PrideandPrejudice
Prideandprejudicearedisplayedineverycharacterpertainingtothenovelinsomeformoranother.Itisprideofthoseofahighereconomicstatuswhichgenuinelywithholdsprominentrelationshipsofthosewhoareoflowereconomicstatus.Darcy'spridecauseshimtolookdownonthosewhoareinalowersocialclass,duetohismentalitythathesupersedesthosewhoarenotwithinhissocialcircle.GiventhatElizabethBennetisofalowerclassthanDarcy,thisplacesimmediaterestrictionstotheirrelationship.Elizabethalsodisplayssignificantpride.Thoughnotinfluencedbyeconomicstatus,Elizabethismostproudofherabilityofperception:althoughitisherillperceptionwhichcauseshertomisjudgeDarcyandalsoWickham.WhenElizabethhearsofWickham'saccusationsofDarcy,shetruststhenegativeperceptionofhim,andmistakenlyviewsDarcy'sconfidenceasconceit.
Prejudicealsocorrespondswithcharacterpride.Prejudicedjudgmentsarewovenwithinsocietyinthenovel,especiallypertainingtoreputation,economicstatus,andwomen'sinferioritytomen.Immediateprejudicedjudgmentsareconsistentlybeingdevelopedforallcharacters;thewealthyaresnobbish,thenot-so-wealthyareimpolite,theeldestdaughterwillbethefirsttomarry,andunmarriedwomen-over-thirtywillnevermarry.Howeverthesejudgmentsarenotalwaysnegative.Ifonefamilymemberisseentohavegoodstandingwithwealthysociety,therestofthefamilyalsoacquiresthisimage.Unfortunatelyonthecontrary,ifonefamilymemberdemonstratessocietaldeviance,asLydiaBennetdidwithWickham,thewholefamilyisperceivedtoholdthesamenegativereputation.Manyprejudicedjudgmentsareduetoacharacter'spride,ortheirpridecausessocialprejudice.
CriticA.WaltonLitzdescribestherelationofprideandprejudiceforthecharactersofElizabethandDarcy,stating"inPrideandPrejudiceonecannotequateDarcywithPride,andElizabethwithPrejudice;Darcy'sprideofplaceiffoundedonsocialprejudice,whileElizabeth'sinitialprejudiceagainsthimisrootedinprideofherownquickperceptions."
