The Surfaces Within Pride and Prejudice

I feel that the statement that "Pride and Prejudice is pre-occupied with surfaces and never gets beneath them" is wrong. It is quite the opposite because Jane Austen insists on going into great depths as to why characters conform to society and how society affects their relationships and other issues of the sort. The opening line "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" is suffice evidence that Austen's inclinations are to show the reader what society was like during the Regency era from the beginning of the book. Through the use of narrative techniques, irony and humour Austen allows us to go beneath the surfaces.

The issue of marriage is one of great significance in Austen's eyes because she goes beneath the surfaces of an array of marriages throughout the novel. These marriages help to outline and emphasise Austen's opinions of what marriage is which is a binding of two people who are in essence very similar human beings who share the same needs and wants. This idea of marriage went against societies expectations because compatibility and love was not important. In fact, social status and wealth seemed to have been necessities in marriages during Austen's life which is supported by Charlotte Lucas when she says "very few of us who have a heart enough to be really in love without encouragement". However, I feel that Austen's morals of marriage are portrayed succinctly through the relationships of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth and Mr Bingley and Jane.

Without the marriage of Mrs Bennet and Mr Bennet there would be no basis for comparison and the reader would be passive, however, it becomes apparent that although they have a long lasting marriage they are far from happy. Their relationship is in stark contrast with Jane and Mr Bingley's. This is a deliberate ploy by Austen to help portray with greater clarity and conviction the coherent message of the novel, which is a corrupt relationship is one which lacks love.

First impressions are a vital aspect of the novel because Jane Austen uses it as a way of going beneath the surfaces of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth. Both characters have their own faults such as Mr Darcy's intrinsic supercilious nature and Elizabeth's prejudice but they eventually reassess themselves with the aid of each other and transform dramatically. Mr Darcy transitions from a haughty and proud gentleman to a man who is less concerned with pride and Elizabeth overcomes her strong-minded and stubborn but more importantly prejudice views of Darcy. Austen uses them as devices to convey how one should never judge a book by its cover but be more aware of ones own faults.

What I find most interesting is how Austen subtly and effectively lures the reader into a false sense of security about the character of Mr Darcy. She begins to reveal key events such as Wickham's elopement with his younger sister Georgiana which is a turning point in the novel. At this point Austen goes beneath the surface of Darcy's true character and we realise he is a pragmatic, modest and genuine gentleman. We begin to notice that his actions speak louder than words because he finances Lydia and Wickham's elopement on his own accord. Elizabeth choses to quickly judge Darcy as a pretentious man but in fact he merely wishes to get closer to her. There are many facets to Darcy's character but perhaps what is so essential is that Austen uses him to go beneath the surface of upper-class aristocrats in order to find common ground to prove that social prominence and wealth does not epitomize the quality of an individual but that modesty and amiability is more important.

A prime example of Austen's satire is the character of Lady Catherine De Bough who is the epitome of class snobbery. Austen consistently exploits Lady Catherine De Bough's vice and folly in a satirical manner which is representative of Austen's strong feelings towards people who are corrupted by power. Austen portrays Lady Catherine to be the only financially independent women in the novel but also as a person who is domineering, mean and controlling. Austen is going beneath the surface of upper-class and power-lustful members of society who abuse their right of power to condescend and menace with inferior members of society to promote social equality.

Austen continues to go beneath the surface of society by presenting attitudes towards social status and love through the frivolous character of Lydia. Lydia is presented as a naïve and idiotic character that has conformed to society without realising the pressure of conformity that has been installed upon her from such an early stage of her life. This is illustrated when she says "You need not send them word at Longbourn of my going, if you do not like it, for it will make the surprise the greater, when I write to them, and sign my name Lydia Wickham. What a good joke it will be! I can hardly write for laughing" and further emphasises the extent to how oblivious Lydia is to the censure of her family.

The relationship between Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins is another example of how Jane Austen does not stay pre-occupied with surfaces. Instead, we go beneath their relationship which is a seemingly loveless and dissatisfied one because Charlotte "who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment". Here, it is pronounced by Austen that women married for the benefits of social status and wealth but in fact it is the opposite of that which Austen thinks is the moral way to marry.

The significance of Jane Austen going beneath the surfaces in this novel is great and is employed in order for the audience to gain a greater insight into the attributes and idiosyncrasies of the more complex characters such as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth. With the use of irony, humour and wit Austen sugar-coats what she feels is immoral and erratic behaviour to help the reader go beneath the illusions of surfaces in society.

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