Pride & Prejudice Essay

Romanticism, a movement in the arts and literature, originates in the late 18th century. During this period, emancipation occurs, a freeing of one from control of another. The romantic era moves away from the strict laws, balance, and restraint of the classical era and allows artistic freedom, experimentation, and creativity. There are hundreds examples from movies, books, and songs that contain romanticism. The movie, Pride and Prejudice, relates to the romantic era because of social class, Elizabeth’s love for nature, concern and sympathy for humankind, and the rebellion against tyrannical control. “It is a truth universally acknowledged a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen, P.1). This quote is what opens the novel; it introduces the arrival of Mr. Bingley. The opening sets the stage, the vision of the entire plot of the movie with its many female characters and the socially adventurous marriage. The Romantic Era influences on the social classes of Pride and Prejudice are evident in the high class of Mr. Darcy’s family, and the middle class of Elizabeth’s family and how they both collide with each other. The socially adventurous marriage of the high class Mr. Darcy and middle class Elizabeth has a rough beginning to say the least. Both of them dislike each other throughout the film until Mr. Bingley arrives. With the arrival of Mr. Bingley, everything takes a dramatic turn for Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy sees someone the exact opposite of himself. If Mr. Darcy believes someone to be beneath him he’ll walk away. “Which do you mean? She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to present to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me” (Austen, P. 13). Mr. Darcy reacts as to Mr. Bingley’s suggestion to dance with Elizabeth. This relates to the Romantic Era because Mr. Darcy refuses his suggestion because Elizabeth was not “handsome enough” for him. With that, it put distance between him and Elizabeth, earning him a reputation of the whole community of pride and bad manners. Mr. Darcy displays, by this quote, difficulty admitting his love for Elizabeth, thus giving Elizabeth a negative impression of him in her mind until more of his character is revealed to her later. Elizabeth has a negative impression of Mr. Darcy in her mind. Her negativity increases when she finds out that Mr. Darcy is one of the reasons Mr. Bingley and her sister Jane are being separated and ruin their happiness. “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” (Austen, P.215). Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth for the first time, but she had refuses, which marks the turning point in the movie. This fits into the Romantic Era because she only feels contempt for him, which means she sees him as worthless. However, she begins to view him in a completely new light when certain situations happen that would help illustrate the goodness of Mr. Darcy’s character. Before her change of heart begins, she still views him as arrogant when he attempts to destroy Mr. Bingley and Jane’s relationship and his mistreatment of Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy must show Elizabeth his character change to show that he was worth Elizabeth’s hand. Awaiting a character change from Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth must now face the Mr. Darcy’s High Class Aunt, Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine found out that Mr. Darcy was planning to marry Elizabeth and was none too happy; she was furious and went to go and talk to

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Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Essay Pride And Prejudice