A commendable author has the ability to entice an audience solely by the title. The title ultimately serves as a billboard for the ideas that the author wants to convey. In those four to seven words, the author must efficiently open the reader’s interest level and subtly communicate the essential points of the book. Jane Austen is a notable author, specifically for her book, Pride & Prejudice. In the novel, the themes of class separation and the pride and prejudice that follows is emphasized. First impressions are somewhat accountable for the events that take place throughout the novel, however the theme of pride and prejudice prevailed. Thus, Pride & Prejudice is a more suitable title, rather than First Impressions. Throughout the novel, bigotry proves to be a common quality in the characters as a result of pride. One’s inability to resist being proud or prejudiced is exemplified through the two contrasting characters: Miss Lady Catherine DeBourgh and Elizabeth Bennet.
Lady Catherine embodies the idea that society should revolve around the separation of classes. She is proud of where she stands in society and prefers “to have the distinction of rank preserved” (Austen 124). In the novel, it is made clear that being proud is not necessarily a flaw. However, Lady Catherine contradicts this statement as she represents a more haughty and egotistical proud woman. She prides in her glory and applauds herself for her excellence: “[she delivered] her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner as proved that she was not used to have her judgment controverted” (126). She considers herself vey enlightened and constantly gives her opinion or offers advice whether she is asked to or not. Upon meeting Elizabeth for the first time, Lady Catherine immediately provides her opinion: “‘If I had known your mother, I should have advised her most strenuously to engage [a governess]. I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular instruction, and nobody but a governess can give it’” (127). Lady Catherine’s attitude toward Elizabeth demonstrates how her pride leads to her prejudice.
Lady Catherine blames Elizabeth for her inferiority and is constantly making offensive remarks about Elizabeth and her upbringing. Her disapproval of Elizabeth’s background is specifically shown after Lady Catherine learns of the potential marriage between Elizabeth and her nephew asserting that Mr. Darcy’s marriage should only take place with her daughter: “‘While in their cradles, we planned the union: and now …to be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world …your arts and allurements may, in a moment of infatuation, have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family. You may have drawn him in’” (270-271). The mere idea of Elizabeth being associated with her nephew disgusts her and she refuses to accept it even suggesting that Elizabeth must have seduced him. Lady Catherine immediately thinks of her as obstinate and disagreeable but it is evident that she is actually the exact opposite. Elizabeth even notices that Lady Catherine had misjudged her character and it was all due to her pride. The concept of pride and the prejudice that follows is demonstrated through the antagonistic character Lady Catherine and through Elizabeth Bennet.
As the protagonist character, Elizabeth Bennet is utilized to demonstrate the different way one cannot resist being prejudicial. Considering the fact that she is of a lower rank in society, it is evident that she has no substantial reason to be proud. Nevertheless, Elizabeth proves to be a very prejudiced character against Mr. Darcy. As the wealthy owner of Pemberly Estate, Mr. Darcy is depicted as disagreeable for his unhappy manners. At the ball, where they first encountered, Mr. Darcy essentially calls Elizabeth unattractive. Being that she is a woman with feelings, it was inevitable that her feelings were hurt: “‘I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine’” (13). As aforementioned, there is nothing wrong with being proud and Elizabeth acknowledges this but she also believed it was not a reason for him to offend her. From that point on, she perceived him as “the only man who made himself agreeable nowhere” (16). She immediately inferred that because of his societal standing, he felt it necessary to affront people inferior to him. As Elizabeth continued to observe his actions, she traced it to arrogance. In Elizabeth’s eyes, Mr. Darcy’s taciturn temperament seemed to be a way of separating himself from people lesser in rank. As more of Mr. Darcy’s character unveiled itself, Elizabeth’s conception of him proved to be erroneous.
With a vendetta against Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s sole objective was to prove his arrogance. She meets Mr. Wickham who had a past with Mr. Darcy and recognizes that as a perfect way to expose Darcy. Mr. Wickham says bad things about Darcy and evokes more abhorrence within Elizabeth: “‘I had supposed him to be despising his fellow-creatures in general, but did not suspect him of descending to such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity as this!’” (61). With so much detest for Darcy within her, Elizabeth begins to fall for Wickham because he is everything Mr. Darcy is not. On the contrary, the inconsistencies in Mr. Wickham’s character are revealed and Elizabeth is forced to recognize the flaws within her. Because she acted solely on the emotion she felt that night they first met, she became prejudiced: “‘From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike’” (148). She blatantly states that she hated Mr. Darcy from the moment she met him, because of his overbearing pride. Her emotions caught the best of her and ultimately clouded her judgment. She was wrong in assuming that Mr. Darcy’s manners were a result of his pride. Again, the compelling force of prejudice is exemplified as a result of pride.
The recurring theme of pride and prejudice prevailed throughout the novel in various characters. First Impressions proved to be a basis for most of the characters’ prejudicial qualities. However, in a society where pride was predominately common, prejudiced characters were inevitable. Therefore, Austen’s decision to title the book Pride & Prejudice, rather than First Impressions was more suitable in terms of the plot. Austen effectively demonstrated the two different ways prejudice can be evoked within a character, proving that one does not necessarily have to be proud to be prejudice. In the end, Jane Austen is an author to be merited for effectively conveying her story’s message in the brevity of two essential words.
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