Words: 1112
It has always been common practice in society for a person to a make judgment of another based on a misconception of that Individual. Whether It be arrogance or ego, social standing or appearance, that lead to the Judgment, one will always be Judged. The tendency of one to blindly do the judging is a problem which must be remedied. In Jane Student’s Pride and Prejudice Dairy and Elisabeth develop traits which they must overcome.
Dairy, because of his pride, prejudges Elisabeth based looks and social standing, Elisabeth builds her pride in defense and develops a prejudice against Dairy, and due to their relations with each other they subdue these traits and fall In love. Dairy and Elisabeth are only able to find true love once they have overcome their pride and prejudice. Because of his social status Dairy quickly develops a prejudice against Elisabeth due to her bourgeois family background and his extensive arrogance. He has reason to be proud because, “The gentlemen all pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man” (Austin, 7).
Such compliments only bulls an ego and so, on the night of the ball at Emerson, Mr.. Bentley Invites Dairy to dance with Elisabeth. He refuses, saying “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austin, 9). He is a rich land owner and sees only a middle class villager when he looks at Elisabeth and he very quickly Judges her as not respectable enough for himself nor his pride. It is also the opinion of Mrs.. Bennett that Dairy is one of the most conceited men around. She explains to her daughter Elisabeth after he Insults her, that “he Is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing.
So high and conceited that there as no enduring him” (Austin. 10). Dairy Is so arrogant and prejudicial that he does not even care about what is said about him. His pride is much too strong to be bruised by such a measly comment. Dairy is a thoughtless, self-centered man with an enormous ego and a tendency to prejudge, who’s careless actions will affect him in the future because his insults and arrogance promptly offend Elisabeth. Elisabeth also very quickly develops a prejudice against Dairy and therefore becomes too proud to Interact with him: and for good reason.
After overhearing Dairy’s castles comments about herself, she comments to her friends, “l could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine” (Austin, 16). She is not only hurt by his comment but angered and resentful toward Dairy and feels it is no loss for not knowing him. As she recalls the events of the ball she begins to detest him more and more; “to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and not thought her handsome enough to dance with” (Austin, 19). She now fully dislikes Dairy basing her entire perception of him on the impact of one sentence.
At the music recital Dairy asks her to dance. She does not respond so he repeats his request to dance receiving the response, “l heard you before I know that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste I have therefore made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all” (Austin, 45). Elisabeth is now turning the tables and Is refusing to dance with Dairy. She Is still angry about his in love, it will be on Dairy now to overcome his Pride and prejudice and make the first step towards a relationship with Elisabeth.
Dairy is able to overcome his pride and his prejudice of Elisabeth to realize what kind of woman she really is, and discover that he loves her. On his third encounter Ninth Elisabeth he looks at her again and “he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness” (Austin, 19). Dairy is now beginning to realize that Elisabeth is not like the other women. She is playful and intelligent and Dairy is now growing attracted to her.
In order to make his feelings clear to Elisabeth, he writes her a letter. In it he explains, “l write without any intention of paining you, or humbling myself I am under the necessity of relating feelings which may be offensive to yours, I can only say that I am sorry” (Austin, 174 – 175). Dairy would normally show no concern for the feelings of a woman he has rounded, much less a second class citizen, but feels different about Elisabeth. He has climbed over the wall that is social classes and found Elisabeth to be the woman he loves.
His desire for Elisabeth will make him stop at nothing to make her feel the same about him. Although Dairy is the first to overcome his pride and prejudice, Elisabeth is able to overcome here’s using her intellect to analyze the events and actions of those around her. The first part in this process, and the most significant event as well, is the letter Inch she receives from Dairy which explains and apologizes for all his actions. Reading it “with a strong prejudice against everything he might say, she began to account of what had happened at Netherworld. Austin, 181). Upon reading this letter she realizes how misinformed she is about Dairy and her prejudice begins to dissipate because she now understands Dairy’s motives and Ants to know more about him. Elisabeth “hatred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling dislike against him” (Austin, 233). Elisabeth now sees Dairy as a handsome well-respected man who is in love with her and she begins to realize that she is also in love with him. In a letter to her aunt she explains “l am the happiest creature in the world” (Austin, 340).
Elisabeth has overcome her rancorous attitude toward Dairy and has found true love; a love that will never die. It is only when Dairy and Elisabeth overcome their pride and prejudice that they are able to find true love. Dairy prejudges Elisabeth based looks and social standing, Elisabeth in defense develops prejudice against Dairy, and due to their relations with each other they overcome these traits and fall in love. Society must learn to refrain from Judging individuals solely on assets, appearance or social standing. It must learn to overcome its pride and prejudice.