In Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen explores the impact first impressions have on the relationships of the people involved. Throughout the novel, first impressions of characters often prove to be incorrect but there are occasional cases where they are true. Many people place a high value on first impressions and through the interactions of the characters within her novel, Austen tries to determine if that practice is a beneficial one. Austen also focuses on the role that the prides and the prejudices that characters form have on relationships. The change in the title of the novel from First Impressions to Pride and Prejudice is more fitting with the conclusions drawn about the usefulness and validity of first impressions throughout the novel.
Jane Austen's first draft of this novel was titled First Impressions. Despite the large role that first impressions play in the story, the title of Pride and Prejudice is a better fit for the message of the novel. During the course of the novel, the characters are introduced to a variety of new people and they subsequently form opinions of them. These opinions are often very inconsistent with the true nature of the character. One of the best examples of this is the first impressions of Darcy that are formed at the ball. Mrs. Bennet describes him after their first meeting as "a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him" (15). This opinion of Darcy does remain valid for a decent part of the novel but is slowly proved to be untrue. Elizabeth throughout the course of the novel learns more and more about Darcy and eventually her first impression of him no longer fits. Another character whose first impression turns out to be inaccurate is Wickham. He is first described in comparison to his fellow officers as "a very creditable, gentlemanlike set. . . Mr. Wickham was as far beyond them all in person, countenance, air, and walk" (75). The idea of Wickham being a gentleman is slowly proved to be incorrect through learning about the truth in his dealings with Darcy and his running away with Lydia. While many times within the novel first impressions are often proved to be incorrect, there are some cases where first impressions are a valid depiction of the nature of a character.
One example of the occasional validity of first impressions is the impression of Mr Bingley. He is described as "good looking and gentelemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy unaffected manners" (12). This description of Bingley remains true throughout the novel. Another instance of a correct first impression of a character is the one that Darcy makes of Mrs. Bennet. He believes her to be silly and unaware of the true nature of things, which is a fairly accurate depiction of her character. Although there are times where first impressions are correct, they are far less frequent than misinformed first impressions.
The frequency of incorrect first impressions is one reason why the title of Pride and Prejudice fits this story much better. This novel is in part about proving how often first impressions are inaccurate. The story tends to focus more on how these first impressions shape the prejudices the characters have for each other and how the prejudices shape their interactions. Other than being the basis for a prejudice, the purpose of most of the impressions is to be proven incorrect. The often invalid impressions and the more direct focus on the impact of prides and prejudices on the relationships of the characters is what makes Pride and Prejudice a more suitable title for this novel.
Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, revolves around the constant tension between the protagonists of the novel, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. The relationship remains disagreeable throughout the novel due to the strong first impressions of each character. Therefore, the theme of first impressions and its flaws may have lead Austen to draft the title as such. However, the title, Pride and Prejudice, is more compatible as this highlights the struggle to find love and overcoming Darcy’s Pride and Elizabeth’s Prejudice.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the first impressions noted in the blog post above signify unfavorable start to the relationship, Darcy and Elizabeth continually express their pride and prejudice to supplement the uneasy first impressions. After spending time in Netherfield together, Mr. Darcy expresses gratitude in Elizabeth leaving – “She attracted him more than he liked” (59). Although Elizabeth has “something more of a quickness” that matches Darcy’s intelligence, he shuns the thought of Elizabeth because of her lower societal class. Even when Darcy first proposes, he does so in a manner that signify how Elizabeth’s social status bothers him: “In vain I have struggled. It will not do…” (185). Elizabeth’s prejudice also prevents the fruitfulness of the relationship. When Elizabeth tours the estate of Pemberley, she is confronted with the “praise, of all others most extraordinary, most opposite to [Elizabeth’s] ideas” (238). Although Elizabeth had a firm opinion that Darcy was not a good-tempered man, she is surprised to hear many people, including Mrs. Reynolds and the Gardiners, praising Darcy with compliments. Mrs. Reynolds even goes to say that “he is the best landlord and the best master that ever lived” (239). Such pride and prejudices ultimately delay Darcy and Elizabeth’s matrimony until the end; the struggle portrayed in the novel goes beyond the first impressions to capture the relationship dominated by pride and prejudice.