P&P Essay: First Body Paragraph

Austen emphatically illustrates Mr. Darcy's superior nature to reveal the distinct imbalance of power between the two genders. Because Darcy is not only a tall, handsome man, but also extremely wealthy and the owner of Pemberley, he is exceedingly hubristic, and only interacts with people who can live up to his extreme standards. When Darcy is first introduced to Elizabeth, for example, Darcy believes that she is "not handsome enough to tempt [him]" (Austen 9). While it is certainly true that Elizabeth is not as prestigious and proud as Darcy, Darcy idealizes himself and his world, and Elizabeth can initially not fulfill Darcy's naive view of society. Darcy's excessive pride also leads Mrs. Bennet, who would usually praise a man of Darcy's social power, to believe that he "is a most disagreeable, horrid man" (Austen 10). However, after being forced to interact with Elizabeth, Darcy is instantly exposed to her intelligence and wit; moreover, they begin to playfully criticize each other's flaws. Yet Darcy still feels ashamed and embarrassed of himself for feeling emotions for a woman who does not fit in his idealized world. Darcy effectively places social power before his own happiness and love; he does not initially want to decline his social status by marrying a woman of a "lesser" status. His excessive pride completely overshadows his intuition and feelings for Elizabeth. Austen effectively employs irony in Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship to reveal the evident divide in social power; it is not until Darcy can overcome his pride and prejudice that he can finally express his true love for Elizabeth. Even though Elizabeth's wit and intelligence are equal to that of Darcy's, his overriding pride almost completely hindered his realization of love.