Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice in the early 1800’s when society and culture were quite different from today’s modern world. Jane Austen had a brilliant mind and gave the characters, of this novel, qualities of our modern time. She also wrote of a serious matter; however, she did so in a light and humorous way. She wrote of marriage and the truth in finding one’s true love. Jane Austen proved that there can be humor and comedy in a serious situation.

Jane Austen’s choice of personality for Elizabeth Bennet was quite shocking for the time period of this novel. Many people of the 1800’s saw laughter as a vulgar characteristic (Casal). Jane Austen uses comedy and humor within each character’s personality. Austen also used her own morals, values, and way of thinking within the novel. Austen showed that laughing at another’s expense is okay. Throughout the entire novel, Austen proves that laughter and seriousness balance each other out (Mullen). Austen’s comedy is so successful in this novel because of her perfection in the dialogue (Fergus 125). Austen also uses linear irony to control speech throughout the novel so that nothing is lost (Fergus 119,122). The irony within this novel takes an independent value and is used to separate the differences amongst characters (Brown 294,304). The novel’s tone can truly be determined in the heart of this novel (Mullen). The novel’s tone is comical (Fergus 109). The dialogue of each character plays a huge role in the comedy (Fergus 117). Austen’s form of comedy is quite complex and comedy is the central point throughout the novel (Fergus 118). Comedy is directly related to each character’s emotions and feelings (Fergus 124). This novel is a celebration of laughter within itself. The very...

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...falling for the young Mr. Bingley (Austen 33,34). Jane Austen’s irony is always on the subject of women and irony and honesty go hand-in-hand (Brown 304). Irony is shown through the characters in many different forms (Brown 293).

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. USA: Sweetwater Press, 2012.

Print.

Brown, Julia. “Pride and Prejudice.” Novels for Students. Vol.

1. Ed. Diane Telgan. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 292-304. Print.

Casal, Elvira. Laughing at Mr. Darcy: Wit and Sexuality in Pride and Prejudice. jasna. org. V. 22, No. 1. Jane Austen

Society of North America, 2001. Web. 4 Feb, 2014.

Fergus, Jan. “The Comedy of Manners.” Modern Critical

Interpretations. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House,

1987. 107-126. Print.

Mullen, Alexandra. A Book of Uncommon Laughter. New Criterion.

32.3 (2013): 19-25 Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Jan,

2014.