Pride and Prejudice, of course, discusses primarily two topics, namely, the two mentioned in the novel's title. The former, the novel considers in much the same way that ancient epic poems mention honor, by explicating it through various character's demonstrations of it. Sometimes, indeed, it is explicitly mentioned; for instance, Mary discusses pride and vanity specifically, coming to the conclusion that "a person may proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity is what we would have others think of us" (19). In much the same way as honor, pride can be either good or bad; whereas honor can both lead to virtue, but also to idiocy if taken too far, so too can pride simultaneously lead to moral actions and arrogance. Elizabeth calls pride "abominable," but Wickham responds that pride "has often led [Mr. Darcy] to be liberal and generous - to give his money freely, to display hospitality, to assist his tenants, and relieve the poor" (71). Thus, pride has both negative and positive associations; while it can result in an aloof nature such as Mr. Darcy's, it can also lead to noble activities. By contrast, the latter half of the title is almost universally negative in connotation, although it still takes on a double meaning in that it applies both regarding higher and lower social statuses. Considering a higher social status, it generally leads to the conclusion as to Mr. Darcy's character and haughty predisposition, even when, in fact, he feels quite differently, as is represented by when Elizabeth thinks that Mr. Darcy noticed her "because there was a something about her more wrong and reprehensible, according to his ideas of right, than in any person present," when in fact Mr. Darcy pays attention to her due to a positive emotion, a nascent love, that he feels for her (45). Conversely, the upper class often regards the lower class as of a simple nature, not to mention dirty and poorly mannered in general. On the latter point, Mr. Bingley's sisters comment that Elizabeth, upon reaching their doorstep, was "nonsensical [...] so untidy, so blowsy!" and that "her petticoat [was] six inches deep in mud," commenting extensively on her impropriety (32). On the former point, in particular, Mr. Darcy comments that "the country [...] can in general supply but few subjects for such as study [of intricate characters]" demonstrate how the upper class views those who live in the country as simple-minded, despite the inherent contradiction represented in Elizabeth to this stereotype, resulting in a prejudice towards said class of people.
Mr. Collins' proposal aught to be considered in the context of these two themes, as both are present in the presumptuous nature of his proposal. Elizabeth cuts off his proposal because he presumes that Elizabeth will, indeed, marry him without first asking the question, both through his use of the future indicative rather than the subjunctive throughout his proposal and through the statement at which Elizabeth cuts him off, "when we are married" - specifically, that he did not say if, but when, implying a presumption that the future will indeed be so (93). This demonstrates both his pride and his prejudice. His pride is demonstrated in that he does not believe her rejection because "it does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance" (95). In other words, he believes himself sufficiently high status to be desirable, illustrating his high opinion of himself. Furthermore, he presumes that her primary concern is status, illustrating his prejudice in assuming that emotion does not enter the decisions of the lower classes, and that their sole concern is the increase in status - a stereotype which applies in some cases, such as Mrs. Bennet, but not in others, such as both Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet (illustrated by his subsequent support for Elizabeth's decision). Thus do both pride and prejudice form an underlying arrogance and presumptuousness in the diction of Mr. Collins' proposal.
No comments:
Post a Comment