Pride and Prejudice Essay

How is Mr Darcy presented and used by Jane Austen in chapter 34 of Pride and Prejudice?
The classic novel Pride and Prejudice was written by the famous Georgian author Jane Austen and was published in 1813. It is in this novel where we come across a very controversial character named Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy is an extremely well-off young man, who seems to give the wrong impression to people whom he does not know and many people seem to initially think that he is an arrogant character. Chapter 34 in the book Pride and Prejudice includes prime examples of these characteristics.
In chapter 34, I feel that Jane Austen tries to present Mr Darcy as a gentlemanlike figure. ‘Mr Darcy walked into the room. In a hurried manner he immediately began an inquiry after her health.’ This tells us that Mr Darcy, no matter what the subject, will always address a character in a polite manner before conversing even if the subject itself will often not be a very good one. This shows he has been brought up to do this and he himself feels it is the correct way to greet a woman. This makes him a gentlemanlike character as it shows he has manners and knows how to speak properly and formerly to a lady.
Jane Austen presents Mr Darcy in an awkward manner throughout some of the chapter, as though he’s not very comfortable in social situations. ‘After a silence of several minutes he came towards her in an agitated manner’. I think this quote, taken from chapter 34, suggests that Mr Darcy was perhaps debating with himself what to say to Elizebeth at the time and that he was almost arguing with himself, trying to pluck up the courage to say what he needed to say so urgently. I get the impression that Mr Darcy did not know what to say to Elizebeth at this point and felt very uncomfortable, hence the awkward silence.
‘You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.’ I interpret this phrase in the novel as quite a controversial one. I believe Jane Austen wants readers to feel as though Mr Darcy actually does have a sensitive side to his twisted and baffling personality. This statement comes as a shock to the readers as he had conveyed no earlier signs of his love for Elizebeth, and readers would have in fact thought the complete opposite in that Mr Darcy and Elizebeth despised each other. This quote was very sudden and surprising, which keeps the readers on the ball, waiting to see what Mr Darcy will do or say next.
The next sentence in the book then confuses the readers completely. ‘He spoke well but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride.’ This confuses the readers because in the previous speech Jane had revealed Mr Darcy’s true feelings for

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