Pride and Prejudice Characters

In Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, most of the characters are members of the landed gentry—that is, non-titled landowners. Austen is famous for writing sharp observations of this small circle of country gentry and their social entanglements, and Pride and Prejudice is no exception. Many of the characters in Pride and Prejudice are well-rounded individuals, particularly the two leads. However, other characters exist largely to serve the thematic purpose of satirizing society and gender norms. Elizabeth Bennet The second-eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Elizabeth (or â€Å"Lizzy†) is the novels protagonist. Quick-witted, playful, and intelligent, Elizabeth has mastered the art of being polite in society while holding tightly to her strong opinions in private. Elizabeth is a sharp observer of others, but she also has a tendency to prize her ability to pass judgments and form opinions quickly. She’s often embarrassed by her mother and younger sisters’ indelicate and rude behavior, and although she’s acutely aware of her familys financial standing, she still hopes to marry for love rather than convenience. Elizabeth is immediately offended when she overhears criticism of herself expressed by Mr. Darcy. All her suspicious about Darcy are then confirmed when she befriends an officer, Wickham, who tells her how Darcy mistreated him. As time goes on, Elizabeth learns that first impressions can be mistaken, but she remains angry at Darcy for meddling in her sister Janes budding romance with Bingley. Following Darcy’s failed proposal and subsequent explanation of his past, Elizabeth comes to realize that her prejudices have blinded her observation and that her feelings might be deeper than she first realized. Fitzwilliam Darcy Darcy, a wealthy landowner, is the novel’s male lead and, for a time, Elizabeth’s antagonist. Haughty, taciturn, and somewhat antisocial, he does not endear himself to anyone upon first entering society and is generally perceived as a cold, snobbish man. Mistakenly convinced that Jane Bennet is only after his friend Bingley’s money, he attempts to separate the two. This meddling earns him further dislike from Janes sister Elizabeth, for whom Darcy has been developing feelings. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but his proposal emphasizes Elizabeths inferior social and financial status, and an insulted Elizabeth responds by revealing the depth of her dislike for Darcy. Although Mr. Darcy is proud, stubborn, and very status-conscious, he is actually a deeply decent and compassionate man. His enmity with the charming Wickham turns out to be based on Wickham’s manipulations and attempted seduction of Darcy’s sister, and he demonstrates his kindness by providing the money to turn Wickham’s elopement with Lydia Bennet into a marriage. As his compassion grows, his pride recedes, and when he proposes to Elizabeth a second time, it is with respect and understanding. Jane Bennet Jane is the eldest Bennet sister and widely considered to be the sweetest and prettiest. Gentle and optimistic, Jane tends to think the best of everyone, which comes back to hurt her when she overlooks Caroline Bingleys manipulative efforts to separate Jane from Mr. Bingley. Jane’s romantic misadventures teach her to be more realistic about the motivations of others, but she never falls out of love with Bingley and happily accepts his proposal when he returns to her life. Jane is a counterbalance, or foil, to Elizabeth: gentle and trusting in contrast to Lizzy’s sharp tongue and observant nature. Nevertheless, the sisters share a genuine affection and joyful nature. Charles Bingley Similar in temperament to Jane, it’s no wonder that Mr. Bingley falls in love with her. While he’s of very average intelligence and is a bit naà ¯ve, he’s also open-hearted, unfailingly polite, and naturally charming, which puts him in direct contrast with his reticent, arrogant friend Darcy. Bingley falls in love at first sight with Jane, but leaves Meryton after being convinced of Janes indifference by Darcy and his sister Caroline. When Bingley reappears later in the novel, having learned that his loved ones were mistaken, he proposes to Jane. Their marriage is a counterpoint to Elizabeth and Darcys: while both couples were kept apart despite being well-matched, Jane and Bingleys separation was caused by external forces (manipulative relatives), whereas Lizzy and Darcys early conflict was caused by their own character traits. William Collins The Bennets’ estate is subject to an entail that means it