Essay

1997. Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit.

Mr. Darcy’s Pride and Elizabeth’s Prejudice

                In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett first encounters Mr. Darcy at a ball, and this scene plays a significant role in the story. A mutual dislike occurs between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, while a mutual attraction occurs between Elizabeth’s sister, Jane Bennett, and Mr. Darcy’s friend, Mr. Bingley. The ball scene contributes to the meaning of Pride and Prejudice as a whole in that it reveals Mr. Darcy’s pride and views of social superiority, it causes Elizabeth to have a prejudice against Mr. Darcy, and it shows the immediate attraction between Jane and Mr. Bingley.

                In the ball scene, Mr. Darcy’s pride and views of social superiority are clearly revealed. He refuses to dance with anyone who’s socially inferior to him, and rejects Mr. Bingley’s suggestion to dance with Elizabeth, because he believes she’s only tolerable and not enough to tempt him. Mr. Darcy’s views of social superiority that are presented in the ball scene contribute to the novel as a whole in that even though Mr. Darcy begins to fall in love with Elizabeth throughout the novel, Mr. Darcy fights against his feelings because of how strong his values of social superiority are. However, he eventually lets love overpower his pride and confesses his feelings to Elizabeth. Elizabeth still has harsh feelings towards him though, which all started with Mr. Darcy revealing his values of social superiority at the ball.

                Elizabeth’s prejudice against Mr. Darcy is clearly established whenever she first encounters him in the ball scene. Whenever she overhears Mr. Darcy refusing to dance with her, she immediately dislikes him and thinks horribly of him and his views of social superiority. Elizabeth’s prejudice formed in the ball scene contributes to the novel as a whole in that anytime something negative is said about Mr. Darcy throughout the novel, Elizabeth always believes it, before even hearing Mr. Darcy’s side. However, she eventually finds out the truth about Mr. Darcy by reading a letter that he wrote for her, and realizes that not everything that he was accused of is true. Yet, Elizabeth wouldn’t have always expected the worst from Mr. Darcy if he hadn’t acted so harshly towards her and caused her to form a prejudice against him at the ball.

                In the ball scene, an immediate attraction is shown between Jane and Mr. Bingley, and they end up developing strong feelings for each other. The attraction shown between Jane and Mr. Bingley contributes to the novel as a whole in that it causes Mr. Darcy to apply his feelings of social superiority to his friend’s situation by eventually splitting up Mr. Bingley and Jane, not wanting his friend to marry into a family that lacks propriety and wealth. Elizabeth becomes very upset in finding out that Mr. Darcy is the cause of her sister’s unhappiness and breakup with Mr. Bingley. However, Mr. Darcy doesn’t interfere with Mr. Bingley and Jane later getting back together, doing whatever he can to make Elizabeth happy, which works out in his favor when she eventually confesses that she now loves him as well. This shows how love has finally triumphed over Mr. Darcy’s views on social superiority, due to his feelings that have developed and caused his priority to become his love for Elizabeth, rather than social superiority as it had been at the ball.

                The ball scene makes a contribution to the meaning of Pride and Prejudice as a whole in that it shows Mr. Darcy’s pride and views of social superiority, it causes Elizabeth to form a prejudice against Mr. Darcy, and it reveals the immediate attraction between Jane and Mr. Bingley. The ball scene plays a significant role in the development of Mr. Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s relationship. Even though Mr. Darcy’s pride and values of social superiority shown in the ball scene and Elizabeth’s instant prejudice towards Mr. Darcy formed in the ball scene are both strong, love still triumphs over Mr. Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice.