Jane Austen Art of Characterization

The range of Jane Austen’s characters is rather narrow. She selects her characters from among the
landed gentry in the countryside. Sir Walter Scott very accurately describes this range:

“Jane Austen confines herself chiefly to the middling classes of society … and those which are sketched
with most originality and precision, belong to a class rather below that standard.”

She omits the servants and the laborers. They appear wherever they are needed but they are
usually not heard. Aristocracy also is hardly touched and if taken, it is only to satirize. Lady Catherine in
“Pride and Prejudice” is arrogant, pretentious, stupid and vulgar. Austen finds herself at home only with
the country gentry and their usual domestic interests.

In spite of such a limited range, Austen never repeats her characters. Lord David Cecil says:

“In her six books, she ever repeats a single character … There is all the difference in the world between
the vulgarity of Mrs. Bennet and the vulgarity of Mrs. Jennings.”

Though these characters are so highly individualized, yet they have a touch of universality. Thus
Marianne becomes the representative of all romantic lovers while Wickham represents all pleasant-
looking but selfish and unprincipled flirts.

Austen usually presents her characters dramatically through their conversation, actions and
letters. Darcy and Wickham, Lydia and Caroline are much revealed through their actions, while Collins
and Lydia are revealed through their letters. A direct comment is sometimes added. The mean
understanding of Mrs. Bennet and the sarcastic humour of Mr. Bennet have already been revealed in their
dialogues before the direct comment of the novelist. Similarly before she tells us about Mr. Collins, we
have already become aware from his letter that he is not a sensible man.

Though Jane Austen does not conceive her characters in pairs yet her characters are revealed
through comparison and contrast with others. Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet balance each other in their
vulgarity and match-making drills. Wickham serves a contrast to Darcy while Bingley is a foil to him.
Elizabeth’s is compared and contrasted with Jane and Caroline Bingley.

Austen builds character through piling an infinite succession of minute details about them. In
“Pride and Prejudice”, the Elizabeth-Darcy relationship is traced through minute details, details which
look trivial and insignificant in the first instance but whose significance is realized only after reading the
novel. Sir Walter Scott makes a fine comment:

“The author’s knowledge of the world and the peculiar tact with which she presents characters … remind
us something of the merit of the Flemish school of painting.”

Austen is a great realist in art. Her characters are creatures of flesh and blood, pulsating with
vitality. She studies her characters kindly but objectively. Regarding their appearance, she treats them
quite generally, fixing them with a few bold strokes. She is constant in providing details about their
outlook, attitude, manner and accomplishments. Lord Cecil says:
“Her lucid knife-edged mind was always at work penetrating beneath such impressions to disown their
cause, discover the principles … that go to make up his individuality.”

Austen’s characters are neither embodiment of virtue nor pure villains but real human beings both
pleasant and disgusting. Elizabeth is perceptive but her perception is sullied by her initial prejudices. In
contrast Wickham has so much charm that it is rather difficult to detest him. Austen often mingles
knavishness with folly making villainous characters a source of rich comedy.

Jane Austen’s minor figures are flat. They do not grow and are fully developed when we first
meet them. As the action progresses our first impressions of them get confirmed. Mrs. Bennet seems to be
stupefied and vulgar right from the first scene. Her appearance at the Netherfield Park or her reaction to
Lydia’s elopement confirms her stupidity and vulgarity. This is true of almost all of her minor figures.

But her major characters are ever changing, ever growing. Usually self-deceived in initial stages,
they are capable of understanding, growth and maturity. They are complex, dynamic and intricate. Her
heroines, blinded by ego, vanity or over-confidence, commit gross errors and suffer bitter reverses. But by
virtue of their insight they are gradually disillusioned and, thus, grow.

Minor or major all characters created by Jane Austen may be described as round inasmuch as they
are all three-dimensional. E. M. Forster brings out this point quite admirably:

“All her characters are round or capable of rotundity … They have all their proper places and fill other
several stations with great credit … All of them are organically related to their environment and to each
other.”

Dull characters are made interesting. An eminent critic, describing Jane as a prose Shakespeare remarks:

“What, in other hands, would be flat, insipid … becomes at her bidding, a sprightly versatile, never-
flagging chapter of realities.”

