Анализ отрывка из произведения «Гордость и прдебуждение» Джейн Остин («When Jane and Elizabeth were alone...») (Английская Литература)

The text under analysis is taken from the novel «Pride and Prejudice» by Jane Austen. The passage raises several significant questions, for example, whether inheritors are worth obtaining the fortune of the deceased if they are not able to keep it up properly. Another problem concerns human relationships. Jane is a person who is not able to see or admit other people’s drawbacks. Elizabeth says: «With your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! ». While I was reading the passage I wondered whether it is a good character trait to miss the bad sides of people noticing only attractive ones. Undoubtedly, there is a contrast between the title and the character whose problem raised.

Since the extract does not present a separate chapter it is hard to reveal its compositional parts.

The text starts with a long dialogue between two sisters. Then a reader is told the biography of Mr

ingley. Their author writes about his relationship with sisters, Miss

ingley and Mrs Hurst, and Darcy, who is the exact opposite of his own. The narration goes through the mouth of Elizabeth, a young woman. Her action in the extract is direct since she is one of the main characters, who has her views on what she sees.

As far as I understand the story takes place in Netherfield House, England. The time goes back to the 19th century.

oth the place and the period are extremely important for the right perception of the book. That’s why I believe that the story is unlikely to be put into another setting successfully.

The extract starts with a dialogue of two sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. The subject of the conversation is Mr

ingley. Jane admits her being in love with him. Elizabeth who is more sensible than her sister wonders about her ability to close her eyes to other people’s follies and nonsense. Then goes a small insert which describes the history of this honourable family from the North of England. The conversation turns to Mr

ringley’s sisters, Mrs Hurst and Miss

ingley who never losses their opportunity to preside at brother’s table. Jane Austen also writes about his relationship with Darcy, a friend of his, whose character seems to be unbearable for Mr

ingley. Nevertheless, there has set a steady friendship between these young men. The extract ends with the analysis of their opinions on the Meryton Assembly they have got.

After having the text read I thought of dividing it into two main parts. The first one titled «Honest confession» covers the dialogue of Jane and Elizabeth. I think that the title I’ve chosen reflects the features of this conversation between ladies, one of which has been conceiving her feelings and now she is telling her sister the secret, and another one shares her amazement at Jane’s person whose kindness and open-mindedness cannot help but left her untouched. The second part can be titled «The

ingley’s» because from the first till the last one it is devoted to Mr

ingley. It is rather comprehensive because it covers all spheres of his life starting with his origin, ending with his unusual relationship with Darcy.

The key mood of the extract is not the same through the narration. The first part of it includes a rather emotional dialogue. The way the sisters speak is rather calm. One effect feature that I’ve noticed about it is connected with Janes’ retorts which add an ironic note to the situation. Her speech is extremely rich in stylistic devices. This fact demonstrates her over-average intelligence and quickness of observation. What she says make it clear that she can read a person like a book. One of her replies to Jane starts with anadiplosis («Did not you? I did for you. ») which emphasizes that Jane reveals their intentions in certain situations. A big part of her speech is based on the comparison between her and Jane. That’s why such stylistic device as antithesis is commonly used («Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. »). The sentence «He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. » combines simultaneously two stylistic devices: hyperbole, by with Elizabeth underlines how Mr

ingley’s behaviour is predictable, and simile that explains Jane’s suggestion. The next sentence («No thanks to his gallantry for that. ») has irony that doubts whether his compliment is forced or not. The sentence “You have liked many a stupider person. » is not deprived of irony too. When Jane describes her sister’s nature he turns to metonymy («All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. ») to demonstrate how big her sister’s heart is. Then the text changes its’ narrator who starts speaking about the

ringleys. When the speaker says a few words about Elizabeth, his wordiness reflects in the usage of parallel construction («…and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with a judgement too unassailed by any attention to herself…») the aim of which is to describe all sides of the lady. Irony is not rare here too. We see it in the following sentences: «… a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother’s fortune and their own had been acquired by trade. », «… nor was Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man of more fashion than fortune, less disposed to consider his house as her home when it suited her. » As a rule, this stylistic device is used to reveal unpleasant sides of a person which are usually conceived. This fact proves that Jane Austen does not sympathize with Mr.

ingley and his sistrer. The repetition used in the successive sentences («Darcy was the superior.

ingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. ») highlights the narrator’s confidence in what she is writing. A lot of stylistic devices are used in the paragraph devoted to the Meryton assembly. Here are hyperbole («Bingley had never met with more pleasant people or prettier girls in his life. ») that exaggerates the beauty of the guests; antonomasia («… as to Miss

ennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. ») that gives an understanding of Miss

ennet’s character; polysindenton («but still they admired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and…») that, in my opinion, used for ironical effect. So the language used here is nice-to-read on account of the usage of the stylistic devices of different language levels. The speech of Elizabeth is worth special attention due to its humorous and revealing tone.

The main characters of the story are two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane. Jane is a woman with a kind heart whose treat for other people amazes her sister. Obviously, there is the brightest contrast between sisters which is mentioned by Elizabeth. She does not disapprove her sister’s life view but I am sure she would never adopt it. When it comes to choice she will never listen to her heart because it is not sensible. She is rather good at revealing people’s nature that enables her to predict what they are going to do. Though Jane and Elizabeth are as different as water and fire I guess it does not push them away from each other. A similar contrast is made between Mr

ingley and Darcy. Their personalities are written about in such a way that makes me remember Eugene Onegin and Vladimir Lenski. Speaking about Mr

ringley’s sister, they are greed and mean women that entitle themselves to think mean of other people and well of themselves. Their fortune a credit of their origin but not of their work.

Jane Austen opinion on the raised problem is not presented directly. As far as I understood, it is expressed in Elizabeth’s amazement at her sister’s feature. She symphonizes with Jane. The same impression this lady has left on me because her soul is seized neither with prejudice nor with hatred. She is kind to all word admitting people with their both bad and good sides.

ut it raises another question that sounds like «Will people respond in kind? ». Undoubtedly, not all of them.

otten people tempt to manipulate those who treat them with honesty. So Jane Austen leaves it to a reader to conclude.