Elizabeth's Feelings Towards Mr. Darcy

Elizabeth's first encounter with Mr. Darcy was during a ball, where he clearly stated that Elizabeth was not pretty enough to tempt him to dance. This first encounter coupled with Mr. Darcy's rude behavior in public set Elizabeth's prejudice against him, so when she met Mr. Wickham in chapter 15 she was ready to believe everything bad he had to say about Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Wickham is a new soldier in town who "had accepted a commission in their corps" (54) Soon after his and Elizabeth's acquaintance Mr. Darcy along with Mr Bingley arrive on horseback. When Mr. Darcy first recognizes Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth notices a change in both he and Mr. Wickham. " Happening to see the countenance of both as they looked at each other, as all astonishment at the effect of the meeting. Both changed color, one looked white, the other red" (55). From this observation Elizabeth can tell that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham knew each other, and it is confirmed later my Mr. Wickham who says: "You could not have met with a person more capable of giving you certain information on that head than myself- I have been connected with his family in a particular manner since my infancy" (58). As Elizabeth begins to inquire about Mr. Darcy she takes what Mr. Wickham says as truth. Mr. Wickham explains how Mr. Darcy's father had promised to give him financial support, but when he died the young Mr. Darcy did not keep promise, forcing Mr. Wickham to work in the military. From this story Elizabeth forms a new opinion of Darcy because she believed he disregarded his own fathers will and she later declares that Mr. Darcy "deserves to be publicly disgraced" (60). It is interesting to see how Elizabeth so willingly takes Mr. Wickhams story as truth due to her past prejudice of Mr Darcy. So when she is later asked by Mr. Darcy to dance she is truly stunned because is "a man whom one is determined to hate" (68).

Elizabeths opinions of Mr. Darcy changes later in the novel, but during their dance she questions him about Mr. Wickham and she does not change her feelings towards him. She finds him rude and unagreeable. Even as Mr. Bingley defends his friend, she refuses to take anything else as truth because she believes Mr. Darcy has told Mr. Bingley only his side of the story. She is prejudice towards Darcy based on only a few things she has heard and her first encounter with him.