About Pride and Prejudice

[chris92]

I'm doing an essay on this book for year 11, and the question is 'how does society influence the actions of the people'??

Am i supposed to discuss the themes, because the way I've structured it is by writing a paragraph about each character and giving an example of traits that can be attributed to the society and era's norms.

Would the teacher want me to discuss the themes presented in the book??

[Gladys]

This question seems less about themes and more about why people behave as they do. For instance,

• A fawning Mrs Bennet craves respect and admiration from a sycophantic society

• Elizabeth, with respect to Wickham, judges by cultured exterior alone

• A prudent Charlotte marries without love, for security in a hard world

• Mr Bennet keeps to himself, dismissing society's sham and glitz

• The cultivated Mr Darcy initially disdains the ill-behaved and uneducated lower classes

• Racy Wickham marries under duress, to avoid disgrace in a prudish society.

[sciencefan]

This question seems less about themes and more about why people behave as they do. For instance,

• A fawning Mrs Bennet craves respect and admiration from a sycophantic society

• Elizabeth, with respect to Wickham, judges by cultured exterior alone

• A prudent Charlotte marries without love, for security in a hard world

• Mr Bennet keeps to himself, dismissing society's sham and glitz

• The cultivated Mr Darcy initially disdains the ill-behaved and uneducated lower classes

• Racy Wickham marries under duress, to avoid disgrace in a prudish society.

You always give great answers!
Are you a school teacher?

There's only one point I think I might differ with, and that's the last one.
I thought Wickham married for the money? (implied 10,000 pound bribe)
Since he continued to live a despicable "mooching" lifestyle, I don't really think of him as avoiding disgrace. Everywhere he went, he gathered debt and then fled. He didn't really seem to care about his reputation. What say you?

[Gladys]

I thought Wickham married for the money? (implied 10,000 pound bribe) Since he continued to live a despicable "mooching" lifestyle, I don't really think of him as avoiding disgrace. Everywhere he went, he gathered debt and then fled. He didn't really seem to care about his reputation. What say you? I thank you, Sciencefan for correcting my carelessness. Mrs. Gardiner writes to her niece:
Mr. Darcy asked him why he [Wickham] had not married your sister at once. Though Mr. Bennet was not imagined to be very rich, he would have been able to do something for him, and his situation must have been benefited by marriage. But he found, in reply to this question, that Wickham still cherished the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other country. Under such circumstances, however, he was not likely to be proof against the temptation of immediate relief.

...
But, Lizzy, this must go no farther than yourself, or Jane at most. You know pretty well, I suppose, what has been done for the young people. His debts are to be paid, amounting, I believe, to considerably more than a thousand pounds, another thousand in addition to her own settled upon her, and his commission purchased. The reason why all this was to be done by him alone, was such as I have given above.


Am, I a school teacher? No. I took science subjects at university after mediocre results in humanities at high school. I'm a late convert to reading literature, and have been devouring Ibsen, Dostoevsky and Patrick White. Towards the end of 'Pride and Prejudice', I could hardly stop laughing!

[sciencefan]

Additionally, there seems to be consensus when one reads the homework helps sites online that Wickham received 10,000 pounds based on what Mr. Bennet says in chapter 49 -

``Yes, yes, they must marry. There is nothing else to be done. But there are two things that I want very much to know: -- one is, how much money your uncle has laid down to bring it about; and the other, how I am ever to pay him.''

``Money! my uncle!'' cried Jane, ``what do you mean, Sir?''

``I mean that no man in his senses would marry Lydia on so slight a temptation as one hundred a year during my life, and fifty after I am gone.''

``That is very true,'' said Elizabeth; ``though it had not occurred to me before. His debts to be discharged, and something still to remain! Oh! it must be my uncle's doings! Generous, good man; I am afraid he has distressed himself. A small sum could not do all this.''

``No,'' said her father, ``Wickham's a fool, if he takes her with a farthing less than ten thousand pounds.

As we know, Wickham is no "fool" but rather a crafty fellow.

But based on what Mrs. Gardiner says in her letter, we have to presume she did not know about that part, and Darcy may have paid Wickham privately. Of course, I don't know how much a commission cost.
I have always assumed that the comment about the 10,000 pounds made use of understatement which the British are so fond of doing. Austen doesn't come right out and tell us that he receiverd 10,000 pounds, but rather tells us in a back-handed way.

Would you agree?

[Gladys]

the comment about the 10,000 pounds made use of understatement Understatement? One thing is clear from your post. There is consensus between Mr Bennet and Elizabeth - but not of course Jane - that Lydia's value as a spouse is, at best, zero.

Endless laughter!

[kiki1982]

Maybe it's also interesting to ask why Darcy doesn't directly disclose the elopement of his sister with Wickham and why Elizabeth can't disclose it when she knows it from Darcy...

It might also be interesting to ask why Lydia's elopement was so shameful, potentially, that Darcy stepped in to pay the debts off, made sure Wickham had some money to live on and at least married Lydia and bought him a commission despite the fact that he didn't like him. He could have just found them out and then made Wickham go away... There is a hint in the letter Mr Collins writes about the affair to Mr Bennet.

It's also interesting to look how 'acquaintences' were formed. What does it say about Mr Collins' behaviour towards Darcy initially? Impertinent or just sociable? How does Mr Darcy's conduct compare?

[Domer121]

I'm doing an essay on this book for year 11, and the question is 'how does society influence the actions of the people'??

Am i supposed to discuss the themes, because the way I've structured it is by writing a paragraph about each character and giving an example of traits that can be attributed to the society and era's norms.

Would the teacher want me to discuss the themes presented in the book??

That is amazing that you are writing this paper, I just finished writing one on this topic last week, for my 1 year college ENGL class.

Yes, yes, yes... you need to pick out the central theme behind each of the characters actions.. it is great that you are using different examples.. but you need to pick out an underlying theme that connects them all, simply stated: You put those examples in for a reason, why??

My professor is all about clarity and uniform writing, so my best advice to you is in order to write a good, well structured paper.. you have to have a strong thesis statement, and all that you put in your paper has to aid in supporting that thesis.. otherwise the point of your paper is lost, and, bad grades ensue...
Good luck writing this paper! :thumbs_up

[Gladys]

...you need to pick out the central theme behind each of the characters actions.. it is great that you are using different examples.. but you need to pick out an underlying theme that connects them all...My professor is all about clarity and uniform writing So elegantly summarised, Domer.