride and Prejudice, and this section definitely thickened the plot. In this blog post, I will be discussing how this book is of literary merit and its connection to the AP Literature course. I hope you enjoy reading!

❦ Part Three: Literary Merit ❦

Pride and Prejudice was first published in the early 1800's -almost two-hundred years ago- and is still a widely known novel today. Frankly, the reason why I chose to read this in particular was due to the fact that I briefly browsed a "Best Books of All Time" article, and there it was, in the top three. When you think of classic books, Pride and Prejudice often comes to mind as the standard for its genre.

There is definitely a reason for this book being a classic, and will forever be a classic-- even though the setting is the early 1800's, the modern day reader can still connect with the story and the meaning of the work as a whole.

As I have mentioned in the previous blog post, Austen criticizes marriage as not being an act of love, but as being a mutual agreement for personal benefit. In my opinion, the way that Austen conveys this message is the main reason that gives this novel the literary merit that it deserves. Austen provides multiple different aspects to this idea by using different literary devices such as irony, details, and even a gentle dose of humor.

Not only does the plot focus on the two main characters (Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth), but it also focuses on the side characters and their personal impact towards the story. The "love" between Mr. Collins and Mrs. Collins provides the perfect example of irony being used to convey Austen's message, even though they are only side characters. Not only do these details of side characters add to the main idea, but Elizabeth's careful reflections are often influenced by the actions of them, and so the plot is deeply expanded into a diverse and complex universe. The strong actions made by the side characters not only add to the theme of the story, but also sway Elizabeth's ultimate decision of true love.

When answering a free-response question on the AP test, it is often useful to use side characters as examples to prove an argument because they don't require as much plot explanation and do not have as much complexity as the main character. Because there are so many side characters in this novel that display thematic details and also show the use of literary techniques, Pride and Prejudice can be very valuable to read, for it will aid in examples during the exam.

The attention to detail is also what makes this book of literary merit-- thoughts are meticulously spoken, and truly convey the lifestyle of wealthy families living in the time period. This unique choice in detail deeply immerses the reader into the complex mind of Elizabeth:

"Elizabeth soon saw that she was herself closely watched by Miss Bingley... This observation would not have prevented her from trying to talk to the latter, had they not been seated at an inconvenient distance; but she was not sorry to be spared the necessity of saying too much" (194).

While this example is more of a basic example of Elizabeth's detailed thought process, it shows how aspects of characters providing minor conflicts truly impact the depth of the story.

In turn, the use of minor details further complicate the connection between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy; Pride and Prejudice is not a simple love story, but one that is entangled with constant changing emotion filled with both pride and prejudice (hint, hint). Therefore, because of such attention to detail and creating such a broad universe, this novel is definitely of AP level standard.

In my opinion, Pride and Prejudice should be implemented into the AP curriculum because it is very different from the other books that we read. The other novels (i.e. Song of Solomon and A Handmaid's Tale) often tend to focus on deep analysis regarding literary allusions and less on irony and detail. In my opinion, it would be valuable to the course because of it's contrasting strength.

Overall, this section of the reading was very entertaining-- Mr. Darcy reveals to Elizabeth his side of the story through a personal letter, and in turn, changes Elizabeth's opinion about him greatly. Additionally, it is found out that Elizabeth's younger sister has run away with Mr. Wickham, which is definitely surprising. I have really enjoyed reading the novel so far, and hope it continues to be as fascinating.
Thanks for reading my blog post!
-Lily

Citations:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. The Modern Library, 2000.

Part Two: Style

Source: Wikipedia

Hello, and welcome to my second blog post for Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen. I am about halfway through the novel, and so, have noticed some key details that make this book so unique and such a classic. In this post, I will explain the stylistic elements chosen by the author, specifically looking at the formatting and irony that she chooses to include. Hope you enjoy reading!

❦ Part Two: A Look at the Stylistic Choices ❦

A major aspect of Pride and Prejudice is the subtle irony displayed throughout the novel. Marriage is a very frequent motif in this novel, but is also used more specifically when connecting to the theme. Often, to display the theme of marriage not being an act of love, Austen chooses to include loveless marriages and ironically describing it as "love".

For example, an important part of this section's reading is the part when Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth declines his offer because she does not fancy him. This is a reasonable answer, for Mr. Collins is not a sensible man, and Elizabeth knows that she won't make him happy-- additionally, he is her cousin, but it doesn't seem as much of an issue based on the time period.

Where the irony comes is within Mr. Collins' quick rebound. The next morning, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth's friend, Miss Charlotte Lucas. Miss Lucas accepts his offer "solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment" (91). Essentially, Miss Lucas' reasoning for marrying Mr. Collins is because of a minor interest in wanting to live in a nice house.

 Talk about a perfect love story.

Frequently, the "love" between Mr. Collins and Miss Lucas is shown at very exaggerated and ironic lengths. Mr. Collins is said to have "[His time] spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity" (102) with Miss Lucas, despite the fact that:
          1. Miss Lucas does not truly love him 
          2. Mr. Collins had proposed to another woman the day before.

