傲慢与偏见主题.docx

傲慢与偏见主题.docx

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傲慢与偏见主题

Themes

Themesarethefundamentalandoftenuniversalideasexploredinaliterarywork.

Love

PrideandPrejudicecontainsoneofthemostcherishedlovestoriesinEnglishliterature:

thecourtshipbetweenDarcyandElizabeth.Asinanygoodlovestory,theloversmustelude（避免）andovercomenumerousstumblingblocks,beginningwiththetensionscausedbythelovers’ownpersonalqualities.Elizabeth’spridemakeshermisjudgeDarcyonthebasisofapoorfirstimpression,whileDarcy’sprejudiceagainstElizabeth’spoorsocialstandingblindshim,foratime,tohermanyvirtues.（Ofcourse,onecouldalsosaythatElizabethisguiltyofprejudiceandDarcyofpride—thetitlecutsbothways.）Austen,meanwhile,posescountlesssmallerobstaclestotherealizationofthelovebetweenElizabethandDarcy,includingLadyCatherine’sattempttocontrolhernephew,MissBingley’ssnobbery,Mrs.Bennet’sidiocy,andWickham’sdeceit.Ineachcase,anxietiesaboutsocialconnections,orthedesireforbettersocialconnections,interferewiththeworkingsoflove.DarcyandElizabeth’srealizationofamutualandtenderloveseemstoimplythatAustenviewsloveassomethingindependentofthesesocialforces,assomethingthatcanbecapturedifonlyanindividualisabletoescapethewarping（使扭曲的）effectsofhierarchicalsociety.Austendoessoundsomemorerealist（or,onecouldsay,cynical）notesaboutlove,usingthecharacterofCharlotteLucas,whomarriesthebuffoon（丑角）Mr.Collinsforhismoney,todemonstratethattheheartdoesnotalwaysdictatemarriage.Yetwithhercentralcharacters,Austensuggeststhattrueloveisaforceseparatefromsocietyandonethatcanconquereventhemostdifficultofcircumstances.

PrideandPrejudicedepictsasocietyinwhichawoman’sreputationisoftheutmostimportance.Awomanisexpectedtobehaveincertainways.Steppingoutsidethesocialnormsmakeshervulnerabletoostracism放逐,排斥.Thisthemeappearsinthenovel,whenElizabethwalkstoNetherfieldandarriveswithmuddyskirts,totheshockofthereputation-consciousMissBingleyandherfriends.Atotherpoints,theill-mannered,ridiculousbehaviorofMrs.Bennetgivesherabadreputationwiththemorerefined（andsnobbish）DarcysandBingleys.Austenpokesgentlefunatthesnobsintheseexamples,butlaterinthenovel,whenLydiaelopeswithWickhamandliveswithhimoutofwedlock,theauthortreatsreputationasaveryseriousmatter.BybecomingWickham’sloverwithoutbenefitofmarriage,Lydiaclearlyplacesherselfoutsidethesocialpale,andherdisgracethreatenstheentireBennetfamily.ThefactthatLydia’sjudgment,howeverterrible,wouldlikelyhavecondemnedtheotherBennetsisterstomarriagelesslivesseemsgrosslyunfair.WhyshouldElizabeth’sreputationsufferalongwithLydia’s?

Darcy’sinterventionontheBennets’behalfthusbecomesallthemoregenerous,butsomereadersmightresentthatsuchaninterventionwasnecessaryatall.IfDarcy’smoneyhadfailedtoconvinceWickhamtomarryLydia,wouldDarcyhavestillmarriedElizabeth?

Doeshistranscendence超越ofprejudiceextendthatfar?

ThehappyendingofPrideandPrejudiceiscertainlyemotionallysatisfying,butinmanywaysitleavesthethemeofreputation,andtheimportanceplacedonreputation,unexplored.OnecanaskofPrideandPrejudice,towhatextentdoesitcritiquesocialstructures,andtowhatextentdoesitsimplyaccepttheirinevitability?

