Pride and Prejudice York Notes

This dramatic meeting presents a blend of incident and emotion that is characteristic of Jane Austen.

In the novel, a change of location invariably introduces new aspects of character and ideas and Elizabeth’s visit to Pemberley is no exception.

The extract itself begins with a statement of Elizabeth’s ‘certainty’ and ‘more gentle’ feelings towards Darcy. At this point, the reader may remember her previously less than ‘gentle’ feelings and consider the irony that much of her former ‘certainty’ was, in fact, prejudice.

Although her opinion of Darcy has changed, the author makes clear that Elizabeth’s sharp intelligence and powers of observation have not; her immediate thoughts at this point are largely based on close attention to what she has seen and heard at Pemberley, whether it’s Darcy’s portrait or Mrs Reynolds’s ‘commendation’.

The use of exclamation marks may suggest Elizabeth’s sense of discovery or even awe, now that she appreciates, for example, ‘how many people’s happiness were in his guardianship!’

Furthermore, at the same time as showing the character’s immediate concerns, references to concepts such as ‘happiness’ and ‘guardianship’ touch on wider themes, such as pride in being responsible for the well-being of others.

The turning point in the episode is the appearance on the scene of the subject of Elizabeth’s thoughts, Darcy himself.

The sense of shock and surprise that Elizabeth must feel at this moment is suggested by the way the detail of his arrival, ‘the owner of it himself suddenly came forward’, is tucked away at the end of a paragraph that otherwise gently describes the party’s wandering around the estate.

The emotional tension is first developed through narrative detail such as ‘Their eyes instantly met’, ‘He absolutely started’ and ‘She had instantly turned away’. It is confirmed by the author’s comments that the few minutes of the meeting were ‘the most uncomfortable of [Elizabeth’s] life’.

The Gardiners are barely mentioned during this description of the meeting, which throws the emphasis on Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s reaction.

Towards the end of the extract, however, the narrative shifts from an external point of view, where Austen acts as an observer, ‘She was overpowered by shame and vexation’, to providing a more intense focus by entering Elizabeth’s actual thoughts, ‘Her coming there was the most unfortunate, the most ill-judged thing in the world!’

The use of exclamation and question, ‘Oh! Why did she come?’emphatically expresses Elizabeth’s sense of helplessness bordering on despair.

The clear difference between Elizabeth’s insecurity at this point and her earlier confident attitude to Darcy at Netherfield may further suggest that her feelings towards Darcy are quite reversed.

In these ways the episode is a defining point in the novel and the clear shift in Elizabeth’s state of mind during the incident starts off the emotional roller-coaster ride with dramatically contrasting moods and situations that lead to the novel’s conclusion.