Evolving of Characters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Essay

Evolving of Characters in Jane Austens Pride and PrejudiceIn Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen creates a unique environment which allows her characters to evolve and to transform. One of the characters, Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, faces challenges that impact her decisive demeanor. Likewise, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeths love interest, confronts many obstacles which come against his character as well. Through several key fruit experiences, both Elizabeth and Darcy undergo internal transformations Elizabeths quick judgments become humbleness while Darcys arrogance is replaced with humility. Early in the novel, Elizabeth is quick to judge and pick apart others. Elizabeth rapidly judges Wickham, a military man of Darcys acquaintance, as an upstanding gentleman. Mingling falsehoods with truth, Wickham misleads Elizabeth to believe not only lies about Darcy but in any case disadvantages he himself suffered (76). Perceiving his words as trut h by the sole authority of his countenance (178), Elizabeths quick judgment allows her to unwisely trust in Wickhams amiable character (77). Elizabeth also does not hesitate to criticize Darcy for his rude and proud demeanor. After Elizabeth hears Darcy speaking of her tolerable features to Bingley (15), Darcys good friend and owner of an estate located in the same shire as that of the Bennets, Elizabeth passes judgment on Darcy by gossiping with great spirit among her friends, recounting the story of his interpretation of her beauty (15-16). Criticizing Darcy further, Elizabeth expresses how his arrogant demeanor offends her, proclaiming I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine. (24) Elizabeth is also quick to judge Bin... ...rous to please. (224). Additionally, Darcys humility allows him to military service Wickham and Lydia, Elizabeths youngest sister who elopes with Wickham. Before his transformation, even the pronunciation of the name Wickham and the silliness of Lydia would have kept Darcy as far as possible from either (172, 175). Because of his newfound humility, however, Darcy takes upon himself all the trouble and mortification of locating Wickham and Lydia and bribing the former into marrying the latter (277). Changing from their former selves to embrace new identities, Darcy and Elizabeth learn to look past arrogance and cruciality to gentler ways of approaching both people and circumstances. They transform. And although Elizabeths shortcomings reside in her mind and Darcys in his money, both lose sight of their prideful and discriminative natures to embrace humility.