Class

Thethemeofclassisrelatedtoreputation,inthatbothreflectthestrictlyregimentednatureoflifeforthemiddleandupperclassesinRegencyEngland.Thelinesofclassarestrictlydrawn.WhiletheBennets,whoaremiddleclass,maysocializewiththeupper-classBingleysandDarcys,theyareclearlytheirsocialinferiorsandaretreatedassuch.Austensatirizesthiskindofclass-consciousness,particularlyinthecharacterofMr.Collins,whospendsmostofhistimetoadyingtohisupper-classpatron,LadyCatherinedeBourgh.ThoughMr.Collinsoffersanextremeexample,heisnottheonlyonetoholdsuchviews.Hisconceptionoftheimportanceofclassisshared,amongothers,byMr.Darcy,whobelievesinthedignityofhislineage;MissBingley,whodislikesanyonenotassociallyacceptedassheis;andWickham,whowilldoanythinghecantogetenoughmoneytoraisehimselfintoahigherstation.Mr.Collins’sviewsaremerelythemostextremeandobvious.ThesatiredirectedatMr.Collinsisthereforealsomoresubtlydirectedattheentiresocialhierarchyandtheconceptionofallthosewithinitatitscorrectness,incompletedisregardofother,moreworthyvirtues.ThroughtheDarcy-ElizabethandBingley-Janemarriages,Austenshowsthepowerofloveandhappinesstoovercomeclassboundariesandprejudices,therebyimplyingthatsuchprejudicesarehollow,unfeeling,andunproductive.Ofcourse,thiswholediscussionofclassmustbemadewiththeunderstandingthatAustenherselfisoftencriticizedasbeingaclassist:

shedoesn’treallyrepresentanyonefromthelowerclasses;thoseservantsshedoesportrayaregenerallyhappywiththeirlot.Austendoescriticizeclassstructurebutonlyalimitedsliceofthatstructure.

Motifs

Motifsarerecurringstructures,contrasts,andliterarydevicesthatcanhelptodevelopandinformthetext’smajorthemes.

Courtship

Inasense,PrideandPrejudiceisthestoryoftwocourtships—thosebetweenDarcyandElizabethandbetweenBingleyandJane.Withinthisbroadstructureappearother,smallercourtships:

Mr.Collins’sabortedwooingofElizabeth,followedbyhissuccessfulwooingofCharlotteLucas;MissBingley’sunsuccessfulattempttoattractDarcy;Wickham’spursuitfirstofElizabeth,thenofthenever-seenMissKing,andfinallyofLydia.Courtshipthereforetakesonaprofound,ifoftenunspoken,importanceinthenovel.Marriageistheultimategoal,courtshipconstitutestherealworking-outoflove.Courtshipbecomesasortofforgeofaperson’spersonality,andeachcourtshipbecomesamicrocosmfordifferentsortsoflove（ordifferentwaystoabuseloveasameanstosocialadvancement）.

Journeys

NearlyeverysceneinPrideandPrejudicetakesplaceindoors,andtheactioncentersaroundtheBennethomeinthesmallvillageofLongbourn.Nevertheless,journeys—evenshortones—functionrepeatedlyascatalystsforchangeinthenovel.Elizabeth’sfirstjourney,bywhichsheintendssimplytovisitCharlotteandMr.Collins,bringsherintocontactwithMr.Darcy,andleadstohisfirstproposal.HersecondjourneytakeshertoDerbyandPemberley,whereshefansthegrowingflameofheraffectionforDarcy.Thethirdjourney,meanwhile,sendsvariouspeopleinpursuitofWickhamandLydia,andthejourneyendswithDarcytrackingthemdownandsavingtheBennetfamilyhonor,intheprocessdemonstratinghiscontinueddevotiontoElizabeth.

Symbols

Symbolsareobjects,characters,figures,andcolorsusedtorepresentabstractideasorconcepts.

Pemberley

PrideandPrejudiceisremarkablyfreeofexplicitsymbolism,whichperhapshassomethingtodowiththenovel’srelianceondialogueoverdescription.Nevertheless,Pemberley,Darcy’sestate,sitsatthecenterofthenovel,literallyandfiguratively,asageographicsymbolofthemanwhoownsit.ElizabethvisitsitatatimewhenherfeelingstowardDarcyarebeginningtowarm;sheisenchantedbyitsbeautyandcharm,andbythepicturesquecountryside,justasshewillbecharmed,increasingly,bythegiftsofitsowner.Austenmakestheconnectionexplicitwhenshedescribesthestreamthatflowsbesidethemansion.“Infront,”shewrites,“astreamofsomenaturalimportancewasswelledintogreater,butwithoutanyartificialappearance.”Darcypossessesa“naturalimportance”thatis“swelled”byhisarrogance,butwhichcoexistswithagenuinehonestyandlackof“artificialappearance.”Likethestream,heisneither“formal,norfalselyadorned.”Pemberleyevenoffersasymbol-within-a-symbolfortheirbuddingromance:

whenElizabethencountersDarcyontheestate,sheiscrossingasmallbridge,suggestingthebroadgulfofmisunderstandingandclassprejudicethatliesbetweenthem—andthebridgethattheirlovewillbuildacrossit.