Thus touched by the magic wand of Jane Austen’s art, even the fool and bore of real life became
amusing figures. The pompous stupidity of Mrs. Collins and the absurdity and vulgarity of Mrs. Bennet
should in real life, prove as irritating to us as to Elizabeth and Darcy. But even these characters become
such a rich source of mirth and entertainment.

Still there are a few characters that do not look enough life-like or relevant. Mary Bennet fails to
impress, nor is she even vital to the story. Jane Fairfax in “Emma” is shadowy. Margaret is “Sense and
Sensibility” never comes to life. But these minor failures do not detract much from her reputation as one
of the greatest delineators of characters.
Major Themes in Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a classic comedy of manners that satirizes 18th-century
society and, particularly, the expectations placed on women of the era. The novel, which follows the
romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters, includes themes of love, class, and, as one might guess,
pride and prejudice.

Pride
As Mary says in Chapter 5, "human nature is particularly prone to [pride]." Throughout Pride and
Prejudice, pride prevents the characters from seeing the truth of a situation. Most notably, it is one of the
two primary barriers in the way of a union between Elizabeth and Darcy. Darcy's pride in his social
position leads him to scorn anyone outside of his own social circle. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's pride in her
powers of discernment cloud her judgment. These two find happiness by helping each other overcome
his/her pride. Outside of Elizabeth and Darcy, however, Austen seems pessimistic about the human ability
to conquer this character flaw. A slew of secondary characters, like Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, Mr.
Collins, and Caroline Bingley, remain deluded by personal pride throughout the novel.

Prejudice
Critic A. Walton Litz comments, "in Pride and Prejudice one cannot equate Darcy with Pride, or
Elizabeth with Prejudice; Darcy's pride of place is founded on social prejudice, while Elizabeth's initial
prejudice against him is rooted in pride of her own quick perceptions." Ultimately, both characters' egos
drive them towards personal prejudice. Darcy has been taught to scorn anyone outside his own social
circle and must overcome his prejudice in order to endear himself to Elizabeth. Similarly, Elizabeth's
excessive pride in her discernment leads her write Darcy off too quickly. Ultimately, they find happiness
by recognizing the barriers that prejudice creates.

Love and Marriage

As one might expect from a romantic comedy, love (and marriage) is a central theme to Pride and
Prejudice. In particular, the novel focuses on the different ways love may grow or disappear, and whether
or not society has room for romantic love and marriage to go together. We see love at first sight (Jane and
Bingley), love that grows (Elizabeth and Darcy), and infatuation that fades (Lydia and Wickham) or has
faded (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet). Throughout the story, it becomes apparent that the novel is arguing that
love based on genuine compatibility is the ideal. Marriages of convenience are presented in a negative
light: Charlotte marries the obnoxious Mr. Collins out of economic pragmatism and admits as much,
while Lady Catherine’s imperious attempts at forcing her nephew Darcy to marry her daughter to
consolidate estates are presented as outdated, unfair, and, ultimately, an unsuccessful power grab. Like
several of Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice also cautions against infatuation with overly charming
people. Wickham’s smooth manner easily charms Elizabeth, but he turns out to be deceitful and selfish
and not a good romantic prospect for her. Real love is found in compatibility of character: Jane and
Bingley are well-suited because of their absolute kindness, and Elizabeth and Darcy come to realize that
both are strong-willed but kind and intelligent. Ultimately, the novel is a strong recommendation of love
as a basis for marriage, something that was not always the case in its era.

Family
Austen portrays the family unit as primarily responsible for the intellectual and moral education
of children. Throughout the novel, the younger characters either benefit from or suffer from their family
values. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's failure to provide their daughters with a proper education leads to Lydia's
utter foolishness and immorality. Elizabeth and Jane manage to develop virtue and discernment in spite of
their parents' negligence, though it is notable that they have other role models (like the Gardiners). Darcy
shares his father's aristocratic nature and tendency towards generosity, while Lady Catherine's formidable
parenting style has rendered her daughter too frightened to speak.

