Pride and Prejudice: Quotes and Literary Criticisms / QA

“Miss Bennet, there seemed to be a prettyish kind of a little wilderness on one side of your lawn.” (335)

Psychoanalytic approach: Lady Catherine is unconsciously driven by her upbringing, where her life of consistent coddling fueled her inability to treat people with virtue

“Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town; and by that means, as I told Lady Catherine one day, has deprived the British court of its brightest ornaments.”

Mr. Collins metaphorically compares Lady Catherine to a pretty accessory, unconsciously hinting at the fact that she is nothing more than a pretty object to look at, and there is no real substance to her personality.

“These are the kind of things which please her ladyship, and it is sort of attention which I conceive myself bound to pay”

Lady Catherine is the embodiment of the Freudian concept known as Id which is the most negative component of the human psyche. Id is known to be the part of the unconscious mind that promotes all desires and impulses while simultaneously having a huge ego. This persona is developed by the way surrounding characters act in her presence. In this example, Mr. Collins feels an obligation to simply pleasure Lady Catherine at any cost and is one of the many examples of the followers that fuel her egotistical psyche.

“That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it.”

Miss Bingley’s obvious display of shock in an expression of disgust instead of awe shows how she limits her relationships with others because of her magnet-like attachment to the expectations set for those of higher rank. This prevents her from developing a relationship specifically with Elizabeth because their social priorities are polar opposites; Elizabeth shows a complete disregard for her appearance and impression on others.

“His sisters were very anxious for his having an estate of his own.”

This expresses not only the innate anxiety instilled into every female of the Regency Era as a result of the entailment laws, but also the jealousy that Miss Bingley feels towards the Bennets because of the fact that they presently have a secure estate.

“Why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me you choose to tell me that you liked me against your will”

This quote from Elizabeth is what allowed Darcy to come to the realization that his egotistical mindset fueled by the classist prejudice formed by social class and rank was preventing their relationship from romantically fostering. Her ideas that rebel against social expectations allowed her to independently form these unique ideas and it reveals how this individualistic mindset can create dynamic characters that are willing to change for something greater than society: love.

“Even Elizabeth began to fear … Unwilling as she was to admit an idea so destructive of Jane’s happiness, and so dishonorable to the stability of her lover, she could not prevent its frequently occurring.”

Elizabeth’s progressive attitude towards social expectations shows her appreciation for Jane and Bingley’s relationship because it developed through romantic rather than transactional interactions. Their relationship then fostered when they became engaged, which proves that rebelling against social expectations of the Regency Era provides characters with insight to how relationships will grow.

“Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

Mr. Bennet reveals to Elizabeth that he also holds unconventional views towards societal expectations. This develops their father-daughter relationship because it characterizes Mr. Bennet as someone who prioritizes Elizabeth’s happiness over her need to get married; this is an idea unique to many of this time.

“…when at length they turned in at the lodge, her spirits were in a high flutter. The park was very large, and contained great variety of ground.”

This quote is from when Elizabeth sees Pembreley for the first time; she was amazed by its sized. It can be argued that Elizabeth’s modern ideologies revolving social expectations are ironic because of her change in attitude towards Darcy when she sees a physical representation of his wealth.

“They entered it in one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide extent.”

This describes Pembreley’s surroundings which can be generalized as a countryside setting. By including this imagery, the setting can be interpreted as a way to symbolize Mr. Darcy’s grand nobility and the natural state that surrounds his house represents the traditional societal expectations of the gentry in which he was raised in. Nature is also never static, so it can show how Darcy is subject to change his egotistical ideology that clings to those traditional societal expectations.

“ …a walk to Merton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conversation for the evening

Merton is a city and represents marriage prospects, social interaction, and entertainment. This suggests how the city holds an association to all the potential problematic situations that can occur from the drama that emits from seeking out these situations.

“The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield” (22).”

Longbourn: Refers to the everlasting effects of the entailment laws

Netherfield: “Nether” means lower; refers to Bingley’s unsecured spot in the country side

People of Longbourn reveal reliance and desire to the people of Netherfield because all of their daughters’ futures are unstable.