The Pursuit of Virtue in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Virtue is truly a complex word - an element of the essence of man - that Jane Austen portrays in her novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. Through a profound scrutiny of the character of the protagonists, and through her interpretation of how vanity, pride, and self - knowledge intervenes in the development of the virtue of the characters, Austen intends to show how human happiness is found by living in accordance with human dignity, which is a life in accordance with virtue. Austen creates a scenario where she allows the reader to identify a variety of persons, each of them with a certain and peculiar character. With this diversity, we are able to highlight in each person of the novel, different traits that can lead us to talk about†¦show more content†¦Here, vanity relates to what we would like others to think of us, but is not merely a concern with what others think. Having this definition in mind, then, we can say that Elizabeth Bennet can be accused of vanity, because she is excessively concerned with what one person – Mr. Darcy- thinks of her. Undoubtedly, this comparison shows us that one of the characters, Miss Bingley, lacks completely of virtue. The Aristotelian definition of virtue says it is a point between a deficiency and an excess of trait, and the point of greatest virtue is the exact middle, the golden mean. The real virtue is confidence, it is between self- deprecation and vanity, and undoubtedly Miss Bingley is completel y in the worst extreme. Instead, remaining with Austen definition of vanity, Elizabeth is not at the greatest point of virtue, but is actually near to it. It is really important to keep in mind, that if we want to move away from the extremes and achieve the maximum point of virtue, self – knowledge has a central role, as it is a prerequisite for moral improvement that will conduce us to the foundation of good principles. In the novel, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are only free of their pride and prejudice, which was an impediment to their love, when their dealings with one another help them see their faults and encourage them to improve. So by leaving behind those traits, both were closer toShow MoreRelatedPride and Prejudice: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols1368 Words   |  6 PagesLove Pride and Prejudice contains one of the most cherished love stories in English literature: the courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. As in any good love story, the lovers must elude and overcome numerous stumbling blocks, beginning with the tensions caused by the lovers own personal qualities. Elizabeths pride makes her misjudge Darcy on the basis of a poor first impression, while Darcys prejudice against Elizabeths poor social standing blinds him, for a time, to her many virtues. (Of courseRead MoreCourtship in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay1587 Words   |  7 Pages Through the use of literary devices, Pride and Prejudice reveals Jane Austen’s attitude towards the novel’s theme of true love through the actions of the suitors; the process of courtship in the 1800s articulates characterization, foreshadowing, and irony. The novel opens with the line, â€Å"it is a truth acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of wif e,† (Austen 1) which foreshadows the conflict of finding a significant other . During the Victorian age, menRead MoreThe 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Cardinal Virtues2779 Words   |  12 PagesThe 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Cardinal Virtues ======================================== Overview -------- The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, are a classification of vices that were originally used in early Christian teachings to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen mans tendency to sin. The Roman Catholic Church divided sin into two principal categories: venial, which are relatively minor, and could be forgiven through any sacramentRead MoreLove And Prejudice By Jane Austen1722 Words   |  7 Pages Love and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice Yuexin Ma (Mandy) Dr. W. Smith ENGL 222 December 9, 2015 Love and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice No doubt, among Jane Austen’s works, Pride and Prejudice is one of the most well-known stories in the world and her greatest success. This famous novel was written in 1813, and was translated into many languages and made into films for several times. Pride and Prejudice has both love and money for the tone to the theme of marriage. The greatnessRead More In Want of a Wife: Jane Austen’s Reaction to Marriage1624 Words   |  7 Pagesmany different authors, male and female. Jane Austen was only one of many authors in that era, and one of the longest lasting; through her many novels, she shows various views on love and marriage. In Jane Austen’s critically acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice, Austen spares no character, male or female, in her criticism of the understood custom that the only route to happiness was marriage. Jane Austen never married which influenced her portrayal of marriage throughout many of her novels. EveryRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1675 Words   |  7 PagesIn Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, she has specific criteria that her characters follow when choosing their mates. In today’s society, most couples still follow these criteria and more when choosing their ideal mate. What are these important criteria that Austen’s characters consider when choosing a mate? For Austen, the important criteria that she has for choosing a mate are that couples are personally compatible, they are in love with each other, and they must have a good moral character. Read MoreThe Pride and Prejudice of Men and Women813 Words   |  4 PagesLove is inconceivably the most confusing concept ever. Some love, simple, or not love at all, is easily achieved, while true-love is very hard to obtain. It is most certainly, at its best, described in Jane Austin’s â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. One can most likely name a few ways love comes about, that is, â€Å"true-love† or the want to truly be with one, financial stability, and social acceptance. It is most desirable to seek â€Å"true-love†, but is seldom ever found, and when it is, the path in which comes beforeRead MorePride And Prejudice And A Room Of One s Own Essay1298 Words   |  6 Pagesto disengage such emotion.The art of both authors’ fiction lies in its ability to address societal inequity while maintaining composure, so as not to detract from the validity of the writer or her arguments. The two novels to be examined; Pride and Prejudice and A Room of One†™s Own, are homogenous in their insistence on the significance of independence, especially as it relates to the prosperity women. The protagonists of the novels; Liz Bennet and Mary Beton, pursue, respectively, independenceRead MoreEssay on Pride and Prejudice Adaptations in Modern Film2311 Words   |  10 Pagesup the romance. These films reveal the 20th century emphasis on romance at the cost of excluding the already established importance of self-knowledge. Pride and Prejudice, Austen’s first written but later published novel, is a commentary on the importance in society of inheritance and achievement. Austen obviously valued one’s achieved virtues over inherited status, a revolutionary notion for a female of the day. Elizabeth Bennet, Austen’s own mouthpiece to criticize her times, bridges the gapRead MoreAnalyzing Humanity in Othello: The Reason Why it is Still Worth Studying1675 Words   |  7 Pagesto make such a claim is that Iago, for all his treachery, is still one of Shakespeares most human characters: he is brilliantly witty, outrageously funny, a rhetorical genius, possessed of petty jealousies which he insists on acting upon, full of pride, which he will cling to even if it means his own destruction, and most importantly an admitted schizoid I am not what I am (1.1.71) and a professed self-serving, self-idolater: In following him, I follow but myself (1.1.64). This speech will use