In Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Austen examines the social customs of her time, specifically regarding the institution of marriage. By creating and developing several very unique relationships throughout the novel, she paints a portrait of how marriage worked during her time. She depicts a wide range of relationships- ones that aren’t meant to be, ones that are for business rather than love, some that take a long time to blossom, and some that take on a fairytale- like quality. Of all the relationships she describes in the book, the one between Jane and Mr. Bingley is certainly the fairytale- like one. Austen relies heavily on dialogue and characterization to develop and depict their wonderful and pure relationship throughout all of its stages-the beginning where they started to fall for each other, the inevitable conflict in which they were separated, and the resolution, in which they withstood the test of separation and tied the knot.
When the two first met, Austen used that combination of dialogue and characterization to show the readers how perfect the two of them were together. Right away, the description of him was that “Mr. Bingley was good looking, and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners” (Austen 12). Furthermore, after first meeting him, Jane says that “He is just what a young man ought to be… sensible, good humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!” (Austen 16). The descriptions the characters provide of Mr. Bingley clearly shows that he is a good man. As Bingley makes his impressions, Jane is doing the same. Others describe her by saying, “Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!” (Austen 13) and “Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl…” (Austen 18). With these repeated characterizations of their compatible personalities, Austen is clearly setting up for a blossoming romance. Both of them are sweet, polite, sensible, and clearly have some attraction to each other. Jane and Bingley’s romance is most certainly of the stereotypical ‘beautiful maiden and handsome prince’ type, and the reader can clearly see that through her choice of literary devices. Austen also does something very subtle with the dialogue to further make her point- she barely depicts Jane and Bingley talking face to face; rather, the dialogue comes from what others say about them, and what one of them says about the other to someone else. The lack of dialogue between the two especially emphasizes a very key aspect of Jane’s personality- it emphasizes her naturally reserved character. Jane is described as having “…united with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and an uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent” (Austen 22). That means that she withholds her feelings from the rest of the world so well that she might appear indifferent when she’s actually quite in love. Since she is never depicted talking to Bingley, the reader never witnesses what is said between the pair. Perhaps why Austen overlooks their dialogue is because nothing of substance is said between the two, which would further suggest that Jane keeps her feelings to herself.
Soon after meeting each other, the development of the relationship is halted when Bingley moves away, and of course no dialogue occurs between them at this time; the reader only receives Jane’s input on the subject. Since Austen consistently neglects to include dialogue between the pair even from the beginning, the obvious lack of it during this period makes the separation seem less permanent. If she had included dialogue between the two, the sudden lack of it would seem extremely damaging to the relationship. Since Austen never did, however, it makes it seem like it’s nothing but a minor bump in the road, something that will only delay their inevitable happiness rather than crush it.
Then, after a few months Bingley comes back from London. Although awkward at first, the two almost immediately pick up where they left off. Not long after his return, Bingley proposes to Jane. Elizabeth "... had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of Jane's perfections; and in spite of his being a lover... [she] believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself" (Austen 336). This dialogue is directed not to Jane but to Elizabeth, which is how Austen has Bingley express his feelings throughout the story. This consistency of style reflects the consistency of his feelings. To further emphasize how perfect for each other Jane and Bingley are, Austen characterizes them one last time by way of Mr. Bennet, to bring home the idea. "You are a good girl," he replied, "and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income" (Austen 337).
This being said, Austen wraps up Jane and Bingley's relationship in a pretty, neat little bow. The perfection of their personalities and dispositions are clearly displayed by characterization, and their likelihood of marital happiness is shown by a clever use of dialogue. Jane and Bingley's relationship is definitively the fairytale-like one of the novel.
When the two first met, Austen used that combination of dialogue and characterization to show the readers how perfect the two of them were together. Right away, the description of him was that “Mr. Bingley was good looking, and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners” (Austen 12). Furthermore, after first meeting him, Jane says that “He is just what a young man ought to be… sensible, good humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!” (Austen 16). The descriptions the characters provide of Mr. Bingley clearly shows that he is a good man. As Bingley makes his impressions, Jane is doing the same. Others describe her by saying, “Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!” (Austen 13) and “Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl…” (Austen 18). With these repeated characterizations of their compatible personalities, Austen is clearly setting up for a blossoming romance. Both of them are sweet, polite, sensible, and clearly have some attraction to each other. Jane and Bingley’s romance is most certainly of the stereotypical ‘beautiful maiden and handsome prince’ type, and the reader can clearly see that through her choice of literary devices. Austen also does something very subtle with the dialogue to further make her point- she barely depicts Jane and Bingley talking face to face; rather, the dialogue comes from what others say about them, and what one of them says about the other to someone else. The lack of dialogue between the two especially emphasizes a very key aspect of Jane’s personality- it emphasizes her naturally reserved character. Jane is described as having “…united with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and an uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent” (Austen 22). That means that she withholds her feelings from the rest of the world so well that she might appear indifferent when she’s actually quite in love. Since she is never depicted talking to Bingley, the reader never witnesses what is said between the pair. Perhaps why Austen overlooks their dialogue is because nothing of substance is said between the two, which would further suggest that Jane keeps her feelings to herself.
Soon after meeting each other, the development of the relationship is halted when Bingley moves away, and of course no dialogue occurs between them at this time; the reader only receives Jane’s input on the subject. Since Austen consistently neglects to include dialogue between the pair even from the beginning, the obvious lack of it during this period makes the separation seem less permanent. If she had included dialogue between the two, the sudden lack of it would seem extremely damaging to the relationship. Since Austen never did, however, it makes it seem like it’s nothing but a minor bump in the road, something that will only delay their inevitable happiness rather than crush it.
Then, after a few months Bingley comes back from London. Although awkward at first, the two almost immediately pick up where they left off. Not long after his return, Bingley proposes to Jane. Elizabeth "... had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of Jane's perfections; and in spite of his being a lover... [she] believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself" (Austen 336). This dialogue is directed not to Jane but to Elizabeth, which is how Austen has Bingley express his feelings throughout the story. This consistency of style reflects the consistency of his feelings. To further emphasize how perfect for each other Jane and Bingley are, Austen characterizes them one last time by way of Mr. Bennet, to bring home the idea. "You are a good girl," he replied, "and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income" (Austen 337).
This being said, Austen wraps up Jane and Bingley's relationship in a pretty, neat little bow. The perfection of their personalities and dispositions are clearly displayed by characterization, and their likelihood of marital happiness is shown by a clever use of dialogue. Jane and Bingley's relationship is definitively the fairytale-like one of the novel.
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