Term Paper on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 

 

When Jane Austen wrote her novels in the early nineteenth century, the elite and upper class commanded English society. Society and etiquette was controlled by a strict set of manners and protocol, which on the surface at least, were there to maintain respectability and good courtesy. As a result of their patriarchal wealth and positions, the landed classes, who owned much of the countryside, had an inborn belief in their own magnificence over the rest of society. Jane Austen unmasks the upper gentry in particular and attacks the impudence of their dignity and gentility. She criticizes their haughtiness and egotism and the way they are prepared to denounce those who opposed their moral principles and behavioral codes. George Wickham was one of them.

 

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George Wickham, a soldier stationed in the village, of course has a miserable tale in the novel. The character of George Wickham is one of Austen's most acclaimed literary characters. George Wickham is an officer posted with the army at Meryton. Before he is formally introduced into the Meryton circle his first image is very favorable in the eyes of the local people. He has almost gentlemanlike semblance. And had all the best piece of charm, a fine appearance, a good figure, and very pleasant way of talking. Ironically, his handsome features are deceitful, and mask exploiting and corrupt mind. Elizabeth who is totally hypnotized and deceived by the obvious honesty and warmth of Wickham’s conversation takes his unsolicited comments, which condemn Darcy, at face value. He in due time attains everyone’s confidence. Apart from making rude remarks about Darcy, Wickham is a confident cheater who leaves a series of debts in Meryton and Brighton. Furthermore, his mercenary inspiration makes him overlook Elizabeth to seek Darcy. It is only when Elizabeth hears of Wickham’s attempted elopement, then she understands the true personality of this cheater.

Wickham as he is, holds an individualism, the key to which may possibly be found in his union of restlessness with docility. He is one of those persons in whom an effect of general acceptability to the immediate occasion is connected with final triviality. His habit of winning somehow permeate through scarce portrayal to the indifferent mind of the half-attentive reader is proof of the tenderness of Miss Austen's skill and talent. We know of Wickham’s only what we can deduce from the concise ideas of a single uncommunicative sentence. His appearance was greatly in his benefit. We do not hear his voice, or set apart his tones when dealing with different people, and his speeches, which are conscientiously reported, are suggestive of an abstract and colorless decency. His entrance is covert, but his presence is unequivocal. He is the modest, meditative, and pathetic rascal.
His final prank, implicating his elopement with Lydia, a sixteen-year-old girl who he does not intend to marry but desires only to take advantage of, meditates the filthy footings he is prepared to acheive. On arriving at Longbourn, after the hastily arranged marriage, he considers no embarrassment at his actions. After disappearing with Lydia it soon becomes clear that George Wickham does not propose to marry her, and that Lydia when setting out on her escapade, has no image of Wickham’s true intent. It was Darcy’s determination in impelling the deceitful Wickham to accept large financial incentives and leave Lydia alone. If it had not been for Darcy’s interference, the ensuing disgrace would have brought detrimental consequences for all the girls of the Bennett family.

Elizabeth is depicted as confident but her blind acceptance to Wickham’s flattery lets her down. It is Elizabeth’s prejudice, and pride in her own judgement, that accepts Wickham sarcastic depiction of Darcy. The central action of the novel revolves around the increasing recognition and self-realization of Darcy and Elizabeth. Both characters are at fault of harboring misimpression about the other, and it is when these wrong impressions are swapped, that they arrive at a clear understanding of each other. Darcy too is awoken to his prejudice and egotism when his belief in gaining a positive reply to his proposal to Elizabeth is smashed. Her accusations disgust him greatly and he relish that he must shed all his former bias against Elizabeth’s family, and their lowly connections, if he is to win her admiration.

Wickham is present in every cultur, in every race and in every part of the world. Every one of us is susceptible to flattery. It really seems nice when someone is giving us duo consideration. There is nothing wrong with it. But we tend to go too far and never realize what are the real intentions of that person. What is his relation with us? Is that person trying to impede our confidence, our mind? I think this novel has successfully illustrated how we start becoming apprehensive towards someone, merely on somebody else’s statement.
 

 

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