Thinking Activity - "Pride and Prejudice"

Hello, 

        This thinking activity is based on Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. 

1) Compare the narrative strategy of the novel and movie. 

Ans

The movie adaptation (2005) of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is considered one of the best movie adaptation, it provides overall understanding of the novel, though there are some changes made in the  narrative style of the movie. 

Characterization is one of the key element in any literary work, and even in the movie as well. characters and storyline are pretty much same in the novel and in the movie. 

In the novel, Jane Austen had used rich descriptive language to express thoughts and dialogues of the characters. Among all the characters, Mr. Darcy has most polite and charming dialogues in the novel, so does in the movie as well. Most of the dialogues were taken into movie without changing the original ones. 

Both the works, shares the same narrative structure, but in the movie, we can observe more emphasis on visual elements.

2) Write an illustration on the society of Jane Austen's time. 

Ans

As we know, the opening lines of the novel suggest the central theme and idea of the novel. 

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

By these few lines, we can say that, how much Jane Austen was critical of the society during her time. Women in her time only have one particular goal, and that is to marriage one wealthy and prosperous bachelor. 

Moreover, there is not any kind of importance given to literacy of women, they have just one supreme task of marriage. This concept of marriage is evident in all the female characters of the novel.

Further, if you don't have male heir then you couldn't inherent your estate as well. This shows treatment given to the women of Austen's time. So, it is become even more important for female to find a suitors to inherent the estate. Elizabeth's fried Charlotte Lucas is the prime example, and her marriage with Mr. Collins is not because of her love but, to improve her family's financial condition. 

 

 3) What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth never got together? What if Lydia's elopement had a different outcome? Explore the consequences of these changes and write the alternative ending of the novel. 

Ans

If we take these points into consideration then, it is very difficult for Lydia to persist her marriage life with Mr. Wickham, because Mr. Wickham marriage Lydia because he knew that one of eldest sister will marry Mr. Bingley. 

First, to find the couple is become near to impossible in the streets of London. However, in the novel Mr. Darcy finds Lydia and Mr. Wickham and paid for their marriage but, in this situation Mr. Darcy is not there to save the couple. 

It may be possible that, Lydia will not be seen again. It seems that, marriage suitors for other Bennet girls would be hard to find in Austen's society. 

Thank You.