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Quote Analysis in Pride and Prejudice

Quote Analysis Examples in Pride and Prejudice:

Chapter III

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"I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men...."   (Chapter III)

Mr. Darcy snobbishly refuses to dance with any woman who is not of his own party—especially the Bennet girls. Elizabeth seems unworthy for three different reasons: her social status (which is lower than his), her beauty, and her apparent unpopularity. She is not as highly sought-after as her beautiful sister, so Mr. Darcy sees no reason to "give consequence" to her.

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"secure of judging properly at first.”..."   (Chapter XVIII)

Elizabeth is guilty of the same prejudice that she sees in Mr. Darcy. She criticizes him for refusing to change his initial opinions about people, but she does the same thing. Her opinion of Miss Bingley and Mr. Darcy—that they are prideful and snobby—is based on first impressions, and she believes Wickham only because her first impression of him was more favorable.

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"secure of judging properly at first.”..."   (Chapter XVIII)

Elizabeth suspects that Mr. Darcy is the reason Mr. Wickham is absent from Mr. Bingley's ball at Netherfield. She believes Mr. Darcy, who allegedly denied Mr. Wickham a rectorship that had been promised to him by Mr. Darcy's father, is guilty of prejudice. Mr. Darcy judges people based on first impressions and rarely changes his opinions, so Elizabeth observes that he would do well to ensure that his initial judgment is accurate.

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"“From the very beginning,..."   (Chapter XXXIV)

Once again, Elizabeth bases her opinion of Mr. Darcy on first impressions. She is convinced that he interfered with the romance between Jane and Mr. Bingley because he looks down on the Bennet family. She also believes he mistreated Mr. Wickham out of pride and jealousy. Mr. Darcy's proposal seems all the more preposterous because he is reluctant while giving it; he understands that marriage between he and Elizabeth is not advantageous, but his feelings necessitate asking for her hand.

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"I believed it on impartial conviction,..."   (Chapter XXXV)

Mr. Darcy confirms his interference in the romance between Jane and Mr. Bingley, but reveals that he was worried Mr. Bingley would be heartbroken. Jane (like most respectable ladies of her time) refuses to express romantic feelings, so Mr. Darcy thought she didn't care for Mr. Bingley. Mr. Darcy didn't prevent an engagement because he thought Jane was beneath Mr. Bingley; he convinced Mr. Bingley to abandon Jane because he thought Jane wasn't in love.

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"Till this moment I never knew myself.”..."   (Chapter XXXVI)

Elizabeth realizes that she was prejudiced against Mr. Darcy. She misgauged his motivations and indulged her vanity "in useless or blameless mistrust." He interfered with Jane's engagement to Mr. Bingley because Jane did not express her feelings for Mr. Bingley, so Mr. Darcy suspected that she wanted to marry him for his money. Mr. Darcy acted out of genuine care and concern for his friend, not pride or prejudice. Elizabeth, however, has been both prideful and prejudicial.

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