How Does Jane Austen Present Juxtaposition In Pride And Prejudice

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Emma Becraft Chris Salas British CP Literature 01 February 2023 County Assessment #3 Essay Outline The 19th century was the birthplace of many timeless works of art. The majority of the 1800s consisted of both the Romantic and the Victorian Eras. Both eras focused heavily on personal expectations versus reality which made it possible to subtly, yet openly mock the upper class. In the excerpts from Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice, George Elliot and Jane Austen fixate on personal expectation versus reality through narrative perspective and juxtaposition in order to mock the menial problems of the middle to the upper class. Both authors use vastly different characters to represent society and those who are forward thinkers. While George Elliot …show more content…

The reality of Middlemarch is brought to light when Lydgate shares that “Dover says he will take a good deal of the plate back again, and any of the jewelry we like” (Elliot par. 16). George Elliot uses her mocking narrative perspective and uses juxtaposition at the same time by driving forth the fact that the financial situation is truly not critical and quite amusing when looked at from her perspective while also showing the nonchalance of the husband in comparison to his wife. George Elliot illustrates how Rosamond’s “chin and lips begin to tremble” in order to show just how drastic Rosamond finds the situation to be (Elliot par. 5). Jane Austen takes a similar, yet different approach when saying how Mr. Collins “must be often forgotten” (Austen par. 4). She directs her derision at Mr. Collins because, from her outside perspective, he is being quite pretentious, when in reality, his presence really means nothing. The indifference to Mr. Collins is comical when Charlotte and Elizabeth Bennet are both so ecstatic to see one another that he is completely overshadowed because of his dull personality. Both Jane Austen and George Elliot establish homes that are “neat and comfortable” (Austen par. 3), and also have characters who expect everything to be grandiose and bend to their will. These personal expectations of said characters are let down when it is realized that reality finds itself to be pleasant, but disappointing. The authors differ where George Elliot’s Rosamond is very disagreeable when it comes to her lack of finery and luxurious lifestyle. When it is discovered by Rosamond that she cannot continue living the comfortable life she grew up in, it comes as a shock and she