Prejudice+in+Pride+and+Prejudice

__﻿Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice __

﻿Prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. 

Prejudice is a major theme throughout the novel. When someone thinks of the word prejudice they usually think of racial prejudice. However it can mean many different things. In the book, prejudice refers more to the status of a person. For example, in the book Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth show a lot of prejudice towards each other because of their differing social status. Elizabeth assumes that Darcy is a snob after one occasion, just because of his social status, and continues to misjudge his character throughout the book. Mr. Darcy judges Elizabeth based on her family and their connections for most of the book. Both of them prove their true character later. Elizabeth is forced to confront him on her feelings of his character when he purposes to her.

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This clip shows how both are prejudice towards each other. In the clip Darcy "spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority-- of its being a degradation--of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit" (Austen 163). Elizabeth then declines and talks about what she thinks is Darcy's character. She thinks he is the reason for so much unhappiness, but in reality she is prejudice and thinks he has no compassion because of his status.

Another example of prejudice is when Lady de Bourgh, Darcy's aunt, corners Elizabeth and bullys her about her lack of status and how she will never be good enough for Darcy.

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In the clip Lady Catherine says "Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, forbid it. Yes, Miss Bennet, interest; for you do not expect to be noticed by his family and friends, of you wilfully act against the inclinations of all. You will be censured, slighted, and despised, by everyone connected with him. Your alliance will be a disgrace; your name will never be mentioned by any of us" (Austen 305)

An example of similar prejudice today would be in the movie "Mean Girls". In the movie students separate into social groups or "cliques"; this creates prejudice. Leanna M Closson talks about why cliques form in Aggressive and Prosocial Behaviors within Early Adolescent Friendship Cliques: What's Status Got to Do with It? "Social status is a central aspect of daily life for early adolescents, as inclusion and acceptance by peers become strongly desired (Merten, 2004). During this time, social status exists within the larger peer network (e.g., classroom or grade) as well as within smaller social groups (e.g., cliques) and can reflect one’s own social reputation or one’s reputation based on with whom one affiliates" (Closson). media type="youtube" key="SsPvRtQIKG0" height="390" width="480"

Social groups like these can create a lot of prejudice today because they

create status.

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