First Impressions and Consequences in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

The idea that the first impression is the lasting impression makes it difficult for one to really be scanned properly by someone that they would like to impress. In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, the author, Jane Austen explores many different themes such as of first impressions and their consequences and lasting effects. The novel sets itself in early 19th century England, mainly in the neighborhood of Longbourn, where a family of five daughters and their parents live. The goal of the mother is solely have them financially well married. This creates a problem for one of the daughters, Elizabeth, who feels marriage should be because of love not financial gain. Elizabeth comes across several suitors that she has an interest in or have an interest in her, where the first impression with greatly influence some of her decisions later. Therefore, Jane Austen uses the theme of first impressions and their effects to create stimulating situations as well as a moral about misconceptions with first impression

In the beginning of the novel Austen introduces man named Fitzwilliam Darcy as an unfavorable character, who must overcome this temporary trait to achieve happiness in his life. When Darcy first makes his appearance at a local ball, he is firstly described as rather handsome, but after a time he is labeled as ill manners and unpleasant by many characters such as Mrs. Bennet. After the night she tells her husband about the night and eventually describes Mr. Darcy as “a most disagreeable horrible man, not at all worth pleasing.”(10). Many of the other main and background characters share the same idea of him, thus creating a negative connotation of his name around those parts of town due to the society’s high standard of manners. Th...

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...Lydia, which causes unspoken tensions between Wickham and the Bennet family. Therefore Austen has created a way in which even favorable first impressions can be destroyed and lead to an unfavorable character description.

All together, the situations with Darcy and Wickham are excellent examples of how first impressions should not be the lasting impression, as a character may be able to turn himself around, for good or bad. Darcy was able to re-make himself to be fitting of Elizabeth’s standards and eventually marry her, while Wickham’s backstory came around to destroy his once glamorous image of charm and good looks. Austen has shown that the impressions given off by the two characters did not actually reveal their true nature. Ultimately, Austen’s explorations of the impacts of first impressions helps create a moral to the theme of don’t judge a book by its cover.