An Understanding of Pride and Prejudice: First Impressions

Due to my ADHD and my changeable nature, my train of thought tends to jump around, and forcing myself to focus on one topic often leads to avoiding it entirely. So, I’ll be switching topics occasionally, as I don’t want to write these entries half-heartedly.

For those unfamiliar, the original title of Pride and Prejudice was actually First Impressions. I think it’s a shame that Jane Austen changed the title. The reason for the change isn’t entirely clear, but there are two main theories.

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One theory is that she changed the title because she changed the story; however, this is unlikely. As far as we know, Austen generally stuck with the original premise of her stories, even though she edited them over many years. Moreover, the characters are shown at the end of the book to have been drastically misunderstood based on first impressions.

For example, at first glance, Lizzy appears as a loving sister and Darcy as an arrogant, proud man, while Wickham comes across as a handsome, misused hero. But by the end, it becomes clear that Elizabeth is rather resentful and vengeful, always trying to ‘get back at’ Darcy for his initial insult. Darcy, on the other hand, is more of an introvert with poor social skills, often sticking his foot in his mouth because no one has ever corrected him. Wickham turns out to be a liar, thief, and seducer of underaged and unprotected women. This transformation in character perception shows that First Impressions was indeed a fitting title.

The second theory is that Austen changed the title because, in the early 1800s, another book titled First Impressions was published under the pseudonym “A Lady.” Although this other book had illustrations of birds and nature (which may seem unrelated), the title and author being the same could have caused confusion. Out of these two options, this explanation seems the most plausible.

Regardless of the reason, Austen’s decision to change the title led many readers into a trap—the trap of sticking to their own first impressions of the characters.

Since Austen’s first published book was called Sense and Sensibility (originally titled Elinor and Marianne), readers assumed Pride and Prejudice would follow a similar pattern. We’re told from the start that Elinor represents “sense” and Marianne “sensibility,” so readers often assume Darcy represents “pride” and Elizabeth “prejudice.” Some even suggest both terms refer only to Darcy, as they prefer to overlook Elizabeth’s flaws.

However, both characters embody both pride and prejudice. By the end, readers should recognize that the issue between Darcy and Elizabeth was not caused by Darcy’s pride, but by Elizabeth’s. It was her pride that was wounded by Darcy’s insult.

Much of the confusion stems from people who claim to be Austen fans but are really fans of the adaptations. While it’s possible to love both, many “Austen fans” I’ve spoken with clearly lack knowledge of the books themselves, confusing scenes or quotes from the adaptations with the original texts.

Take the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, for example. While it’s often hailed as being “exactly like the book,” the opening scene, in which Darcy is depicted as involved in Bingley’s decision to leave, is entirely made up. In fact, given that Darcy was likely rescuing his sister at the time, it’s improbable he was even consulted. Additionally, Darcy’s lines in the first scene are based on Caroline Bingley’s words from the book, making Darcy seem pompous from the start and prejudicing viewers against him before he properly appears.

The BBC drama also paints Darcy in a bad light by having him nod along or outright agree with Miss Bingley’s rude remarks in Meryton, which never happened in the book. Darcy only agrees with her when her comments are, in fact, true—the Bennet family is often ill-behaved and vulgar, and their lack of fortune makes it difficult for them to find respectable suitors. Still, Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine also behave poorly, which Darcy overlooks, likely because he’s grown accustomed to their behavior.

Another example of misrepresentation is the assembly scene. In the show, Colin Firth as Darcy says, "I certainly shall not. In an assembly such as this? It would be insupportable.” This seems to suggest that Darcy is disdainful of the people there. However, in the book, Darcy actually says, “I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable.” This line shows that Darcy’s issue is not with the people, but with his discomfort in dancing with strangers.

In Volume 2, we get a further glimpse into Darcy’s reluctance: “I certainly have not the talent...of conversing easily with those I have never seen before.” Elizabeth dismisses this, claiming he just needs practice, but for someone who struggles with social awkwardness, no amount of practice can change that. Yet, readers seem to accept Jane and Georgiana’s shy behavior but not Darcy’s, which is hypocritical.

Readers are often so caught up in Elizabeth’s perspective that they miss her own faults. She can be prideful, vengeful, and blind to basic manners, but she delivers her insults in a joking manner, making her seem more likable.

Now, don’t get me wrong—Elizabeth Bennet is one of my favorite characters, but I’m not blind to her flaws. She embodies many traits she despises in others, including pride and a tendency to manipulate. For example, she pushes Jane towards Mr. Bingley just as much as their mother does. Even after Bingley leaves, Elizabeth decides on all the particulars of Jane’s pursuit, disregarding her sister’s feelings.

In conclusion, Elizabeth may be a favorite, but she is far from perfect. However, these complexities are what make her such a fascinating and beloved character.

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Note: This post was originally published on Jane Austen's Literary Lasagna on October 13th, 2024. I am now migrating my content to this blog, but this remains my original work. Minor edits may have been made for clarity or formatting.