Preview

How Does Jane Austen Present Elizabeth A Foil Character In Pride And Prejudice

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
321 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does Jane Austen Present Elizabeth A Foil Character In Pride And Prejudice
At the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen resolves the novel while using particular writing style and technique to reinforce the characters of Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Elizabeth’s strong-willed character is emphasized when Austen subtly contrasts her against Georgiana’s shy one; she uses Georgiana as a foil character for Elizabeth, and vice versa. Elizabeth’s strong opinions, quick wit, and “lively, sportive, manner” of conversing with Darcy astonish Georgiana. Austen’s use of the phrase “lively, sportive, manner” gives the sentence a more vigorous and energetic feel, which reflects the nature of the conversation. Apart from her wit, Elizabeth’s sensibility is also shown with she persuades Darcy to seek

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Present throughout Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is the idea of marriage and contrasting viewpoints on the matter. Elizabeth retains her romantic view of the subject, despite pressure from societal forces. Her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, however chooses security over emotional fulfillment, showing in a sense a societal norm at that point in time. Through Charlotte's friendship with Elizabeth, her dialogue that echoes the views of society regarding wealth and marriage, and her eventual choice to marry Mr. Collins, she serves as a stark contrast to Elizabeth; further emphasizing Elizabeth's own idealized views.…

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy stems from his original insult of her and his socially superior demeanor. Darcy's insult leaves Elizabeth "with no very cordial feelings towards him" (Austen 9); however, she speaks humorously about the "ridiculous" comment with her friends. Although Elizabeth dismissively jokes about Darcy, her pride inwardly pains, which she subtly admits while the Bennet women are visiting the Lucases. Elizabeth's prejudice continues to grow through her constant arguments with Darcy about various topics including successful women and acceptance of advice from friends. Through these arguments Elizabeth's unfavorable opinion of Darcy's pompous and arrogant personality grows.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Darcy is the character most often associated with pride and Elizabeth Bennett with prejudice. Ironically the novel was originally called ‘First Impressions’ an aspect Darcy seems to lack originally. Understanding the world can be perceived in many different aspects; literally or figuratively. The protagonists; Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy capture our attention from the beginning of the novel. Austen is able to contradict the patriarchal society that existed in the nineteenth century, as she builds Elizabeth to be rational, strong and independent. Women were mainly seen in this time to entertain yet Elizabeth did not carry these traits. Her perspective of the world was different to how her mother saw her future, she rejects two men of which rank highly on the social ladder proposal towards her. Ironically she ends the novel marrying the wealthiest of them all. Whereas, Darcy originally is not fond of Elizabeth ‘She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me’ his second glance at her changes his judgement he describes her eyes to be. Darcy emits a character full of pride and…

    • 1100 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Alistair Duckworth’s account Pride and Prejudice: The Reconstitution of Society, he characterizes Darcy as a conservative individual, whereas he shows Elizabeth to possess a more mobile and active personality. However, upon analysis of the novel, it is clearly visible that Elizabeth has a more preservative attitude while Darcy tends to have more mobility to improve.…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Elizabeth Bennet’s personality in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is unconventional, independent, and somewhat cynical, in contrast to what was considered acceptable social behavior of women of her time. Elizabeth is extremely forthright, and though her honesty and lack of pretense is considered forward by some, her directness gives her a clear and often unflattering perception of others. She is critical of many social norms and conventions. Near the beginning of Chapter 23, Elizabeth says to her sister, Jane, “The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters and of little dependence that can placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.” Elizabeth believes that once someone makes a mistake, there is no going back. Elizabeth saw you can’t depend on the appearance of someone and their “rank” because she was shown that people aren’t what they seem to be. Elizabeth’s decision was influenced by certain experiences she had with different people, people who claim to be sophisticated and well-brought up but act rude and are quite the opposite of how they appear. Mr. Collins, for example, is an arrogant, conceited and overall pathetic man. Mr. Collins actions are almost comical because he thinks very highly of himself when everyone else takes him for a joke. With his mindset he also automatically assumes that he is more than compatible for the Bennet daughters. Elizabeth continuously rejects his proposals, but Mr. Collins is so full of himself he doesn’t believe she really means it. Mr. Collins insultingly misjudges Elizabeth as just another girl that would swoon over any marriage proposal…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How does Jane Austen make us admire Elizabeth and dislike Lady Catherine in this chapter? (Chapter 56)…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen reveals how her character, Darcy, is a dynamic character. While visiting Mr. Darcy’s estate in Pemberley, Elizabeth runs into him unexpectedly, while taking with him she contemplates his behaviour during their interaction thinking about “[how] his behaviour, [is] so strikingly altered… [how he is speaking] with such civility” (242). Elizabeth is stuck by the change in his behavior, due to the fact that he seemed incredibly rude at their last encounter. At this last encounter, Darcy was acting very rude and perverse.…