will be inherited by the nearest male relative: their cousin, Mr. Collins. A self-important, deeply ridiculous parson, Collins is an awkward and mildly irritating man who believes himself to be deeply charming and clever. He intends to make up for the inheritance situation by marrying the eldest Bennet daughter, but upon learning that Jane is likely to become engaged, he turns his attentions instead on Elizabeth. It takes a remarkable amount of convincing to persuade him that she is uninterested in him, and he soon marries her friend Charlotte instead. Mr. Collins takes great pride in the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and his sycophantic nature and pompous attention to rigid social constructs means he gets along with her quite well. Lydia Bennet As the youngest of five Bennet sisters, fifteen-year-old Lydia is considered the spoiled, impetuous one of the bunch. She’s frivolous, self-absorbed, and obsessed with flirting with officers. She behaves impulsively, thinking nothing of eloping with Wickham. She then winds up in a hastily-made marriage to Wickham, arranged in the name of restoring her virtue, despite the fact that the match will surely be unhappy for Lydia. In the context of the novel, Lydia is treated as silly and thoughtless, but her narrative arc is also the result of the limitations she experiences as a woman in nineteenth century society. Mary Bennet, Lydias sister, conveys Austens sharp assessment of gender (in)equality with this statement: Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson: that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin. George Wickham A charming militiaman, Wickham befriends Elizabeth right away and confides to her his mistreatment at the hands of Darcy. The two carry on a flirtation, although it never really goes anywhere. It’s revealed that his pleasant nature is only superficial: he’s actually greedy and selfish, spent all the money Darcy’s father left to him, and then tried to seduce Darcy’s sister in order to get access to her money. He later elopes with Lydia Bennet with no intention of marrying her, but is ultimately convinced to do so by Darcy’s persuasion and money. Charlotte Lucas Elizabeth’s closest friend Charlotte is the daughter of another middle-class gentry family in Meryton. She’s considered physically plain and, while she’s kind and funny, is twenty-seven and unmarried. Since she’s not as romantic as Lizzy, she accepts Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal, but carves out her own quiet corner of their life together. Caroline Bingley A vain social-climber, Caroline is well-off and ambitious to be even more so. She’s calculating and, though capable of being charming, very status-conscious and judgmental. Although she takes Jane under her wing at first, her tone quickly changes upon realizing her brother Charles is serious about Jane, and she manipulates her brother to believe Jane is disinterested. Caroline also views Elizabeth as a rival for Darcy and frequently attempts to one-up her, both to impress Darcy and to matchmake between her brother and Darcy’s sister Georgiana. In the end, she’s unsuccessful on all fronts. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Long-married and long-suffering, the Bennets are perhaps not the best example of marriage: she’s high-strung and obsessed with marrying off her daughters, while he’s laid-back and wry. Mrs. Bennet’s concerns are valid, but she pushes too far in her daughters’ interest, which is part of the reason why both Jane and Elizabeth nearly lose out on excellent matches. She takes to bed with â€Å"nervous complaints† quite often, especially following Lydia’s elopement, but news of her daughters’ marriages perks her right up. Lady Catherine de Bourgh The imperious mistress of the Rosings estate, Lady Catherine is the only character in the novel who is aristocratic (as opposed to landed gentry). Demanding and arrogant, Lady Catherine expects to get her way at all times, which is why Elizabeth’s self-assured nature irritates her from their first meeting. Lady Catherine likes to brag about how she â€Å"would have been† accomplished, but she is not actually accomplished or talented. Her greatest scheme is to marry her sickly daughter Anne to her nephew Darcy, and when she hears a rumor that he is to marry Elizabeth instead, she rushes to find Elizabeth and demand that such a marriage never take place. She is dismissed by Elizabeth and, instead of her visit severing any ties between the couple, it actually serves to confirm to both Elizabeth and Darcy that the other is still very much interested.

