First Impressions

First impressions and separation of social classes plays a very active role in the whole theme of Pride and Prejudice. In this novel by Jane Austen, we don’t only see how first impressions effect relationships, but we also how the characters in this story experience transformation through their experiences of first impressions, pride and prejudice.

First impressions cause these characters’ preconceived notions, based on wealth and class to activate more pride and prejudice against each other. Elizabeth Bennet’s first impression of Mr. Darcy is that he is “proud, above his company, and above being pleased,” (ch. 3) while Mr. Darcy’s first impression of Elizabeth is that she is not handsome enough to tempt him. The fact that her and her family are not wealthy and her mother is a bit overwhelming and pushy also has an impact on Mr. Darcy’s pride and prejudice toward Elizabeth.

Furthermore, Elizabeth’s pride and prejudice toward Mr. Darcy continues to grow stronger. She is oblivious of his admiration toward her, because she figures a man like him would never love her and she could never love a man with so much pride and conceit. With the confusion of Mr. Darcy’s true character it takes her almost the entire novel to discover the truth about him: the truth about him and Wickham and his true reasoning for parting Bingley and Jane.

Pride and Prejudice is a story about a man who changes into a better man and his true and upstanding character, and he blossoms into a true gentleman. It’s also about a woman who changes because her perception of this man has been clarified. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy learn to see beyond their first impressions of each other and learn how to make things right. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy act out of misjudgment, pride, prejudice, and lack of open communication right from the very beginning of their acquaintance. Although they are both extremely guilty of these character flaws, Elizabeth accomplished a greater transformation because, ironically, her pride and prejudice exceeded Mr. Darcy, who was known throughout the entire first two volumes for his pride and prejudice. They are much alike in character, however, and they both undergo great transformation.

The fact that Mr. Darcy is rich and of a higher class than Elizabeth seems to lead her to immediately assume his lack of interest in anything else going on around him at the balls is influenced by his wealth. “I should have judged better had I sought an introduction; but I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers… I certainly have not the talent which some people possess of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done." I think what Elizabeth hasn’t come to know about Mr. Darcy yet, is that he isn’t shallow or as snooty as she conceives. I think he just doesn’t relate to the surface level conversations, about who is interested in who, and who is wealthy and who is beautiful or not, and who should marry who and dance with who, kind of talk.

Early in the novel Mr. Darcy judges Elizabeth, saying that she is not handsome enough to tempt him. Mr. Darcy is not this shallow, however. Later it is described that he looks for a woman of intelligence, one who reads, writes, and basically, one who has a mind to think on her own. Elizabeth’s boldness and ability to speak her opinion is what ultimately attracts him to her and when she enters a room he can’t keep his eyes off her. He finds beauty in this and not in a Miss Bingley type: self minded, air headed, money hungry, and conceited. His mind changes about Elizabeth as he discovers the depth of her personality. Elizabeth perceives Mr. Darcy’s quick wits and response to her comments as prideful, but actually I think they both challenge each other’s minds and patterns of thinking in a positive way. This is so attractive about Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy also bases his prejudice and misjudgment of Elizabeth based on her pushy, boisterous mother. Her mother turns him off from the Bennet family entirely, and foolishly he turns Mr. Bingley off from Jane as well, not only for that reason but because he didn’t believe Jane felt any affection for Mr. Bingley. These were misjudgments on Mr. Darcy’s behalf for Elizabeth sometimes can’t even stand her own mother and Jane truly did have affection for Mr. Bingley. Mr. Darcy acted immaturely, without knowing the fullness of the situation. Later when Elizabeth confronts and reveals the truth to Mr. Darcy, he honestly feels remorse, and later fixes his mistake.

In the same manner Elizabeth makes judgments also about Mr. Darcy and Wickham. Elizabeth believes Wickham’s story about him and Mr. Darcy when they’ve only just met. Elizabeth has not begun to understand Wickham’s character, yet she believes him whole heartedly without first asking Mr. Darcy about that matter. She foolishly allows her prejudice to grow inside her against Mr. Darcy; and she even talks to her family and friends, causing distaste in their mouths as well. This is immature and prejudice in the fullest.

Mr. Darcy, after several miscommunications between Elizabeth and himself finally admits his faults of pride and ignorance. He got to explain himself as well. His true character unraveled as more events took place. His maid spoke so highly of him and all that he has done for others and especially his sister. He has never shown anger, pride, or prejudice to any of his servants. He makes things right with Elizabeth and the Jane and Bingley situation and even helps Lydia and Wickham after all that had happened. These are true advancements of his character from false first impressions to humbling himself and admitting fault.

For Elizabeth, it isn’t until Chapter 13, Volume 2 that she admits herself of being “blind, partial, prejudiced, and absurd.” She admits she has acted despicably, by priding herself on her discernment. “Vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession [pride] and ignorance, and driven reason away where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.” In my opinion, this is the greatest moment, the pivotal point in Elizabeth’s character transformation. Elizabeth finally realizes first impression, her pride and prejudice have been false and wrong toward Mr. Darcy.

Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy could not have experienced such a character transformation as these if it weren’t for their initial first impressions of each other. They grew to know one another better and deeper; they caused each other to mature and transform into a greater man and a greater woman. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were both so stubborn about what they thought about each other for most of the novel that it caused them to see each other unclearly; luckily they overcame their false first impressions and were able to see the truth about each other and help each other grow.

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