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Pride and Prejudice Paper Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice is a satiric English novel written by Jane Austen. Satire is a work that blends a censorious attitude with humor and wit for improving human institutions or humanity. Darcy and Lady Catherine are wealthy people who treat the poor differently than people of the same class as them. Mr. Collins is a middle class man who is a cousin of the Bennet girls. Pride and Prejudice should be considered a satiric novel because Jane Austen makes fun of social positions and manners. Pride and Prejudice is a satiric novel because of the way the rich treated the poor.
Darcy treats the lower class differently when he says, “Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with. ” (13). Mr. Darcy is belittling people in the lower class before he knows them because of their financial state. This shows Darcy’s insecurities when he sees Elizabeth in the beginning of the novel. Lady Catherine insults the poor when she says, “This must be a most inconvenient sitting room for the evening in summer: the windows are full west. ” (327). This shows Lady Catherine’s judgmental attitude toward the Bennet’s throughout the novel.
Lady Catherine’s dislike is displayed toward the Bennet’s and of the idea of Elizabeth marring Darcy. In the eyes of Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine the poor and the rich should not be treated the same. Pride and Prejudice is a satiric novel because of the way people act in society. Darcy makes an unfavorable comment when he says, “The country, can in general supply but few subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society. ” (42). When Mr. Darcy says this it shows his lack of respect to the lower class that lives in the country.
This shows how Darcy is confident and self absorbed with his current state in society. Mr. Collins’ behavior is unacceptable when he says, “You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my addresses are merely words of course. ” (104). Here Mr. Collins shows how he is in shock that someone would refuse such a request from him. Mr. Collins also makes himself look bad here because he acts like he is very wealthy and the best for Elizabeth when is simply is not. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins have very poor manners and act very disrespectful at times in the novel.
Throughout the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen points out peoples faults in society. Different people are judgmental throughout the novel and miss out on great things because of their attitudes, Elizabeth and Darcy miss out on each other because of Mr. Darcy’s pride and because Elizabeth is prejudice. Mr. Darcy and other member of higher classes do not show respect for people who are not as wealthy as them. Pride and Prejudice is a great book because it not only points out peoples faults, but also points out the faults with the entire society.