Pride and Prejudice Closed Reading 1

For my first closed reading on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I will analyze the discussion of pride between the Bennett family and the Lucas family. After both families attend the ball the women of the families gather together to speak of the night in chapter 5 of the novel. From the discussion it can clearly be seen that the first priority for these women is the men and who they danced with. During this time period it was a honor to be married to a man of Great wealth and notoriety. A marriage to a young man with these qualities gave the family and the young woman pride. This is why Mrs. Bennett is quite pleased that Mr. Bingley danced with her daughter twice, "Oh, you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if he admired her- indeed, I rather, believe he did- I heard something about it- but I hardly knew what- something about Mr. Robinson"(12). Mrs. Bennett, while being polite about it, is bragging to the rest of the girls that her daughter danced with a man who fancied her twice, meaning that he liked her enough to ask for a second dance. This brings great pride to Mrs. Bennett, and no doubt Jane, the lucky lady who got to dance with Mr. Bingley two times in one night.

As the conversation continues they merge to the subject of the illusive Mr. Darcey. The women believed Mr. Darcey to be very rude when he did not dance with Elizabeth, or any other girl at the ball. Mr. Darcey even called Elizabeth "tolerable" which is not something that would bring pride to Mrs. Bennett who only wants her daughters to be well married and beautiful. Mrs. Bennett finds that his attitude at the ball was due to his pride, which she found offensive. Yet Miss Lucas begins to defend Mr. Darcey for he does, in fact, have a lot to be proud of, "...there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud" (13). While I agree with Miss Lucas, at the time period, Mr. Darcey did have a right to be proud for everything he has in his life, yet it does not excuse his behavior at the ball. As the conversation continues Mary begins to explain how pride is "a very common failing" meaning that it is in human nature to be proud, but it is often linked with vanity. She says, "Pride relates more to our pinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us"(14). This quote represents what I believe about this novel. The title should really be "Vanity and Prejudice" because from what is understood from Mrs. Bennet's character, she does not want her children to be proud of themselves as much as she wants others to envy them. These women spend their time preparing for balls looking there best, not to be proud in their own appearance but for others to admire them. So the question is: Is Mr Darcey proud of himself? Or is he feigning pride so that others may envy him for his accomplishments?