Piano

" 'It will be her turn soon to be teased," said Miss Lucas. 'I am going to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows." (Chapt. 6, page 18).


In this excerpt Elizabeth is asked to play the piano in the company of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, the Lucas daughters and her own sisters. While Elizabeth is knowledgeable when is comes to playing the piano, she is by no means considered accomplished. A lady is judged highly upon her knowledge of music, language, and artistic skills. Jane admits that she cannot draw well and their is no indication that she is a master of any language besides her own. These qualities further distinguish her from Mr. Darcy's class which is a conflict in Pride and Prejudice. This conflict is reduced by the fact that Elizabeth's has the ability to carry on a cultivated conversation.

~"Soft and Loud ~ Jane Austen and the pianoforte." Jane Austen Society of Australia (JASA). 02 Apr. 2009 .