[AM95]

Any Notes/ Discussion for Aspects of Narrative Pride and Prejudice for Section B - Add any files or information to share.

Anybody got stuff on :

Symbolism and Imagery

Form

and also Contrasts in Pride and Prejudice ???

[Alexander94]

These are all the notes I have:

Summary: Bingley moves to town, Mrs Bennet wants one of her daughters to marry him. He has a friend called Darcy who is nasty, Elizabeth really doesn’t like him. They have lots of balls and things. Jane and Bingley fall in love and so do Darcy and Elizabeth (eventually). Mr Collins wanted to marry Elizabeth but she said no. So he marries her best friend Charlotte Lucas instead. Lydia runs off with Wickham to get married but then they don’t, everyone is so pleased that they pay for them to get married. Everyone gets married and Mrs Bennet is happy.
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Setting: Always a clear sense of location. Pemberly is the only location afforded detailed description. Open spaces symbolise freedom and wealth, they are also used as signifiers of privacy, couples often retreat to nature to discuss true feelings. The amount of land is used as a symbol of wealth and as a point of judgement by characters of other characters. Netherfield (Bingley), Pemberly (Darcy), Roslings (Kathryn), Longbourn (Bennet’s), and Meryton. Distance is used as a signifier of wealth, 50 miles is an easy distance if you can afford it c32.

Characterisation: Mostly characterised through dialogue, first chapter shows relationship between the Bennet’s with almost no narrative. Caricatures of society, Mr Collins satirical view of the clergy and Mrs Bennet of women and mothers in the society. ¬ Relatively no description. Narrator is more interested in the morality of characters than their physical, suggests the narrator is in this way removed from the prejudices based on appearance that we witness at the balls from other characters.

Narrative Voice: Anonymous Omniscient narrative voice, is a character itself not Austen. Feminine narrative voice identifies with the female view “it is a truth…”shows society from female view not male. Elizabeth used as a narrative voice throughout. Sometimes the narrator is passive and at other times passes judgement on characters or incident, partial accounts not to an extent enough to be considered unreliable.


If anyone has anything else... Please!!!

[wylk]

Contrasts in Pride and Prejudice:

I'll start with contrasting Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy.
Regarding looks, Mr Darcy is *said* to be much more attractive than Mr Bingley Ch3 "the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr Bingley", this sets Darcy up to be part of the main, basic plot line of the novel (Elizabeth meet Darcy, obstacles hinder the path of love, they marry). Bingley has to have a "flaw" or must fall short of a perfect character in order for the reader to understand the main plot line.

Another way Austen contrasts Bingley and Darcy is through their economic states, Bingley claims to have a small library and that he is not fond of books and Mr Darcy has a large collection at Pemberly and is obviously naturally interested in books. This represents Bingley as new money (he has recently moved to Netherfield) and Darcy as old money (his family history is detailed near the end of the novel)

Contrasts - Elizabeth Bennet and other characters

Elizabeth's views on marriage differ from those of Charlotte Lucas (chapter 6). Charlotte believes that marriage is only for a sense of security in marriage, and that a lady should be obvious in her intentions to marry (foreshadows Mr Darcy's action to split Bingley and Jane up, because he didn't believe she showed any interest). These sharply contrasts with Elizabeth's view and the motif of love and marriage and Austen's debate about it is raised, and is referred to throughout the novel (love & marriage being the main themes.

The contrast between Elizabeth and her mother is very obvious, Austen shows this through characterisation. Mrs Bennet is fickle-minded and extremely silly, has major mood swings and is extremely embarrassing. Whereas Elizabeth is quick-witted, independent, and feisty.
Also, you could also contrast the "journey" Mrs Bennet and Elizabeth take through the novel. Mrs Bennet hardly changes (her characterisation at the beginning of the novel with Mr Bingley moving to Netherfield, and her quick mind change after Wickham and Lydia marry) whereas Elizabeth reflects on herself, grows up (the novel can be seen as a bildungsroman) and becomes more thoughtful.