Women
Austen is certainly critical of the gender injustices present in 19th century English society,
particularly as perpetrated by the institution of marriage. In Pride and Prejudice, many women (such as
Charlotte) must marry solely for the sake of financial security. However, in her portrayal of Elizabeth,
Austen shows that women are just as intelligent and capable as their male counterparts. Jane Austen
herself went against convention by remaining single and earning a living through her novels. In her
personal letters, Austen advised friends only to marry for love. In the novel, Elizabeth's happy ending
reveals Austen's beliefs that woman has the right to remain independent until she meets the right man (if
she meets him).

On the other hand, most contemporary readers will find the Longbourn entailment to be unjust.
And yet the heroines - Jane and Elizabeth - refrain from speaking out against it. Instead, the only two
characters who openly criticize the entailment - Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine - are ridiculous
caricatures. Furthermore, the fact that Elizabeth seems to share her father's distrust frivolous women
suggests Austen's uneasy relationship with her own gender.

Class
Class issues are everywhere in Pride and Prejudice. While the novel never posits an egalitarian
ideology nor supports the leveling of all social classes, it does criticize an over-emphasis on class,
especially in terms of judging a person's character. Ultimately, the novel accepts Elizabeth's view that the
trappings of wealth are not a virtue in and of themselves. Darcy's initial pride is based on his extreme
class-consciousness, but he eventually comes to accept Elizabeth's perspective, most notably evidenced
through his admiration of the Gardiners. Likewise, he joins Elizabeth in rejecting the upper-class
characters who are idle, mean-spirited, closed-minded, like Lady Catherine and Bingley's sisters.
 Austen clearly finds rigid class boundaries to be occasionally absurd. Mr. Collins's comic
formality and obsequious relationship with Lady Catherine form a satire of class consciousness and social
formalities. In the end, the novel's verdict on class differences is moderate. Austen seems to accept the
existence of class hierarchy, but she also criticizes the way it can poison society. Critic Samuel Kliger
notes, "If the conclusion of the novel makes it clear that Elizabeth accepts class relationships as valid, it
becomes equally clear that Darcy, through Elizabeth's genius for treating all people with respect for their
natural dignity, is reminded that institutions are not an end in themselves but are intended to serve the end
of human happiness."

Individual vs. Society

In Pride and Prejudice, Austen portrays a world in which society is actively involved in the
private lives of individuals. Characters often face questions about their responsibility to the world around
them. A prime example is Darcy's guilt for not having publicly shamed Wickham before he was able to
elope with Lydia. After all, Lydia's sin threatens to besmirch not only her family, but the community at
large. And yet Austen seems quite well aware of how easily public opinion can change, as evidenced by
the town's easily shifting opinions on Wickham. Elizabeth, meanwhile, is proudly independent and
individualistic. She possesses the ability to transcend her limitations - the negligence of her parents, the
frivolity of Meryton, the pragmatic nature of Charlotte - because she is confident enough to go after what
she wants. However, her individualistic nature misleads her as she works through her feelings for Darcy -
but thankfully, Mrs. Gardiner is there to guide her towards him. Ultimately, Austen is critical of the
power public opinion has on individual action, but she also believes that society has a crucial role in
promoting virtue and therefore, engendering individual happiness. According to critic Richard Simpson,
Austen portrays a "thorough consciousness that man is a social being, and that apart from society there is
not even the individual."

Virtue
Austen's novels unite Aristotelian and Christian conceptions of virtue. She sees human life as
purposeful and believes that human beings must guide their appetites and desires through their use of
reason. For instance, Elizabeth almost loses her chance at happiness because her vanity overcomes her
pragmatism. Lydia's lack of virtue is linked with her inability to control her passion and desire.

Most of these examples emphasize the importance of self-awareness. Without knowing oneself, it
is difficult to develop virtue. Darcy and Elizabeth, two of the only characters who actually change in the
novel, can only see past their pride and prejudice with each other's help. In the end, Austen links
happiness to virtue and virtue to self-awareness.
Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice
Irony is the very soul of Jane Austen’s novels and “Pride and Prejudice” is steeped in irony of
theme, situation, character and narration. Irony is the contrast between appearance and reality.

As one examines “Pride and Prejudice”, one is struck with the fact of the ironic significance that
pride leads to prejudice and prejudice invites pride and both have their corresponding virtues bound up
within them. Each has its virtues and each has its defects. They are contradictory and the supreme irony is
that intricacy, which is much deeper, carries with it grave dangers unknown to simplicity. This type of
thematic irony runs through all of Jane Austen’s novel.

