Pride and Prejudice (Th)

This blog is a response to a task assigned by Megha ma'am Department of English (MKBU). This blog is about the novel of Jane Austen 'Pride and Prejudice'.

Pride and Prejudice is an epistolary novel written by Jane Austen, published in 1813. The novel is also known as 'Virtue Rewarded'. The novel tells a story about a fifteen years old girl who is a servant at Mrs.B's house. When Mrs.B dies his son Mr.B becomes her new master and he tries to take advantage of her. This novel is written in a form of 13 letters and 2 journals which tell us about what Pamela thinks and feels about her surroundings.

Q:1 Compare the narrative strategy of the novel and movie.

In both movie and in novel we find different types of narrative strategies. In a novel a third person describes different types of things that are happening in the novel scenes, dialogues, background. In movies we just have to look at the movie as if we are in the third person view. 

In novel narrator gives us a detailed description of scenes, characters and circumstances and in movie that is in short we have to comprehend whole picture because movie has shorter period of time. In novel we see so many scenes and the background is in length that has to be short and the director has to choose what parts he/she will include in the movie.

Novels allow us to have different imaginary scenarios in our mind and in movies it is represented visually so we don't have the scope to imagine things. In novel we understand characters in depth. We find the background of what they think, how they behave in detail. In Elizabeth's character we see how she is and how she sees the world and how she develops prejudice against Mr.Darcy. In a similar way in the novel we also read so many details that help us to understand his Pride but later we see it as an introvert character. In movie It is quite difficult to have a deeper look at the characters.

In the novel there is descriptive discussion about even minor characters and subplots. Whereas in movie the main spotlight is only on major characters because all those things can't fit in a 2 or 3 hour long movie. In conclusion we can say that it is always better to read the original text than watching a movie but if one does not like to read or doesn't have that time then a movie can be useful.

Q:2 Write an illustration of the society of Jane Austen's time.

Ans.

In her novel Pride and Prejudice we find very clearly what would have been scenarios in the society in her contemporary time. There must have been a class system, and more money means higher social status. And we also find differences in gender roles. For women It is a necessity to find a wealthy partner and settle down with him. As Austen mentioned in the very first line of the novel "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife". That shows that even men were also in search of a good partner. In that time so.much importance was given to marriage.

Even in relationships , money plays a vital role. In society , when one falls in love with someone else, one falls after seeing the other's wealth. Parents also choose partners for their children. In upper class people used to spend their time at parties and they seemed busy in finding a partner and dancing. So much importance was also given to the reputation of the family. People were too afraid of losing their reputation in society.

Q:3 What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth never got together? What if Lydia's elopement had a different outcome? Explore the consequences of these changes and write alternative endings to the novel.

Ans. 

In the middle of the novel It seems for some time that now it is difficult that Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy can be together. If that continues then we can consider different endings of the novel.

The letter that Mr.Darcy gives to Elizabeth to explain the misunderstanding between the them plays a vital role in moulding the flow of novel. If Mr.Darcy has too much pride as Elizabeth assumed then he will never try to convince her and he will never put love over his pride then that misunderstanding will continue and the novel will never settle as it did. So now Mr. Darcy does not have any feelings for Elizabeth and Elizabeth never really liked Mr.Darcy.

When Lydia elopes with Wickham Mr.Darcy would never try to settle that matter because now he has no feeling towards Elizabeth. And the reputation of Bennet family is ruined forever and because of that Mr. Bingley would not marry Jane Bennet. Because of the ruined reputation, the other Bennet sisters' marriage would face difficulties.

At the end Elizabeth has to access marriage proposal of Mr. Collins due to family pressure. Jane marries with an old farmer named Mr. Gosling. Mr.Wikham leaves Lydia after sometime so she stays at some other town alone and never returns home and the other two sisters remain unmarried their whole life.