I have never encountered the book Pride and Prejudice nor have I had any slight interest in reading it. It seemed like one of those old books on a shelf that just collects dust. Judging from the cover before reading this book looked boring however, looks can be deceiving. This book has gotten high remarks so, that must mean there is something positive about it. After reading this though I feel that there are a lot of clichés in the plot.
I figured that this novel would be uninteresting and hard to read, however, I found it quite the opposite. Jane Austen made the characters interesting in the way she wrote and developed the characters. They had life and there were distinct characteristics about each one. For example, Ms. Bennett comes off as crazy while Mr. Bennett is really sarcastic. In a weird way, I think that they complement each other.
One thing that this book is heavily based around is a patriarchal society. It’s important to any girl in their era as well as Elizabeth to retrieve a wealthy man to marry. I can see why marrying a wealthy man is important because if you’re a parent you want the best financial situation possible which means you get to worry less if you know that your daughter is being taken care of. If you don’t have an abundance of money then you aren’t important and you don’t matter in the slightest. Money is what makes the world go ‘round. These kinds of ideals about money are still around today because some people are famous just because the amount of wealth they have. The excitement due to Mr. Bigley reminded me of Cinderella where women are lining up to get a chance to be with the prince.
I think that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcys relationship is extremely childish. If you like someone then show them. Kindergarten is the time where boys show they like girls by being rude and mean to them. This is not kindergarten, however, I think the way they interact with each other adds to their relationship. I can also relate this to how in popular shows and movies such as, Beauty and the Beast, women are attracted to the guy they shouldn’t like. Somehow being the “bad” guy is attractive for some reason. I think as we read on the relationships between people will be more developed to the reader and as a result become an even better story over time. 
Yeah, back then marriages for the wealthy or close to that level of society were based on marrying wealthy if not wealthier men. The character Ms. Bennett at first does seem to me like an over eager to get her daughters married quickly. Especially afters she hears news of a wealthy man named Mr. Bingley is coming to town. I do however like Mr. Bennett, he is a bit sarcastic to Ms. Bennett, but he does acknowledge that Elizabeth's good qualities that she stands out from the rest of her sisters. And that I feel women should be independent and free to peruse their own happiness just as much as men do. I did watch Beauty and the Beast recently, it was a great movie.
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ReplyDeleteI like the reference to Cinderella! I didn't think about how relatable that is! I do agree that money does make the world go 'round and parents only want what's best for their children, but money shouldn't be influenced on their love for that person. I believe that the Bennet sisters should choose who they want to marry regardless of how much money they have. I agree that the way Mr. Darcy expresses his love for Lizzy by being rude to her is extremely childish. Most guys still do this today, but why? I never seemed to understand why guys express their feelings for girls by teasing and being rude to them.
ReplyDeleteI love your post, mostly because you compared Pride and Prejudice to Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. i LOVE DISNEY! But I agree, the excitement around Mr. Bingley is relatable to the excitement with wanting to be with the Prince.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the fact that Mr. & Mrs. Bennet compliment each other. They are opposites, but they work well together.
I felt exactly the same way you did when I first saw this book on the syllabus. I knew of the book before this class but never had any interest to reading it. After I read a couple pages I was hooked much like yourself.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the connection between the this stories plot and to Cinderella. I haven't thought about the connection between the two, but thinking about it now they're almost hand in hand.
I like how you looked at the text from a positive perspective. I love your honestly and how you admitted to judging the book by its cover at first. As we finish this novel, I believe the characters and plot will become even more interesting. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI never looked at this book in comparison to Disney movies, but you're right there are similarities. Especially with Cinderella since she didn't come from as wealthy a back ground as the prince. I always thought this book was was one of a kind, it doesn't really come across as a love story to me. I was never interested in this book either, most likely because I knew nothing about it other than it was old and most schools make you read it(which means it has to be boring right?).
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