Gilpin

"The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth" (Chapt. 10, page 39)

As Elizabeth refuses to join Mr. Darcy and the Bingley sisters on a walk outside, she subtly alludes to William Gilpin ideology of picturesque. Gilpin was a clergymen who lived during Austin's time. He was a painter and wrote well regarded essays claiming that picturesque was an image that looked perfect on paper. Elizabeth sees the Bingley sisters and especially MR. Darcy as proud. Elizabeth adds this allusion to subtly pronounce that their party it only perfect on the surface.

~"William Gilpin (clergyman) -." Biography Research Guide. 03 Apr. 2009 .

Gretna Green

I am going to Gretna Green, and if you cannot guess with who, I shall think you a simpleton" (Chapt. 47, page 209).

Gretna Green was the first villiage settled in Scotland and lies at the mouth of the River Esk, in southern Scotland. It is well known to this day to be a place where couples run to in order to get married. Austin includes the names of real locations such as this, to add to the validity of the story.

Male Relationships

"Mr. Darcy handed the ladies into the carriage, and when it drove off, Elizabeth saw him walking slowly towards the house." (Chapt. 43, page 185).

Austin only wrote about what she knew from her life experiences. In her society it was not considered proper for women to be left alone in a room with a man. This is why there is no prespective from any of the male characters in Pride and Prejudice. This style is effective, because it creates a believable story, which is one of the reason's Austin's novels have endured.

Language

"She is all affability and condescension" (Chapt. 28, page 115).

Mr. Collins is announcing that Elizabeth will be well received by Lady de Bourgh, despite her lower stature. At first is seems Mr. Collins is hinting that Lady de Bourgh is arrogant. The word affability is presently regarded as a patronizing word, where as during Austin's life, if one was affable they were kind to their inferiors. The word is a derivative of the Latin root 'adfari', which means to speak to. Some of Jane Austen's language is out dated, but her novels are as current as when they were first published.

~"A Latin-English Dictionary Wordlist." RCN New York City | Digital Cable TV, High-Speed Internet Service & Phone in New York City, including Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. 03 Apr. 2009 .

Twelfth Night

" 'I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love,' said Darcy." (Chapt. 9, Page 33)

Here Mr. Darcy is alluding to William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. This comedy tells the story Viola, a women who must dress like a man

Jane Austen makes a sly reference to false first impressions. In Twelfth Night, the female protagonist, Viola, must dress as a man while serving her master Duke Orsino. She falls inlove with the Duke, but the feeling is not reciprcated due to her manly disguise. At first Jane accuses Mr. Darcy's of having a cold countenance and proud nature, when in reality he is kind and modest. Duke Orsino's quick judgement is parallel to Jane's.

~"Twelfth Night Plot Synopsis." Shakespeare Online. 02 Apr. 2009 .

The Country

" 'The country,' said Darcy, 'can in general supply but a few subjects for such a study. In a country neighborhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society.' " (Chapt 9, page 32).

The country symbolizes the humbling of class. The country is the location where the nontraditional couples, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and Jane and Mr. Bingley met. It was uncommon during Austin's time for a couple to derive from such a gap in classes. When Mr. Bingley was convinced that Jane was not a well match for himself he moved away from his country home in Longbourn, to London, where Jane soon followed. The two never met in the city which symbolize that society is harshly applied to that of the city.

Pride

"to overcome a sentiment so natural as abhorrence against relationship with Wickmen. Brother-in-law of Wickmen! Every kind of pride must revolt from the connection." (Chapt. 52, Page 235)

Austin's uses irony not only in small ways such as speech, but in her themes as well. The theme of pride in Pride and Prejudice is shown in an ironic light. Elizabeth prejudges Mr. Darcy to be proud, but later learns that he is far from such. Ironically the pride of Elizabeth's family is saved when Mr. Darcy seeks out Lydia and Mr. Wickmen. He humbles himself beyond this when he continues to love the Daughter-in-Law of Mr. Wickmen.

Marriage

"Jane will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three-and-twenty! Lord, how ashamed I should be of not married before three-and-twenty!" (Chapt. 39, page 160).

Lydia harshly reminds Jane and the reader the importance of marriage here. Since Mr. Bennet has not born a son, his property must be given to Mr. Collins, because women are not allowed to own property. This requires all five of Mr. Bennet's daughters to be married off in order to live comfortably after he passes. This is Mrs. Bennet's reason for being infatuated with the courtship of her daughters. Lydia's comment about Jane's age affirms that the appeal of youth is the most common bribery of marriage. Austin puts this opinion in a context of mockery, showing that she disproves of this fact.

Walking

"In this perturbed state of mind, with thoughts that could rest on nothing, she walked on" (Chapt. 36, page 149).