In “Pride and Prejudice” there is much irony of situation too, which provides a twist to the story. Mr.
Darcy remarks about Elizabeth that:

“Tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me…”

We relish the ironical flavor of this statement much later when we reflect that the woman who
was not handsome enough to dance with was really good enough to marry. He removes Bingley from
Netherfield because he considers it imprudent to forge a marriage alliance with the Bennet Family, but
himself ends up marrying the second Bennet sister. Collins proposes to Elizabeth when her heart is full of
Wickham and Darcy proposes to her exactly at the moment when she hates him most. Elizabeth tells Mr.
Collins that she is not the type to reject the first proposal and accept the second but does exactly this when
Darcy proposes a second time. The departure of the militia from Meryton was expected to put an end to
Lydia's flirtations, it brings about her elopement. The Lydia-Wickham episode may seem like an
insurmountable barrier between Elizabeth and Darcy, but is actually instrumental in bringing them
together. Lady Catherine, attempting to prevent their marriage only succeeds in hastening it.

Irony in character is even more prominent than irony of situation. It is ironical that Elizabeth who
prides herself on her perception is quite blinded by her own prejudices and errs badly in judging intricate
characters. Wickham appears suave and charming but is ironically unprincipled rouge. Darcy appears
proud and haughty but ironically proves to be a true gentleman when he gets Wickham to marry Lydia by
paying him. The Bingley Sisters hate the Bennets for their vulgarity but are themselves vulgar in their
behavior. Darcy is also critical of the ill-bred Bennet Family but ironically his Aunt Catherine is equally
vulgar and ill-bed. Thus, the novel abounds in irony of characters.

The narrative of “Pride and Prejudice” too has an ironic tone which contributes much verbal irony. Jane
Austen’s ironic tone is established in the very first sentence 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.”

As Dorothy Van Ghent remark, what we read in it is opposite – a single woman must be in want – of a
man with a good fortune. There is much verbal irony in the witty utterances of Mrs. Bennet. He tells
Elizabeth:

“Let Wickham be your man. He is pleasant fellow and would jilt you creditable …”
In the words ‘pleasant fellow’ is hidden a dramatic irony at the expense of Mr. Bennet, for Wickham is
destined to make a considerable dent in Mr. Bennet's complacency.

Jane Austen did not show any cynicism or bitterness in using her irony to draw satirical portraits
of whims and follies. Rather her irony can be termed comic. It implies on her side an acknowledgement of
what is wrong with people and society. It is interesting to note that ironically, in “Pride and Prejudice”, it
is the villainous character Wickham and lady Catherine – who are responsible for uniting Elizabeth and
Darcy.

She uses irony to shake her major figures of their self-deception and to expose the hypocrisy and
pretentiousness, absurdity and insanity of some of her minor figures. It is definitely possible to deduce
from her works a scheme of moral values. Andrew II Wright rightly points out that irony in her hands is
‘the instrument of a moral vision’.
Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice

One of the most prominent features of the literary style of Jane Austen is her frequent use of
irony. In fact, in no other book is her use of irony more pronounced than in Pride and Prejudice. In Pride
and Prejudice, Jane Austen employs a variety of irony, verbal, thematic, situational, and dramatic.

The title of the novel contains a hidden strain of thematic irony. Jane Austen subtly introduces an
inversion in the thematic foibles, ‘Pride’ and ‘Prejudice’ and the characters they belong to. It is Darcy
who is supposed to have the pride and Elizabeth who is supposed to have the prejudice. But in their
misunderstandings with each other, they accuse each other of excessive pride and prejudice.

Verbal irony is present in profusion in Pride and Prejudice. The oft-quoted opening sentence of
the novel is one of the finest example of verbal irony: “It is truth universally acknowledged that a single
man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”. The statement in fact encapsulates the
ambitions of the empty headed Mrs. Bennet, and her desire to find a good match for each of her five
daughters. Sometimes the characters are unconsciously ironic, as Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins. Mr.
Bennet and Elizabeth serve to directly express the author's ironic opinion. Although Mr. Bennet is
basically a sensible man, he behaves strangely because of his sarcasm with his wife. Mr. Bennet cruelly
mocks his wife’s silliness with the comments as “…you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley
might like you the best of the party”. Elizabeth is to some extent similar to her father’s cynicism. At the
second ball, not only does she reject Darcy’s request to dance with her, but also mocks him with
comments like “Mr. Darcy is all politeness”, and “I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no
defect”. Her speeches crackle with irony that is filled with pep and display vibrant humor.

