Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenIn the novel Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, several, if not all of her characters, can verify the idea that in order to achieve happiness one must abandon their pride and in turn, replace it with self-respect accompanied by some humility. In addition, tolerance and mutual respect must replace one’s prejudice.
In the inception of the novel, the Bingley sisters, Caroline and Mrs. Hurst, exhibit their prejudice towards Jane because of their differences in social status. It is their pride that forces them to believe they are better than others solely because of the amount of money they have. It is their prejudice that causes them to earnestly avoid people of different social status and do everything their powers allow to ‘protecting’ family members such as Mr. Bingley from people of the lower class. Instead of realizing the love Mr. Bingley and Jane had towards each other, they allow their pride to blind them of the truth and foolishly assume that only a lady of equal status as theirs is ‘worthy’ of their brother’s love. To destroy any hopes Jane might entertain of marrying Mr. Bingley, the sisters connivingly convince her that that her love for Bingley is unrequited. They continue by saying that the marriage of Bingley to Miss Darcy, who will be “hereafter our [their] sister” will “secure the happiness of so many” people. But towards the end of the novel, even after all their efforts and hopes of separating the two, Jane and Bingley manage to get married. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are forced to swallow their pride and make amends with Jane because they...
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