傲慢与偏见bookreview.doc

Review of Pride and Prejudice Introduction:About the book:Pride and Prejudice was the representative work of Jane Austen.It gave a vivid expression of the reactionary and traditional country life and peoples minds during 18th centuries and 19th centuries in Britain to us.It portrays life in the genteel rural society of the day, and tells of the initial misunderstandings and later mutual enlightenment between elizabeth bennet (whose liveliness and quick wit have often attracted readers) and the haughty darcy. The title pride and prejudice refers (among other things) to the ways in which elizabeth and darcy first view each other.About the author: The English author Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817. Her six novels are Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice,Ansfield Mpark, Emma, Persuasion.Her novels are highly prized not only for their light irony, humor, and depiction of contemporary English country life, but also for their underlying serious qualities.She was the founder of the novel which deals with unimportant middle class people and of which there are many fine examples in later english fiction. She is also sparing of describing the internal thoughts and emotions of male characters.However,Austinnovels also display an ambiguity about emotion and an appreciation for intelligence and natural beauty.Setting:The socia milieu of Austens Regency England was particularly stratified and class divisions were rooted in family connections and wealth.The opening sentences of this novelIt is a truth universally ackoowledged,that a single man in possession of a good furtune,must be in want of a wife reflect that in Regency England the centrality of advantageous marriage is a fundamental social value. In this novel the story mostly happens in Longbourn,in rural England.Summary:Pride and Prejudice is a love story that is both humorous and deeply serious. It is primarily concerned with the Bennets, a family with five daughters ranging in age from twenty-two to fifteen. The family children live well but know that when their father dies they will lose their home and property to their cousin Mr. Collins, simply because the family has no male heir. Mrs. Bennet, a comically deluded woman, believes that her main business is to arrange for her children to marry rich or, at worst, reputable gentlemen. Elizabeth Bennet, the talented, independent second daughter, and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a haughty aristocrat who sees through Mrs. Bennets manipulations and believes the Bennet family to be beneath him. In turn, Elizabeth develops a blinding prejudice against Darcy and puts him down as no one has dared before. Then they experience lots of obstacles and at last get over the prejudice and get married.Comments:I will pay attention to the two themes.Pride:Pride and prejudice are displayed in every character ,It is pride of those of a higher economic status which genuinely withholds prominent relationships of those who are of lower economic status. Darcys pride causes him to look down on those who are in a lower social class,. Given that Elizabeth Bennet is of a lower class than Darcy, this places immediate restrictions to their relationship. Which do you mean?and turning round,he looked for a moment at Elizabeth,till catching her eye ,he withdrew his own and coldly said,She is tolerable;but not handsome enough to tempt me;and I am in noi humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles,for you are wasting your time with me. These words describe Darcys reaction at the Meryton ball to Bingleys suggestion that he dance with Elizbeath,What is worse, he totally pay no attention that whether Elizbeathe will hear it or not,which creats a negative impression of him in her mind. Darcys sense of social superiority makes others hate him.Then Darcy found that he was attracted by Elizabath, he even makes a courtship to her.In vain have I struggled.It will not do.My feelings will not be repressed.You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.However,he speaks well,but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed,mand he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride.His sense of her inferiority of its being a degradation of the family abstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding,but was very unlikely to recommand his suit.However Elizbath refused him,because Darcy still was trying his best to make her believe that her lower rank .The author makes us know that only when Darcy put down his pride can he won her love.Elizabeth also displays significant pride. Though not influenced by economic status, Elizabeth is most proud of her ability of perception: although it is her ill perception which causes her to misjudge Darcy and also Wickham. When Elizabeth hears of Wickhams accusations of Darcy, she trusts the negative perception of him, and mistakenly views Darcys confidence as conceit. However ,pride can be divided into two kinds: positive and negative pride.Possessing positive or right pride is to have self-respect, honor, and integrity. On the other hand, wrong or negative pride is defined as showing arrogant or disdainful conduct and haughtiness which tend to produce prejudice. So we should have self-respect and honor and integrity,but we definitely can not be arrogant.Prejudice:Prejudice also corresponds with character pride. Prejudiced judgments are woven within society in the novel, especially pertaining to reputation, economic status, and womens inferiority to men. Immediate prejudiced judgments are consistently being developed for all characters; the wealthy are snobbish, the not-so-wealthy are impolite, the eldest daughter will be the first to marry, and unmarried women-over-thirty will never marry. Most importantly: Many prejudiced judgments are due to a characters pride, or their pride causes social prejudice. Darcy has prejudice against Elizabeth social status , family, Elizabeth has prejudice against Darcys pride,manner.Of course,through these author starize the class consciousness. We can not ignore the large effect of prejudice.If the pr