Dramatic irony is at work when the audience knows something that the character doesn’t, is seen
mainly through Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth is critical of Jane’s blindness to others’ faults. This
criticism is filled with irony, because Elizabeth herself is blind to the true character of Darcy because of
her prejudice against him. Also, Darcy was blind to his love when he declines to dance with Elizabeth. In
addition, when the Gardiners are talking about a future mistress of Pemberley, they don’t know that Darcy
had proposed to Elizabeth and that she could have been that mistress now. This gives a clear example of a
dramatic irony.

The focal point of the story’s situational irony is Darcy’s falling in love with Elizabeth.
Mr.Darcy, who once called Elizabeth “tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt (him)”, gets
captivated by her fine countenance, and ends up admitting that “… it is many months since I have
considered [Elizabeth] as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.” Likewise, Elizabeth, who
starts out hating Mr. Darcy with a passion, ends up marrying him. There is a fine streak of irony in her
response to Charlotte’s engagement and her own subsequent leniency towards materialism at the first
sight of Pemberley: “To be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" Elizabeth tells Mr. Collins that
she is not the type of a woman to reject the first proposal and accept the second but does exactly this
when Darcy proposes her second time.

Mr. Collins advises to Mr. Bennet, talking of Lydia's elopement:

"You ought certainly to forgive them as a Christian, but never to admit them to your sight, or allow their
names to be mentioned in your hearing."

Mr. Collins is being unconsciously ironic , his idea of 'forgiveness' isn't really forgiving at all.

Irony in character is even more prominent than irony of situation. It is ironical that Elizabeth who
prides herself on her perception and disdains Jane’s blindness to realities, is herself blinded by her own
prejudice. Darcy always thought himself to be a gentleman but his own proposal to Elizabeth is quite
ungentlemanly. Wickham is graceful to look at, but at heart he is an unredeemed villain. The Bingley
Sisters hate the Bennets for their vulgarity but are themselves vulgar in their behaviour. Lady Catherine
de Bourgh views herself to be a graceful lady, but is an equally self-conceited and haughty woman. Mr.
Collins always boasts of himself as a clergyman, but is an ironical portrait of self-satisfied sycophancy
and pomposity. Thus, the novel abounds in irony of characters.

To conclude, the irony of Jane Austin is not tinged with any bitterness, nor does she reflect her
cynicism. Rather her irony can be termed comic. Irony is used by Jane Austin in Pride and Prejudice to
expose the hypocrisy and pretentiousness of contemporary English society. Andrew H. Wright very aptly
remarks that irony, at the hands of Jane Austen, is the “instrument of a moral vision.”
Character Analysis:
1) Elizabeth Bennet
Even in her blindest moments, Elizabeth Bennet is an unfailing attractive character. She is
described as a beauty and has especially expressive eyes, but what everybody notices about her is her
spirited wit and her good sense. Mainly because of that good sense, Elizabeth is her father's favorite child
and her mother's least favorite. Her self-assurance comes from a keen critical mind and is expressed
through her quick-witted dialogue.

Elizabeth's sparkling and teasing wit brings on Lady Catherine's disapproval and Darcy's
admiration. She is always interesting to listen to and always ready to laugh at foolishness, stating, "I hope
I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I
own, and I laugh at them whenever I can." Because of her exceptional powers of observation, Elizabeth's
sense of the difference between the wise and foolish, for the most part, is very good.

In spite of her mistake in misjudging Wickham and Darcy, and her more blamable fault of
sticking stubbornly to that judgment until forced to see her error, Elizabeth is usually right about people.
For example, she painfully recognizes the inappropriate behavior of most of her family, and she quickly
identifies Mr. Collins as a fool and Lady Catherine as a tyrant. However, this ability to size people up
leads her too far at times. She proceeds from reasonable first impressions of Darcy and Wickham to
definite and wrong conclusions about their characters. Her confidence in her own discernment — a
combination of both pride and prejudice — is what leads her into her worst errors.

2) Fitzwilliam Darcy
Darcy exhibits all the good and bad qualities of the ideal English aristocrat — snobbish and
arrogant, he is also completely honest and sure of himself. Darcy is not actually a titled nobleman, but he
is one of the wealthiest members of the landed gentry — the same legal class that Elizabeth's much poorer
family belongs to. While Darcy's sense of social superiority offends people, it also promotes some of his
better traits.

As Wickham notes in his sly assessment,

"His pride never deserts him; but with the rich, he is liberal-minded, just, sincere, rational, honorable, and
perhaps agreeable — allowing for fortune and figure."

It is, in fact, his ideal of nobility that makes Darcy truly change in the novel. When Elizabeth
flatly turns down his marriage proposal and tells him that it was ungentlemanly, Darcy is startled into
realizing just how arrogant and assuming he has been. He reflects later on why he was that way: "I was
spoiled by my parents, who though good themselves . . . allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be
selfish and overbearing . . . to think meanly of all the rest of the world." Darcy's humbling makes him
more sensitive to what other people feel. In the end, he is willing to marry into a family with three silly
daughters, an embarrassing mother, and Wickham as a brother-in-law. It may be that he becomes more
easygoing about other people's faults because he is now aware of his own.

3) Comic Characters
Mrs. Bennet:
The entire novel pokes fun at Mrs. Bennet every chance it gets. Right from the first page, she
provides comical relief for readers. Her biggest concern in life is to get her daughters married off,
however, with her lapses of social grace she in turn alienates the suitors she so desired to attract. Her
biggest taunter is comically her husband to which she has no clue. In the first two chapters he acts like he
is not going to introduce himself to the new tenant in the neighborhood who could be a potential suitor for
one of their daughters, when in reality he just tells her this to get a rise out of her. It seems that any
chance he gets, he makes a mockery of his wife. Judging from how she acts, it doesn’t seem that hard to
poke fun at her expense. Mrs. Bennet seems to be the type of neighbor who knows everything about
everyone. She keeps tabs on all of the gossip that goes on and tries to save it to use to her advantage,
which always seems to backfire. Her character is a satire of the effects of lower breeding and
unbecoming behavior.

Lydia Bennet:
One of Elizabeth’s younger sisters. She is promiscuous and is more than excited when the naval
party settles in town. She and her sister Kitty are constantly throwing themselves at the officers. Little
does she know, or care, that this disgrace on her part in turn threatens the entire Bennet family. She
eventually runs off with one of the seamen, Wickham—yes, Darcy’s nemesis, and lives with him out of
wedlock, imposing more shame on the family. Her character portrays the idea that the apple doesn’t fall
too far from the tree. If her mother had instilled a better sense of values she may have not turned out like
this. Also, she ends up miserable in the end, showcasing that bad decisions will eventually catch up with
you.

Mary Bennet:
The middle Bennet sister; readers cannot help but feel sorry for Mary. She seems to be that girl
in school who thinks she has a great voice, when in reality she sounds like an alley cat dying. Mary
probably receives the least amount of attention from her parents and is easily pacified. She would rather
be off reading than participating in family activities. However, when she wants people to notice her she
will make sure that they do, even if it means playing the pianoforte way off key. Overall, Mary is not
included in the novel a great deal, but when she is, it is to provide comic relief as the misfit sister.
Mr. Collins:
The inheritor to the Bennet household since they have five daughters and property is not passed
on to a female heir. He is "not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by
education or society." Mr. Collins is a pompous man who lacks common sense. Sure that she will say yes
to benefit her family, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. Upon rejection Elizabeth categorizes him as “a
conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man". Within a few days he becomes engaged to Elizabeth’s
best friend, Charlotte. Mr. Collins values rank and wealth over intelligence and does not see the flaws in
Lady Catherine’s speeches and actions. He is also incessantly bowing to people which gets on everyone's
nerves. In general, Mr. Collins is an ignorant man who lacks the judgment to know when he is not
welcome, imposing on the Bennets at his leisure. Even his new wife suggests he spend more time
gardening as to avoid interaction with him.