Confronting the Past, Living the Present, and Enjoying the...

So often, the old adage, History always repeats itself, rings true due to a failure to truly confront the past, especially when the memory of a period of time sparks profoundly negative emotions ranging from anguish to anger. However, danger lies in failing to recognize history or in the inability to reconcile the mistakes of the past. In her novel, Beloved, Toni Morrison explores the relationship between the past, present and future. Because the horrors of slavery cause so much pain for slaves who endured physical abuse as well as psychological and emotional hardships, former slaves may try to block out the pain, failing to reconcile with their past. However, when Sethe, one of the novels central characters fails to confront†¦show more content†¦Sethe understands that her history, filled with the pain of slavery, grief over losing her children, and guilt over Beloveds death, and tries to hide from all the anguish. However, she admits that the past seems to always be th ere waiting, thereby emphasizing the idea that past horrors of life continue to haunt forever. It appears as though the power of her experience in slavery influences her so greatly that the memory triggers great pain, causing the horrifying incidents to happen again. Even though Sethe understands that she cannot ever fully escape her history as it will come back to trouble her, she still tries to avoid them and thus attempts to shield her daughter from the horrors of history: As for Denver, the job Sethe had of keeping her from the past that was still waiting for her was all that mattered (45). It seems as though Sethe tries to deny the fact that history does not simply disappear. She still tries to protect Denver from the past even though history waits, prepared to cause trouble and inflict the pain Sethe tries to repress. It appears as though Sethe continuously tries to fight against her memories and ignore her past in part one. For example, after she wakes, she begins Work ing dough. Working, working dough. Nothing better than that to start the days

Physical and Chemical Changes - 1253 Words

Title: Physical and Chemical Changes Purpose: Recognize and distinguish between chemical and physical changes Apparatus and Material: evaporating dish, Bunsen burner, wood splint, test tubes, micro spatula, dropper, mortar and pestle, test tube holder, safety goggles, lab apron. Piece of paper, NaCl (sodium chloride), water, 6 M HCL (hydrochloric acid), 0.1 M AgNO3 (silver nitrate), Mg ribbon, 6 M HCL (hydrochloric acid), CuSO4 5 H2O, 0.50g iron fillings, 0.50g of powdered sulfur, magnet, copper sulfate solution, zinc metal Safety: When heating a substance in a test tube, be sure the open end of the test tube points away from yourself and others. Handle all acids with extra caution. Always wear safety goggles when handling acids.†¦show more content†¦Heated crystals change color from blue to white; water vapor forms on the walls of the test tube. Addition of water turns the heated crystals from white back to dark-blue, almost teal color. 5. Sulfur appears as yellow powder; iron is dark-brown powder; mixed together, they look like dirt. Iron becomes attracted to the magnet, following it if it’s close enough; sulfur does not. Magnet can be used to separate the two mixtures. 6. On heating the iron-sulfur mixture, the sulfur melts and reacts with the iron exothermically to first evaporate into a yellow gas, then form a reddish-orange, solidified substance that â€Å"glows†. The substance releases an unpleasant odor of rotten eggs. The iron on the bottom turns black and does not react with a magnet. The glowing substance turns out to be a soft solid when probed. 7. Zinc is a silver solid with a light mass. Addition of zinc metal to copper sulfate solution results in an exothermic reaction that produces a brown-reddish precipitate (copper). Zinc becomes coated with the copper precipitate, thus becoming dark. 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The Advantages Of Stupidity (931 words) Essay Example For Students

The Advantages Of Stupidity (931 words) Essay The Advantages of StupidityMost people say being stupid will lead no where. They claim that it is the worst possible condition in which to spend ones life, and if possible, it should be completely avoided. They would even suggest if the symptoms of stupidity are caught in the early stages, it could easily be treated by a surgeon. The most effective method used to do this is the chainsaw technique, later described in volume two. Yet, perhaps if people took a closer look at someof the advantages stupidity had to offer, they wouldnt have such a negative attitude toward it. After reading this paper, one will underezd the advantages of stupidity. Admittedly, stupidity has certain disadvantages. Life isnt a bowl of cherries. And being stupid doesnt make it any fruitier. Being stupid can annoy even the most sensitive people. If one acts stupid, and does it in the wrong