Introduction
The novel called “Pride and Prejudice” written by Jane Austen has been referred to as a “global brand” due to its universal style and timeless contents (Huff 1). Interestingly, the novel has been characterized as timeless and applicable to multiple subjects present throughout the history in spite of the fact that it is very tightly connected to a particular historical period and social class. The story, the characters, the setting, and even the speech of the characters make strong references to the environments of the beginning of the 19th century in England. However, the themes discussed in the novel raise the universally important issues of class and social division, manners and rules, social pressure and opinion, relationships between men and women, parents and children. The way these issues are delivered to the reader by the author adds to the universality of the novel. In fact, the structure of narration and dialogues in the text provides the reader with just enough guidance and autonomy to perceive the story in a unique but accurate manner. In other words, this paper provides a critical analysis of a passage from Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and argues that non-descriptive third person narration and dialogues without the narrator’s commentary on the actions of the characters allow the reader’s imagination to equip the action with details moving freely within the boundaries established by almost invisible, but present guidance of the author.
Text
The passage under analysis contains narrative speech and dialogues between characters. It is set in a ballroom where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy attempt to maintain a conversation while dancing. Prior to this scene, the narrative speech is used to describe the actions of Elizabeth throughout the evening and her interactions with other characters. The passage is rather short; however, it carries a lot of information.
Narration
The narrative parts of the passage frame the dialogue. The first portion of narration occurs at the beginning of the passage and serves to introduce the actions of Elizabeth during the ball. The narration is delivered using the third person perspective, and it mainly carries an informative character. For instance, the following sentence is a good demonstration of the type of narration used in the passage: “When those dances were over she returned to Charlotte Lucas, and was in conversation with her, when she found herself suddenly addressed by Mr. Darcy, who took her so much by surprise in his application for her hand, that, without knowing what she did, she accepted him” (Austen 68). In this sentence, the sequence of Elizabeth’s actions is shown in a brief manner. One may notice that the descriptive devices such as epithets, metaphors, and similes are absent. Outlining the actions of the characters clearly, but avoiding lengthy and detailed descriptions the author achieves the precise perception of the situations by the reader. The narrative portions could have been expanded with the addition of various stylistic means; however, their absence shows that the creation of a precise and detailed picture was not the author’s intention. Instead, Austen left it up to the reader to imagine a variety of smaller details. At the same time, narration offers strong guidance so that the reader’s imagination does not get carried away from the scenes as they were intended by Austen. For instance, the dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy during the dance does not contain any remarks of the narrator indicating the intonations of the characters, their moods, gestures, or body movements.
The replies are presented in an ongoing sequence without interruptions. Only one line of narration can be found within a dialogue and it says, “He smiled, and assured her that whatever she wished him to say should be said” (Austen 69). This simple sentence is a good illustration of the timely and necessary guidance added by the author. The line is found at the very beginning of the dialogues and serves to show Mr. Darcy’s attitude to the sharp comment of his dance partner who is treating with irony the short conversations deemed obligatory during a dancing session. The narrative line demonstrates that Elizabeth’s irony did not annoy or anger her partner, but put a smile on his face. That way, the warm, yet distant relationship between the characters is portrayed.
One more narrative remark can be found at the very end of the dialogue, in the sentence that says: ““Both,” replied Elizabeth archly; “for I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds”” (Austen 70). The fact that such remarks are absent from the rest of the dialogue draw the attention to this one hinting that there must be some point in it. Analyzing the narrative remark critically, one would notice that it carries the function similar to that of the line at the beginning of the conversation. Namely, it serves to guide the reader through the emotional aspect of the talk. Noting that the last response of Elizabeth was given archly, the author informs the reader about the overall tone of her chat with Mr. Darcy and points out that even though their dialogue looked like a rivalry in wittiness, they both enjoyed the interaction.
Dialogue
As mentioned above, the dialogue held between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth is not accompanied by any narrative commentary. However, the contents of the talk can serve the narration of their own. The characters discuss what they should speak about in order to follow the rules of social conduct and stay polite with each other during a forced interaction. The level of self-awareness and critical thinking of the characters allow them to analyze the rules of appropriate behavior at a ball. That way, the role of the narrator in the conversation is fulfilled by the characters treating their situation with a distanced rationalism. However, one may see that the rare guidance of the author indicates that Elizabeth who is “determined to hate” Mr. Darcy initially finishes the conversation in an “archly” manner and finds him “agreeable” due to the fact that her analytical sarcasm and irony were not taken as insults by him; on the contrary, Darcy accepts the rules set by Elizabeth and shows her that she has met an equal in sharpness. Elizabeth’s acceptance of Darcy is seen in her attempt to analyze him as a personality at the end of the talk and her conclusion that they may have a lot in common saying, “we are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room” (Austen 70).
Overall Contents, Impact, and Themes
Metaphors, similes, and other descriptive devices are also absent from the dialogue. Austen’s writing demonstrates the author’s determination to provide the readers with the ability to use their own imagination and add various details to the actions of the characters and their interactions. However, a critical approach to the way the text is structured shows that the author managed to have the development of the events and the way they are perceived by the readers under control. The themes raised in the short passage refer to the social interactions and social expectations, roles and rules within classes and communities, superficial behaviors and gestures the individuals are forced to adopt in order to fit in their habitual environments. This subject used to be relevant at the beginning of the 19th century, and it is still relevant at the dawn of the 21st century.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the passage under analysis is a vivid illustration of the character of the whole novel called “Pride and Prejudice” as it contains some of the very significant attributes of Austen’s writing style. To sum up, the universality of the text is achieved by means of an easy narrative style not overcrowded with too many details, the flowing dialogue not interrupted by the narrative remarks, the timeless themes, and transparent, yet firm guidance provided by the author. The passage lacks descriptive stylistic devices and can be characterized as dry in terms of introduction of scenes, characters, and settings. However, the informative manner of narration done using the third person perspective and formed as a simple sequence of actions makes the scene active and vivid. The passage demonstrates a lot of development and overall contains information about a whole evening Elizabeth had at the ball including the minor activities and a major step in her relationship with Mr. Darcy.
References
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Ed. James Kinsley. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford UP, 2004. 68-70. Print.
Huff, Marsha. An In-Depth Study of P&P. 2010. Web.