Pride and Prejudice is an apt name for the book. These notions permeate the novel thoroughly, especially in the views of Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane's temperance does not allow for these qualities to exist in her personality. Our first introduction to pride and prejudice is at a ball Mr.Bingley throws. His sisters and a dear friend of his, Mr.Darcy, accompany him. Mr. Darcy is characterized as a proud, haughty, arrogant man and ends up almost immediately alienating himself from the townspeople. This opinion arises after he refuses to dance with the young ladies who have attended the ball and his obvious reluctance to talk to anyone. His pride was said to come from his extrem

"Pride is a very common failing, I believe. . .human nature is particularly prone to it and, there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other. . .". (Pg.19) This observation by Mary is an accurate account of a characteristic found in most people. The human condition allows for the faults of vanity, pride and prejudice. Austen presents these qualities as normal. She understands how they can arise and presents circumstances in the novel, which promote the development of these characteristics. "Pride relates more to the opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us". (Pg.19) Pride, as in the case of Darcy, occurred because his family allowed him to follow his principles " in pride and conceit". (Pg.310) He was taught to care and respect only his family and himself. Darcy had no vanity because he didn't care for other people's opinions. The eighteenth century promoted a prideful and prejudiced mentality. Pride and prejudice were the products of wealth, power, and influence. The lack thereof was labeled as inferior.

Elizabeth Bennet is a spirited character. She has a playful and lighthearted disposition. She is confident, loyal, clever and funny. She found delight " in anything ridiculous", which included an insult to her beauty. (Pg. 12) Her loyalty and devotion to her sister was shown in her three-mile trek to Bingley's house " so early in the day" and "in such dirty weather", to visit her while she was ill. (Pg. 30) Elizabeth is also more a skeptic. This particular quality in evident in the surprise she expresses in her sister's tendency to look at people through rose colored glasses. She is quite frank and very honest even though she occasionally professed "opinions which in fact are not (her) own". (Pg.149) She expresses her feeling regardless of the commotion that it may cause and more often

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Approximate Word count = 1281
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)