Pride and Prejudice Envelope Topics

Directions: Congratulations! You are in charge of tracking the following topic throughout Pride and Prejudice. As we continue to read, copy down significant quotes that relate to your topic on a piece of paper, index card, sticky note, whatever. Include the page number and the speaker. Please write legibly on the cards, as some days the envelopes will be swapped and your classmates might write an analysis of the excerpts in your envelope. Place your quotes inside this folder (you may staple the folder into an envelope if you wish!). These quotes will then be used to help you develop topics for analytical essays, class discussions, etc. You should be able to find several quotes related to this topic; adding one quote per night is the bare minimum!

1) The title of this work is particularly significant. Find examples of times when characters’ behavior displays extreme pride, or clear prejudice. Also consider how characters either develop/continue their prejudices, or begin to alter their opinions.

2) The original title of this book was, “First Impressions.” Look for places where characters’ first impressions influence their opinions, perhaps unduly. Also look for places where it is clear that “society” is judging others based on first impressions.

3) It seems clear that Elizabeth Bennet fears a poorly-matched marriage. What examples of bad marriages do you see in the novel? Why are these couples poorly matched, and how does it impact their lives?

4) Are there characters in the book who morally corrupt? What do they do that is wrong? What motivates them? Do they face consequences? How do their wrongs reflect the viewpoint(s) of society at that time?

5) Which characters function as “confidantes”? What do we learn about characters who confide? What is revealed by the characters who listen? Which ‘secrets’ do characters tell or keep, and why? Include letters as evidence of confidences, too!

6) What’s the social importance of the balls and dinners that characters attend? What do these social events reveal about the values of the society? What do the events reveal about the societal expectations of different genders and classes?

7) Which characters are being paired off as foils? What traits do they highlight in each other?

8) Which characters are paired off as couples (permanent or transitory)? How do they function together? Do they compliment each other, or are their relationships tense?

9) Which characters are viewed as “proper”, and which characters display impropriety? What can you tell about the society overall based on how these characters are treated?

10) Some characters seem cynical in the book, while others are romantic or realistic. Look for examples of cynicism. Is it merited? Are the “cynical” characters pointing out true facts?

11) We know that Austen’s society was highly stratified. Who stood at the top? The bottom? Look for instances where a character’s social class is explicitly discussed. What gives someone a high social class? To what extent is “new” or “old” money important? 12) Much of the information that characters glean about one another comes secondhand. What is the effect of this ‘telephone game’? How much credence is given to secondhand information? What do characters do to elicit it? Do they work to confirm it? What does this tell us about British society at the time?