Conformity In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

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How would it feel to forego all sense of conformity within a society to have relationship with a loved one? Has it ever come to mind that one could project their feelings towards another as disgust, only later to reveal them as love? In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, she portrays Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to experience this exact struggle; Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy both find a way to challenge specific reputations they are expected to uphold among their social classes, so they can ultimately be with each other. Throughout the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen draws a connection among the frequent aspects of prejudice, social order, and reputation to enhance the progressive love between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Due to both Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s prejudicial personalities, the two are eventually able to notice the intense love they had for each other. In the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy each …show more content…

Darcy constructs a barrier between the two, which results in a feeling of absolute temptation and anger. In effect, they can see each other’s love much more easily than earlier in the novel. Elizabeth Bennet is portrayed as coming from a family that is inferior in rank; they inherit this stereotype through aspects of wealth, property, and marriage. On the other hand, Mr. Darcy has a social ranking of complete superiority within the society; he comes from a family that has the highest of standards among those three similar aspects to the Bennet family. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen creates a society that discriminates Elizabeth with her decision to eventually marry Mr. Darcy. Specifically, this is seen through Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt, as she states to Elizabeth: “You have no regard, then, for the honour and credit of my nephew! Unfeeling, selfish girl! Do you not consider that a connection with you must disgrace him in the eyes of everybody?” (Austen