crowd, like a group of adults, it will seem more immature than funny. If one is forced to act stupid while dealing with lower life forms, for example, high school teachers, one may encounter barriers such as cruelty and insensitivity, with the utterance of statements like, Think with your head straight! or, You have a brain, use it. Yet these areall true, there are still many advantages to stupidity.The first advantage is very easy to underezd. Stupid people are never asked to do a lot. Many have noticed that people tend to steer away from someone they feel may be stupid. This is for a very good reason. The stupidity which they posses makes a name for themselves, a name which can be very difficult to shake. Possibly, it is a word which describes the working habit s of the person, such as crappy. Yet, this creates a positive situation for thestupid person.They will have a lot of free time on their hands for more of lifes truly meaningful pleasures. Some of these activities are combing facial hair, and counting the pixels on a Sony TV. Now, there has been a rumour going around that suggests that stupid people have low expectations. This is true. They are so stupid that they dont realize great from O.K. They could have a Sanyocordless phone, but would probably choose instead a Pierre Cardin alarm clock telephone, because it comes free with their sensamatic folding bed. And someone with the advantage of stupidity might have a hard time doing certain tasks, or setting things up. Yet this isnt allbad. For example, if a stupid person leaves the chore, and comes back to it later, no one will be able to underezd it. Would they get fired from their job? No. For the very simple reason that no one would underezd their work except for them. The job would have to be given back to the stupid person, perhaps with a higher salary, or someone would do it for them, leaving them with even more free time! Free time is great for brainstorming (Admittedly this seems to be a bad choice of words!). Yet the ideas stupid people create tend to be original. For example, when was the last time someone stupid said something, and made one think about it? It seems that people are always talking about someone elses dumb idea. An example of such an idea would be, How many stories will that english teacher drop before having a stroke? This would suggest that stupid people may have the upper hand when it comes to thinking up original ideas. In fact, the next time someone wants an original idea for something, they should try talking to their local, community stupid person. The reason for this is that while a stupid person thinks with his head, he does not do so an organized manner. This is why they have so much creativity. By thinking in this fashion, thei r ideas have a natural tendency to flow more easily, without the interruptionswhich occur from the editing of thoughts that logical people would have normally. Thus if someone else should say to one, That was a stupid idea! one should merely look that person straight in the eye, and say, Thank-you! This also means that the claim, Stupid minds think alike. is not true. All stupid minds have different ideas, each idea being original. One of the final advantages of stupidity is that stupid people are always remembered, even after graduation day. It has been noticed how a quiet person is always hard to detect, and often remains anonymous. There is a very good reason for this. The mind has a hard time keeping quiet people in its memory track. But it is much easier and pleasing for the mind to remember someone really stupid. Anyways, when was the last time one laughed at an idiot in ones grade 12 class? When was the last time one laughed at the little kid at the back of the room? The evid ence here proves how stupid people last longer in someones thoughts. The largest advantage which arises from stupidity is that it takes up 2/3 of DNA storage space, which is excellent for keeping stupidity in the family.Thus, stupidity clearly has many advantages, as long as someone is smart enough to use them! It is important to underezd that stupid people are like all other humans physically. Yet, because of the difference between smart and stupid people, smart human beings should give them some breathing space. Teachers can learn that someone graced with stupidity, deserves more respect. After all, they are special. .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .postImageUrl , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:hover , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:visited , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:active { border:0!importa nt; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:active , .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .ctaButton { b ackground-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left: 18px; top: 0; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud60c5b70c83a1d3899106be3c84e7a1b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Walk Essay