    • 215 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jane Austen Quotes

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Like Character, Like Estate In the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen gives more meaning to the estates belonging to each character instead of allowing the reader to only see them as Background information. Austen is able to paint the personalities and values of each character in the minds of the reader by describing the outer appearance as well as the interior of the houses, this is applied particularly well to both Mr. Darcy of Pemberley and Lady Catherine of Rosings. Both appear proud and of high self-esteem, yet as the reader travels though the houses along with the main character, Elizabeth Bennett, it becomes clear that the two characters are extremely different. Upon sight of the house, Elizabeth Bennett sees Rosings as a large and…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Elizabeth is one of the main characters of “Pride and prejudice”. She can be compared with her sister Jane with whom she has lots of things in common and contrast with her mother Mrs. Bennet.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Next, Elizabeth was not only prejudice but she was a prideful person. Elizabeth’s pride later on blinded her judgment and her decisions. The author Jane Austen wrote the novel to share her insight of how an excessive amount of pride on an individual would send them into catastrophe. She sends this cautionary message to the reader by displaying pride in many characters in the novel especially evident in Elizabeth character.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The point of view that is being narrated in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice is omniscient; Austen has started to tell the story through Elizabeth in this chapter, however still as third person. The main actions of the novel are the communications between opinions, ideas, and attitudes they in the novel are not expressed to the readers directly, some might be told in telling method and another’s in showing method also there is little imagery of the settings. Throughout this chapter, Jane Austen satirizes the manners of women who believe that marriage should not be for love only through Elizabeth’s point of view.…

    • 2078 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pride and Prejudice

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The two main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, undergo changes both in attitude and circumstances and in the end truly discover themselves. Elizabeth fosters her own personal dislike of Darcy after his comment at the Merryton Ball: “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (13). Elizabeth overhears this comment and is left feeling like she took the brunt of his arrogance. This comment is the greatest cause of Elizabeth’s prejudice against Darcy. A major turning point occurs after Darcy’s proposal and the subsequent letter in which Elizabeth realizes: “vanity, not love, has been my folly…Till this moment, I never knew myself” (171). As she examines her family, she realizes her own blindness to Wickham’s account of Darcy, and it becomes apparent that Darcy was cautious to associate himself with her. It is this introspection of her own actions and prejudice that allows her true love for him to blossom. In addition, after Elizabeth’s comments about his attitude during the first proposal, he acknowledges that he was too selfish and admits that: “By [her he] was properly humbled” (297). Darcy acted the way he did because that was what he was brought up to believe on account of his wealth and status. The first proposal to Elizabeth is a valuable lesson Darcy learns about himself and recognizes these faults in his character. Had they not learned…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin with, Elizabeth is overcome with pride and prejudice. She has a very difficult time coming to a different conclusion of Darcy contrary to her first impression. "His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again...Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feeling toward him" (8). For his part, Darcy looks down on Elizabeth for her place in society. He refers to her as common and not as agreeable as others (7-9). Darcy does not think she…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped we would never come there again.” (3) These were the feelings that Miss Elizabeth Bennet possessed at the start of Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen weaved a marvelous tale of love in its rarest and truest form. This love was formed out of a once burning hatred. The transformations throughout Austen’s masterpiece shows how true love fights through the boundary of pride and prejudice which exists in the society of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Jane Austen captivates us through the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth through their altering feelings for one another and the world causing anxiety for the readers at first but ultimately an overwhelming relief for the readers.…

    • 1309 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen places characters in environments that reveal important details about the characters. It would have been easy to communicate Elizabeth's prejudice or Darcy's pride using the voice of a narrator, but Austen chooses a more subtle and interesting method of enlightening her readers. Whether using physical surroundings or social contexts, Austen repeatedly coordinates both time and place together to create situations in which her characters can conveniently show off the assets and/or flaws of their personalities. Once placed in Austen's well-chosen environments, her characters go into action. This action is more convincing than a narrator telling us in a few sentences that Darcy is proud and Elizabeth unfairly judges others.…

    • 2519 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays