Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy

Jane Austen takes great care in developing the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.  Although Elizabeth and Darcy initially dislike one another, each develops emotionally to overcome their own pride and see each other for what they truly are and not what society makes them out to be.  In order for readers to understand this relationship and its complexity, Jane Austen uses literary devices such as characterization and conflict.

Conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is central to Pride and Prejudice and essential to the two characters relationship. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are conflicted in their prejudices against one another’s character and social status throughout the novel. For example, in their first encounter, Mr. Darcy calls Elizabeth is “tolerable, but not enough to tempt me.” (Austen 12)  This is an example of Darcy’s heightened pride and expectations.  Yet Elizabeth also has high expectations and prejudices against the proud Mr. Darcy. She comes to detest him and his air of superior rank.  Yet what Elizabeth doesn’t know is that Darcy secretly admires her headstrong mind, and with each conflict feels “the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention. “(Austen 51)Mr. Darcy is afraid that repeated conflict with Elizabeth will drive her away. In an effort to resolve this, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth’s pride has been hurt by Darcy, and lets her negative feelings show in her rejection to his proposal, stating ““From the very beginning...your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike.” (Austen 164) The conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy seems almost impossible to break. However, Elizabeth’s accusations and harsh words towards Darcy are exactly what prompts him to eventually reveal to Elizabeth his inner feelings and motives in order to resolve their conflict and win her heart.  It is the strength of the conflict between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth that causes the former to attempt to ignore his prejudices against “his sense of her inferiority” and display his affection for her personality. Without an initial clash between these two headstrong characters, Mr. Darcy would never have seen the necessity to show Elizabeth his true feelings and make her fall for himself and not his superior social status.

                Characterization is key to the development of Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship. In the novel, Austen develops the personalities of these two characters slowly, particularly in Mr. Darcy’s case. For example, Darcy originally comes off as rude and prejudiced against the lower class. Austen describes him as “to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased.” (Austen 11) It is this impression that causes Elizabeth to dislike Mr. Darcy and feel prejudiced against him. This dislike is later fueled by lies Mr. Wickham tells Elizabeth about Darcy. Thus, the initial relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is minimal and filled with much apprehensive detest. However, Austen’s use of characterization slowly  shifts the gears of this relationship.  Even though Elizabeth’s pride is hurt by Darcy, when he proposes even she cannot feel “insensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection.”  (Austen 161)  Then , after Elizabeth  rejects Darcy’s first proposal, Darcy writes her a letter that sheds more light on his true character. He writes “I shall hope to be in the future secured, after the following account of my actions and their motives has been read.” (Austen 167) The letter reveals that Mr. Darcy is not accountable for hindering Jane and Mr. Bingley’s relationship or preventing Mr. Wickham from pursuing his dreams of the clergy, both circumstances which Elizabeth had originally blamed Darcy for. This letter begins to change Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy. Elizabeth felt “ashamed of herself, for of neither Darcy or Wickham could she think without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, and absurd.” (Austen 177). The changing feelings of Elizabeth towards Darcy begins to warm their relationship, and it continues to grow throughout the rest of the novel. Each character becomes more accepting of the other’s social class and rank. Austen writes that  “Miss Bennett was the only creature who could suppose there might be any extenuating circumstances in the case, unknown to the society of Hertfordshire; her mild and steady candour always pleaded for allowances and urged the possibility of mistakes—but by everybody else Mr. Darcy was condemned as the worst of men.”  In Mr. Darcy’s case, he accepts Elizabeth’s family and even goes out on a chase to bring her sister back home after she elopes with Mr. Wickham, showing how he cares more for Elizabeth’s family than he does about social status. This act of kindness truly brings Elizabeth to love Mr. Darcy by the end of the novel, and they are happily married in the final chapters. The characterization of these characters  causes each one to see each other in new and more appealing lights as the novel progresses, and shows how each lets down their own pretentious walls  to fall in love at last.