Austen chooses to include this irony because it shows how the two think that they love each other, but do not actually love each other. This example adds to the repeating criticism of love not being actual love, but being a mutual agreement based on personal benefits. Additionally, while adding to Austen's theme for the novel, this passage displays how she does it using these important stylistic choices of motifs and irony.

Another part of Austen's style that makes it unique is through the selected point of view. Austen chooses to use third person omniscient, which allows for the reader to enter the minds of the characters, even if it reveals some flaws. My favorite example of this, in particular, is when the wedding between Mr. Collins and Miss Lucas is announced, and secretly, it is revealed that "Lady Lucas began directly to calculate, with more interest than the matter had ever excited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live" (91). Minor examples like these add deeper dimensions to the characters, and occasionally, add a bit of humor to the story.

More importantly, the use of third person omniscient to show the thinking of characters also reflects the complexity of that character. Elizabeth, the main character, is shown having a complex thinking process because it also represents how she is seen by others as being smart and different from the other frivolous characters. For example, when Mr. Darcy suddenly proposes to Elizabeth, her thoughts are revealed:

"In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man's affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger." (138)

Elizabeth's internal reaction is shown here in the appropriate complexity. Her thoughts are complicated because unlike the others, she is sensible and highly values her own love.

To contrast such complexity: "[Mr. Hurst] was thinking only of his breakfast" (25).

Now that I am halfway through the novel, I have begun to really appreciate the subtle humor shown throughout. I look forward to seeing how Mr Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship will develop because she rejected his marriage proposal. Thanks for reading my blog post!
-Lily

Citations:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. The Modern Library, 2000.

Part One: An Introduction of the Characters

Source: Wikiquote

Welcome to my first blog post! The novel I will be reading and reflecting upon is Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen. In this post, I will be mainly discussing the main characters, along with my initial opinions of them. I hope you enjoy reading!

❦ Part One: An Introduction of the Characters ❦

Pride and Prejudice begins with the iconic phrase: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" (1). This irony promptly establishes the main idea being criticized within the novel: that marriage is often not for love, but for economical reasons. The Bennet family is in pursuit of finding wealthy and attractive bachelors to marry off to the four daughters and strive to achieve such success. 

One of my favorite characters, Mrs. Bennet, is particularly ruthless when it comes to marrying off her daughters. For example, one of the daughters, named Jane, is invited over for dinner to meet with the potential suitor, Mr. Bingley. Jane requests to take a carriage over, but is insisted by Mrs. Bennet to ride a horse instead. Mrs. Bennet suspects it to rain in the evening, and so, schemes that Jane riding horseback may pressure her to stay the night and spend more time with the Bingley family. 

This scheme made by Mrs. Bennet is even more successful, for Jane's ride over made her very ill, and so, is insisted by the Bingley family that she must stay for a couple of days. This brings Mrs. Bennet great joy, for in her mind, more time with Mr. Bingley equals a higher chance of Jane becoming a wife. 

In some ways, I admire Mrs. Bennet for her determination. Even though money should not be the reason for marriage, it is understandable as to why she is so desperately trying to marry off her daughters: the fortune that the daughters will eventually inherit is very small, and even the house that they live in will no longer belong to them once Mr. Bennet dies. Mrs. Bennet wants to see her daughters living in security. 

Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, isn't as determined as Mrs. Bennet. In all honesty, Mr. Bennet doesn't really do much except talk about his favorite daughter, Elizabeth. 

According to Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth is very different from the others. To him, the other girls are seen as "silly and ignorant", but 'Lizzy' has"something more of a quickness" (4). While it is somewhat cruel to call your children silly and ignorant, he is correct about her having more of a unique and caring personality. For example, after hearing that Jane has fallen ill, Elizabeth treks the three miles to see her and to take care of her. 

Elizabeth's father is not the only one who finds Elizabeth to be the superior sister-- so does Mr. Darcy. However, the other characters do not appear to like him very much. He is perceived as "a most disagreeable, horrid man... So high and so conceited..." (10) by Mrs. Bennet. While this is an exaggeration, the other characters perceive him similarly because of the fact that he doesn't like dancing and has a more reserved personality. 

Personally, I find Mr. Darcy to be the most relatable and reasonable character in the book; unlike the others, he is brutally honest, and doesn't make himself do things that he doesn't want to do.

Mr. Darcy really does have a strong but hidden love for Elizabeth. Even when she is seen as a horrid mess to the others after arriving to visit Jane, Mr. Darcy is "divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion" (25).  However, he is a strange man, for he deeply admires Elizabeth, but is purposely cruel to her so that she won't find out.

Overall, I really enjoy Pride and Prejudice so far, and I find it very fun to write about. I'm interested to see how the dynamics between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth will develop/change, and also see more of Mrs. Bennet scheming. 

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post :)

- Lily

Citations:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. The Modern Library, 2000.