Miss Bingley:
Mr. Bingley’s sister. Throughout the novel she rides around on her high horse passing judgment
on those whom she encounters, having a strong disdain for the middle class. She finds great amusement
in the Bennet family, seeing them as inferior and disgraceful. Though she longs to become Mrs. Darcy, it
is through her attempts at dissuading Mr. Darcy in his attempts to woo Elizabeth that in turn push him
even more in her favor.
Jane Austen’s Limited Range
Jane Austen as a novelist has stringently set her limits which she seldom oversteps. She was
amazingly aware of which side her genius lay and she exploited it accordingly without any false notions
of her capabilities or limitations. As Lord David Cecil points out, she very wisely stayed "within the range
of her imaginative inspiration." Her imaginative inspiration was as severely limited as, for example,
Hardy's or Arnold Bennett's. Her themes, her characters, her background setting -everything has a well-
etched range within which she works, and works exquisitely. Jane Austen herself referred to her work
as “Two inches of ivory.” In a letter to her niece, Fanny Knight, Jane Austen wrote, “Three or four
families in a country village is the very thing to work on.”

Although she works on a very small canvas, yet she has widened the scope of fiction in almost all
its directions. Her stories are mostly indoor actions where only family matters are discussed. However,
her plots are perfect and characterization is superb.

Critics have labeled her novels belonging to a narrow range of themes and characterization. Even
in her limited world, Austen restricts herself to the depiction of a particular class of country gentry. She
excludes the matters of lower class and hardly touches aristocracy. For instance, she has discussed Lady
Catherine only for the purpose of satire. The same sort of story is repeated, subject matters are very much
the same in all her novels, confined to the landed gentry – Servants, laborers and yeomanry rarely appear
in her novels. Her nephew James Austen-Leigh, alludes to her limited range:

“She was always careful not to meddle with matters with which she did not thoroughly understand”.

There is no terrible happening in Jane Austin’s novels. Everything happens in a civilized manner. The
extreme severity in “Pride and Prejudice” is elopement of Lydia with Wickham.

Charlotte Bronte was constrained to observe about Jane Austen:

"She ruffles her reader by nothing vehement, disturbs him by nothing profound. The passions are
perfectly unknown to her : she rejects even a speaking acquaintance with that stormy sisterhood."

Charlotte Bronte believes that Jane Austen is not concerned with the deep morals and she is an author of
the surface only: “Her business is not half so much with the human heart as with the human eye, mouth,
hands and feet.”

Andrew H. Wright points out that there is very little religion discussed in her novels, politics is not
mentioned too. There are no adventures found in her books, no abstract ideas and no discussion of
spiritual or metaphysical issues.

Macaulay declares that her characters are commonplace, “yet they are all as perfectly discriminated from
each other as if they were the most eccentric of human beings.”

Sir Walter Scott appreciates the precision of her Art and its merit:“That young lady has a talent for
describing the involvement of feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I
have ever met with.”
G.H. Lewes pays glowing tribute to her:“First and foremost, let Jane Austen be named, the greatest artist
that has ever written... Her circle may be restricted, but it is complete. Her world is a perfect orb, and vital
sphere.”

Pride and Prejudice like her other novels has a narrow physical setting in which she lived. The
story revolves around Netherfield, Longbourn, Hunsford, Meryton and Pemberley. It seems to be an irony
of the history that when the Romantic Poets were discovering the beauties of nature, Jane Austen
confined her characters within the four walls of the drawing room. Her heroines also famously never
leave the family. Edward Fitzgerald states: “She never goes out of the Parlour.”

Jane Austen’s limitations stemmed from the choice of her themes: love, marriage and courtship.
All of her six novels deal with same theme of love and marriage. There are pretty girls waiting for eligible
bachelors to be married to.

Another limitation is the feminization of her novels. Men do not appear except in the company of
women. All the information about Darcy is proved through Elizabeth’s point of view. Hence, the reader
looks at Darcy through Elizabeth’s eye

However her novels are profound in the psychological delineation of her characters. She is able to
capture superbly, the subtlety of thoughts and reflexes of her characters. We can sum up above discussion
in the words of Virginia Woolf:

“Jane Austen is the mistress of a much deeper emotion than appears on the surface.”