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Examples Of Social Norms In Pride And Prejudice

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Society closely observes peoples’ behavior and dictates social norms. People instinctively long to be accepted and need approval from those around them. Fundamentally, humans are true to social norms; and the more people stray from social conformity, the more removed they become from the community around them. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen illustrates when people overcome their pride or prejudice, they encourage improvement and can marry based on true love and not on social pressures. Elizabeth Bennet is an intelligent, funny, and prejudiced young woman from a middle-class family who is not afraid to speak her mind and is not intimidated by the upper class. Elizabeth refuses to marry for convenience even if it means she will never marry. …show more content…
He is a wealthy, prideful man who looks down on anyone from a lower social position. He was raised to be proud of his family name and to be judgmental of those he does not know. At an early age, Darcy had to grow up and become responsible for his family which made him independent and conceited.
Elizabeth dislikes Mr. Darcy after he offends her by saying that she “is not handsome enough to tempt me” (8). Darcy’s original insult must have hurt Elizabeth to the point that it contributed a great deal towards her prejudice of him, “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine” (Austen 13). Elizabeth becomes convinced that “arrogance…conceit, and…selfish disdain for the feelings of others” (114) define his character. She even eagerly believes Wickham’s false stories to confirm her scathing opinions of Darcy “I had supposed him to be despising his fellow-creatures in general… such injustice such inhumanity as this” (50). Elizabeth has misjudged his character to be antisocial and not just proud. However, after reading Darcy’s letter, Elizabeth’s perspective of Darcy begins to slowly change. As she contemplates the words written, she realizes she had misjudged Darcy “how despicably I have …show more content…
Darcy is haughty and judgmental of anyone in a lower social class. He has a reputation of having proud manners because he only speaks to his friends and does not wish to be introduced to anyone at the dance, “…I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner” (8). Darcy seems to think of himself as superior to others around him. Darcy is a handsome man, but his arrogant attitude makes him unpopular and misunderstood by others. He finds himself attracted to Elizabeth because she is not like any other woman he has met, but he is struggling with his feelings because of her lower social position. However, when he proposes to Elizabeth he expects her to accept him and was surprised when she refuses his marriage proposal. He could not believe that a woman, especially one inferior to him, would reject his offer of marriage, “And this is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting!... I am this rejected” (112). Darcy is unaware that his prideful attitude is perceived by Elizabeth negatively, and she disapproves of him. Elizabeth speaks her mind and is honest about her feelings, “From the very beginning…your manners, your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others” (114). At first, he is very angry that Elizabeth has rejected him. However, Elizabeth’s rejection and her harsh, but honest words start a change in Darcy. He realized that he is wrong in the way he treated her and other people that he did

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