Term Paper on "Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre"

Term Paper 6 pages (1945 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Bronte & Austen

Contrast & Comparison of Rochester and Darby

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the courtship styles of Rochester in Charlotte Bronte's novel, Jane Eyre and Mr. Darby in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. While it may appear to the casual reader that the two gentlemen had the same style in courtship, a closer and more thorough reading of the two novels of Bronte and Austen show that there exists quite a difference in the styles of Mr. Darby and Rochester.

Both Bronte's Jane Eyre and Austen's Pride and Prejudice are in the style of romance and naturally are based around the workings and events expressed within the romance. Bronte's Jane Eyre is a story of a young orphan who manages to find her way in the world because she was abused to the point of having nothing left but to stand up for herself and is a story of opposites such as would be ice and fire which are symbolized throughout the story. Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a story of several daughters of a 'near' upper class family whose estate will not stay with the daughters but revert to a cousin upon the death of their father. Pride and Prejudice is simply that -- a love story with the elements of pride and prejudice that antagonizes the situation for Elizabeth, next to oldest daughter of the Ben nets.

I. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy:

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth meet and he very quickly insults her by remaking that she is handsome enough... indeed this pierced young Elizabeth's heart however, she is very content to embrace the prejudice that she feels towards him as she doesn't know him well enough at this point to make a character judgment. Darcy is a man who strictly means what he says and does not mince words in making his feelings know. Indeed he did not think Elizabeth to be beautiful woman, at least not at first. However as is evidenced in the book (Austen. 1951) p. 20:

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attention to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she herself was becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darby had at first scarcely noticed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only a man who made himself agreeable nowhere and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with."

It appears that Mr. Darby is holding back and as the novel goes on it is quite clear that pride is the source of his strength. Elizabeth had assumed things of Mr. Darby and thus Mr. Darby's pride had taken told and the roots of his pride were deep. Most likely Mr. Darby had lived a lifetime of perhaps being too proud however this element in his character seems to be interwoven with a presumption that as he was not very well liked any way that there was not a large use in the attempt of being liked. As the plot moves forward Mr. Darby becomes drawn more and more to Elizabeth and the realization dawns slowly upon him that Elizabeth is different from the other girls in the rural area and that they have many things in common one of which was their wit which can be described as sardonic at times, realistic most of the time and fully colored by their presumptions about life and about people. Elizabeth's wit is revealed to Darcy on page 54 as the discussion of the faults of individuals are being discussed and the following conversation takes place:

I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no one defect. He owns it himself without disguise." [Elizabeth]

No," said Darcy, I have made no such pretension I have faults enough but they are not, I hope for understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is I believe a little too yielding -certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies of and vices of other so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost forever."

That is a failing indeed!" cried Elizabeth, Implacable resentment is a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well. I really cannot laugh at it You are safe from me>" There is, I believe in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome and your defect is a propensity to hate everybody."

And yours, he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them."

Although Mr. Darby is awakened at this point to Elizabeth's quick wit and playful manner that runs as an undercurrent in this scene, Elizabeth had advice that the was taken to heart by Mr. Darcy and in the end endeared her to him and was the largest part of what drew him to her and this fact is demonstrated throughout Austen's novel. Darby undergoes. Mr. Darby finally unable to contain his feelings proposed to Elizabeth at his aunt's house and is quite 'surprised' when Elizabeth turns him down in a very insulting manner. Mr. Darby next met Elizabeth at his Pemberly, which was his home and was the perfect picture of decorum. His manner of courtship toward Elizabeth was one that was patient and was a growing and living thing, a development as the natural events and movements in their lives brought them together. Elizabeth and Mr. Darby were intellectual equals and as they spoke their minds, whatever it may be, with clarity and honesty they were drawn closer and closer together in mutual respect for one another. Once discovered their love would not simply fade away and did not finally culminating in an accepted proposal which surprised everyone after their avowed dislike for each other.

II. Rochester and Jane:

Rochester had a style of courtship that appeared to be patient such as was Mr. Darcy's but at the same time was one based on lies and deceptions. It seems that he uses the cold and calculating Blanche as a manipulation in drawing the attention of Jane. Also, as Jane's benefactor or employer, he did display patience in his apparent wait for her to acknowledge his feelings but at the same time had planned to marry her while still being married to another woman as Jane unhappily discovers on her wedding day at the altar. Rochester is also a flatterer as is evidenced in the following excerpt from Bronte's Jane Eyre:

will myself put the diamond chain round your neck, and the circlet on your forehead, -- which it will become: for nature, at least, has stamped her patent of nobility on this brow, Jane; and I will clasp the bracelets on these fine wrists, and load these fairy-like fingers with rings."

No, no, sir! think of other subjects, and speak of other things, and in another strain. Don't address me as if I were a beauty; I am your plain, Quakerish governess."

You are a beauty in my eyes, and a beauty just after the desire of my heart, -- delicate and aerial."

Puny and insignificant, you mean. You are dreaming, sir, -- or you are sneering. For God's sake don't be ironical!" will make the world acknowledge you a beauty, too," he went on, while I really became uneasy at the strain he had adopted, because I felt he was either deluding himself or trying to delude me. "I will attire my Jane in satin and lace, and she shall have roses in her hair; and I will cover the head I love best with a priceless veil."

And then you won't know me, sir; and I shall not be your Jane Eyre any longer, but an ape in a harlequin's jacket -- a jay in borrowed plumes. I would as soon see you, Mr. Rochester, tricked out in stage-trappings, as myself clad in a court-lady's robe; and I don't call you handsome, sir, though I love you most dearly: far too dearly to flatter you. Don't flatter me."

Although Jane was somewhat discomposed by… READ MORE

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