Pride and Prejudice, arguably Jane Austen's most widely acclaimed novel, discusses classical romantic experiences of the upper class at the close of the 18th century. It stands as a quintessential contribution to world literature for reasons aside from the cultural vignette she presents, however; Austen not only paints an accurate sociological picture, but inspects philosophical issues pertaining to Catholic moralism and virtue. All throughout the novel, woven between lines of superfluous aristocratic banter, is the ongoing personification of vanity and pride through key motivations of each character.
The comparison of pride and vanity in the fifth chapter especially piqued my interest. Mary, the most intelectually sound and least desired of the Bennet daughters, says that:
"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
What Mary is saying, in other words, is that subjective interpretation of a person's intent and qualifications make the person appear to be either proud or overtly vain. This is very interesting, as Austen's word choice leads us to believe that pride is a trait contingent on personal entitlement, while vanity is acted upon because of the selfish need to solidify social status and identity.
I will follow up this post with particular attention to numerous characters in the novel that embody these two traits, but, in the meantime, what are some examples of pride and vanity acted upon throughout the story? Are there any players that balance the two traits harmoniously? What are your thoughts on the way that Austen introduces the theme?
As always, thanks for contributing and happy reading!
