Lady Catherine De Bourgh In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

The next/second character who can be characterised as an old schemer is Lady Catherine de Bourgh from the novel Pride and Prejudice. Just like her predecessor Mrs Ferrars, she is proud (cf. PP 64), is/stems also from an upper class background and possesses a large fortune, which her deceased husband brought into their marriage (cf. PP 337). Due to that, she has developed a permanent self-importance and feeling of superiority towards others, and feels the constant need to give advice or to speak her mind (source?). Lady Catherine is the sister of Mr Darcy’s mother (and thus his aunt) with whom she decided very early that Darcy and her daughter Anne should get married eventually (cf. 82, 336), their intention presumably being to continue their superior bloodlines: “They are descended on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the father’s, from respectable, honourable and ancient, though untitled families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid” (PP 337). Again, it is conspicuous that the reasons for their marriage only concern social positions and fortune.

PP 337), which shows that Lady Catherine is living in an illusion. McMaster remarks that she “uses language – or at least aspires to do so – as a determinant of reality” (87) – meaning she puts so much emphasis on, for instance, the pact made with her sister that she is convinced that Darcy and her daughter will undoubtedly get married in the future. However, she neither consults Anne’s wishes nor, as Sutherland points out, “secure[s] the young man’s compliance in the matter” (17); this shows that she has a goal she wants to achieve, but lacks a good strategy as she has not considered any