3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’S
FIRST LINE
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a
single man in possession of a good fortune,
must be in want of a wife.”
4.
5. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
SYNOPSIS
Mrs Bennet’s greatest concern in her life: marrying her five
daughters to well established gentlemen
Mr. Bingley, a young gentleman of London takes a country
estate near to the Bennet’s home
At a ball the Bennet Family meet Mr. Bingley, his sisters and
his friend, Mr. Darcy.
6. Mr. Darcy’s smug condescension and
proud distaste for the country people
causes a bad impression to the Bennet’s
family
Elizabeth later hears from Wickham
that Darcy deprives of his provision of
living, she believes it and dislikes Darcy
more
She also refuses her cousion Collin’s
marriage proposal
Charlotte marries Collins
7. BENNET SISTERS
Jane: eldest, pretty, admired and admired
by Bingley
Elizabeth: second born protagonist,
intelligent, observant, forthright, dislike and
prejudice against Darcy
Mary: diligent, impatient to display her
talent
Kitty: secure connection with officials
Lydia: only fifteen, already be brought to
public
8. BENNET SISTERS
Low connection/ social network
affect their prospect in marriage (Chapter 8)
Mr. Bennet’s property is entailed on the heirs male (cousin Collins)
(Chapter 7)
9. SISTERHOOD
Union of sister growth
• pursuit of marriage
Elizabeth and Jane:
different in temperament but complement each other
Affection and care between sisters
10. DIFFERENT IN
TEMPERAMENT
Jane: tendency to like people in general (deceivable of others flaws
Elizabeth’s comment on Jane:
“You are a great deal too apt you know, to like people in general.
You never see fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in
your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of human being in my life.”
Chapter 4
Jane unwilling criticize Bingley’s sister while Elizabeth is critical
11. COMPLEMENT EACH
OTHER:
Elizabeth’s questioning attitude prevents Jane from being deceived
and gives her assurance
Jane guides Elizabeth to aware of her prejudice on Darcy and is
not influenced by gossip
12. AFFECTION AND CARE
When Jane is ill after riding to Netherfield, Elizabeth walks three
miles in rain to visit her sister
a. Elizabeth’s anxiety for Jane
b. Jane’s gratitude for Elizabeth
c. Elizabeth nursing Jane
Elizabeth sees her sister’s happiness as important as hers
13. Satisfaction
Feeling importance
Respect for yourself
Mary’s definition (chapter 5)
Darcy: class distinction
Elizabeth: dignity to oneself
Mr Bennet: Male ego
Charlotte: class consciousness
Mary: self-perception
PRIDE
14. DARCY’S PRIDE
Class distinction
Land gentry, owner of the estate
Pemberly
Bingley admires his library
15. DARCY’S PRIDE
First appearance at the ball “He was the proudest, most
disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he
would never come here again.”
Rejected to dance with Elizabeth “She is tolerable; but not
handsome enough to tempt me.”
Feeling superior over the country people
Stating the class difference of the Bennets
16. MR. BENNET’S PRIDE
Patriarchy
Belief of superiority over his wife and daughters :
When he talks about his daughters: Chapter 1: “ ‘They have none
of them much to recommend them.’ replied he; ‘they are silly and
ignorant like other girls.’ ”
After he secretly visits Bingley: Chapter 2: “The astonishment of
the ladies was just what he wished”
17. ELIZABETH’S PRIDE
About her own dignity and self esteem
Not dependent on other’s recognition, but other’s insults might
hurt her pride (dignity)
Chapter 5 “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified
mine.”
18. VANITY
The self is dependent on what others think, wants others to think
good of one
Mary: Chapter 5: “Vanity and pride are different things, though the
words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without
being vain. Pride relates more to the opinion of ourselves, vanity to
what we would have others think of us.”
19. MRS BENNET’S VANITY
Chapter 1: “Her mind was less difficult to develop.
She was a woman of mean understanding, little
information, and uncertain temperament.”
Showing off Mr. Bingley has danced with Jane
twice: Chapter 3: “Everybody said how well [Jane]
looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful,
and danced with her twice. Only think of that my
dear; he actually danced with her twice; and she was
the only creature in the room that he asked a second
time.”
20. PREJUDICE
First impression
Collective consciousness
Public opinion
Gossip
Limitations of visions and understandings
Conflicts of personal views and values
21. STRICT ENTAIL
Primogeniture
Heirs are male
After Mr. Bennet’s death the sisters will have to leave Longbourn
Can’t protect women
Unequal marriage
Feudal aristocracy agrarian capitalism
Gentry and class
22. EDUCATION
The idea that Mary’s education is embarrassing therefore should be
concealed is mocked in the novel
Bookish women (Mary) are no good, not lively and should hide
their knowledge.
Eg. She compensates herself by embarrassing herself, reads but
shallowly and no depth, no more than a parrot
She has no pleasure in dancing and would rather observe
23. GENTEEL SPINSTER
Heiress if no brothers
Governess
Professionals (novelist)
Dependent on her families and chaperon
Elopement
24. CLASS DISCUSSION
How do you think Austen’s discussion of
sisterhood, pride, vanity, prejudice, strict
entail and education bring out feminist
rhetoric?
25. BLOG QUESTION
In reflection to Austen’s Pride and
Prejudice, how much of her writing and
in what forms has it changed the world
for women in the 21st century?
26. THE VICTORIANS
The Victorian age of British history is defined
by the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
when the British Empire ruled one quarter of
the world’s population and land. This was a
period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities,
and national self-confidence for Britain.
27. OSCAR WILDE
Born: October 16, 1854 in Dublin
Wilde died of meningitis on November 30, 1900 at the age of 46.
Major Works:
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Lady Windermere's Fan
• A Woman of No Importance
28. THE MAJOR TURNING
POINTS IN WILDE’S LIFE
http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078#death-
and-legacy
Why do you think Wilde was publically shamed while he lived but
after his death would be embraced and elevated to the status of a
literary genius and cultural icon?
29. THE THEATRE
The Roundabout Theatre Company:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBCIwj6cqko
30. ‘WILDEISMS’
“I can resist anything, except temptation”
What is ironic or surprising about this quote?
33. HOMOSEXUAL SUBTEXT
AND THE NAME
flickering presence-absence of… homosexual desire
“Earnest” may have been a homosexual in-joke. 3 years before Wilde
wrote the play, a poetry collection Love In Earnest. The sonnet Of Boys'
Names included the verse:
"Though Frank may ring like silver bell
And Cecil softer music claim
They cannot work the miracle
–'Tis Ernest sets my heart a-flame."[The word "earnest" may also have
been a code-word for homosexual, as in: "Is he earnest?", in the same
way that "Is he so?" and "Is he musical?" were employed.
34. BUNBURY
and Bunburying, which are used in the play to imply a
secretive double life. It may have derived from Henry Shirley
Bunbury, a hypochondriacal acquaintance of Wilde's youth
combination word: that Wilde had once taken train to
Banbury, met a schoolboy there, and arranged a second secret
meeting with him at Sunbury
35. BUNBURY
duality of Jack/John Worthing and Algernon/Algy Moncreiff that
they know of (Burnbury)
How Burnbury was commented on by Lady Bracknell before and
after his death
Duality of John the long lost and unknown brother of Algy and
how they reluctantly accepted it and their fiances that have always
only been in love with the concept of “Earnest”
36. BLOG RESPONSE
How does the homosexual subtext of The Importance of Being
Earnest change, develop, or refine the them of LGBTQ of Wilde’s
play in the 21st century?
