Blog # 5

After completing my last novel, I decided to read Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. This novel will be quite a contrast to what I just completed reading. For my first blog I have decided to reflect on a quote, towards the beginning of the novel.
After one of the dances, the characters Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennett, and Mrs. Lucas are all speaking. Elizabeth is feeling regret because she did not dance with Mr. Darcy. At first, Mrs. Bennett thinks it is alright she didn’t dance with him because he has too much pride, but Mary explains his pride is ok. In her explanation she says this,” Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us” (pg. 21).
This novel was written a very long time ago (published in 1813 to be exact), and the language used is not always the easiest to understand. I had to look of the word “vanity” in the dictionary to help me understand the quote. The definition was, “Excessive pride in one’s self.” I think this quote is trying to explain that Pride is not necessarily a bad thing. For instance you do not need to be vain in order to have pride. Whereas vanity relates merely to what other would think and it relates to being vain.
This novel was written in an era where pride and marriage were very important things. From this quote I infer the novel to be a lot about what goes on in society. Everything in this novel seems so “prim and proper” to say the least, and I am excited to continue reading and see how much I can understand.