Distortion within Pride and Prejudice
Distortion Within Pride and Prejudice
In Classical Literature, there are few works which can boast having a huge societal impact upon their publication, yet still cause a modern reader to sit at the edge of their seat turning the page in anticipation of what happens next. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of these evident pieces. In Pride and Prejudice, the life as a middle-class English woman in the 19th Century was portrayed so astutely that the world around her was forever altered. The novel is also not only readable, but stimulating, with each page alluring the reader to find out what happens next to the unforgettable characters. But how is Austen able to accomplish this? What is the quality that makes her work stand out from the rest? It is evident through textual analysis that Jane Austen uses distortion as a device to aid not only in her plot development, but also in order to express her views on societal issues within Pride and Prejudice. This distortion is most prominently seen in the amplified characters, exaggerated circumstances, and the misrepresented interactions. Although distortion is seen throughout the novel, it first becomes most apparent with the introduction of Mr. Collins. Austen has exaggerated his personality, distorting his character into a source of comic relief and humor. This has a profound impact on the novel as it creates the first tension between Elizabeth and her family seen in the novel. The distortion of Mrs. Bennet’s character is also seen here when she threatens Elizabeth that “I (She) will never see her again”(19) if she does not accept. This bold declaration certainly shows conflict and creates drama within the novel. The entire proposal scene is also fraught with social commentary. For example when Mr. Collins proudly declares “My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergy man in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his
In Classical Literature, there are few works which can boast having a huge societal impact upon their publication, yet still cause a modern reader to sit at the edge of their seat turning the page in anticipation of what happens next. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of these evident pieces. In Pride and Prejudice, the life as a middle-class English woman in the 19th Century was portrayed so astutely that the world around her was forever altered. The novel is also not only readable, but stimulating, with each page alluring the reader to find out what happens next to the unforgettable characters. But how is Austen able to accomplish this? What is the quality that makes her work stand out from the rest? It is evident through textual analysis that Jane Austen uses distortion as a device to aid not only in her plot development, but also in order to express her views on societal issues within Pride and Prejudice. This distortion is most prominently seen in the amplified characters, exaggerated circumstances, and the misrepresented interactions. Although distortion is seen throughout the novel, it first becomes most apparent with the introduction of Mr. Collins. Austen has exaggerated his personality, distorting his character into a source of comic relief and humor. This has a profound impact on the novel as it creates the first tension between Elizabeth and her family seen in the novel. The distortion of Mrs. Bennet’s character is also seen here when she threatens Elizabeth that “I (She) will never see her again”(19) if she does not accept. This bold declaration certainly shows conflict and creates drama within the novel. The entire proposal scene is also fraught with social commentary. For example when Mr. Collins proudly declares “My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergy man in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his