The women in Pride and Prejudice are continuously walking both accompanied and solitarily. Women do not have a great amount of freedom or responsibility in Austin's fiction. Their walks are symbolic for their right to move about freely, away from the confinements of four walls. Walking allows characters to converse or either reflect on thoughts in solitude. Significant plot changes occur during walks, which is proven by this quote. While Elizabeth is on a walk she receives a letter from Mr. Darcy that alters her opinion of his nature. Its overwhelming contents are read when she is on a walk alone, during which she is able to calm herself considerably.

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 .

Phaeton

Miss de Bourge drove by in her phaeton, which he never failed coming to inform them of, though it happened almost every day."(Chapt. 29, page 123).

According to Greek mythology Phaeton is the son of the sun god Helios. One day Phaeton rode his father's sun-chariot across the sky and crashed it into earth, almost burning it. The phaeton referred to in Pride and Prejudice is a wide open, light weight carriage that is very costly. The fact that Mr. Collins so highly considers the phaeton means that he worships Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourge for nothing more than their high stature and wealth. Austin regards Mr. Collins as doltish and accentuates his infatuation with Lady Catherine. Considering that his obsession is based on wealth, exposes that Austin deems the weight put on the importance of class absurd.

~"Phaeton." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion. 02 Apr. 2009 .

Hack Chaise

"everyone says he is eat up with pride, and I dare say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to the ball in a hack chaise." (Chapt. 5, page14).

A hack chaise is what a taxi was called during Austin's time. Class is an evident theme in Pride and Prejudice and clearly displayed in this passage. In order for a family to own a carriage a horse must be kept, and the family also must employ a driver and groomer. If a horse is to be owned the expenses of its food and keep in a stable must be payed. All of these expenses add up to much more than the modern car would cost a family in today's society. In this passage Mr. Darcy is considered too proud to be acquainted with a person such as Mrs. Long, who cannot keep a carriage. This is a prime example of how little different classes mingle with one another.

~"Hack." Webster's Online Dictionary - with Multilingual Thesaurus Translation. 02 Apr. 2009 .

~The Republic of Pemberley. 02 Apr. 2009 .

Sarcasm

"Come, Mr. Wickmen, we are brother and sister, you know.Do not let us quarrel about the past. In the future, I hope we shall always be of one mind." (Chapt. 52, page 237).

Austin's fills her works with sarcasm as this passage proves. Most of Austin's characters mean the opposite of what they pass between speech. This allows characters to have an argument, while sounding polite and completely dignified. In this passage Elizabeth concludes expressing her differences with Mr. Wickmen by informing him that she wishes them to be of the same mind. It is obvious to the reader and certainly to Mr. Wickmen as well, that Elizabeth does not wish this. Elizabeth is aware that their differences will remain despite their discussion.

Intellect v. Physical Attraction

"She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men." (Chapt. 3, page 9)

This is Mr. Darcy reply to Mr. Bingley's proposition that Elizabeth appeared to be a fine dancing partner. Mr. Darcy is not attracted to Elzabeth because she appears plain and is flirting with other men. This proves that Mr. Darcy highly regards women of intellect and will not pursue flirtatious women. Elizabeth overhears the men's conversation and from it decides that Mr. Darcy is too full of pride to be tolerable. Elizabeth is proven to believe that men should be attracted by a women's mind, rather than their physical aspects, which makes the fact that she disregards Mr. Darcy ironic.

Lydia's Letter

"and from her correspondence with her sister there was still less to be learnt- for her letters to Kitty, though rather long, were much to full of lines under the words to be made public." (Chapt. 42, page 173)

Lydia has secrets that she is informing her sister of in letters and Austin allows the reader to become slightly interested in the content. This foreshadows Lydia's relationship with Mr. Wickham.
Austin does not include a great amount of foreshadowing in her novels, because her style of writing reflects her real life. There are not many obvious occurrences that foreshadow events of ones life, so it makes sense that Austin would not include over the top foreshadowing. Lydia's letters to Kitty include subtle hints that would have not made anyone suspect something in real life.

Fordyce's Sermons

"Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce's Sermons. Lydia gasped as he opened the novel" (Chapt. 14, page 51)

Mr. Collins who previously has admitted that he dislikes reading chose Sermons for Young Women (better known as James Fordyce's Sermons ) to read to the Bennett daughters. The author, Dr. James Fordyce was an eighteenth century clergymen and a great orator. His two volumes of sermons preached that women should enthrall men by charm rather than by their minds. Lydia gasps at the fact that Mr. Collins would choose to read a party of ladies a book considered immoral. The ideas presented by this book were just starting to be considered outdated during Jane Austin's time. Austin chose for Mr. Collins to read this book to show his foolishness and to emphasize the theme of attracting men with the mind in Pride and Prejudice.

~"James Fordyce - Preacher - wrote Sermons to Young Women - at." James Boswell - a guide. 01 Apr. 2009 .