English 395
January 3, 2012
The Role Appearance Versus Reality Plays in 19th Century English Literature
Nineteenth Century English novelists use themes to portray certain truths about the society in which they live. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte are three novels that portray the theme of appearance vs. reality in unique ways. In Pride and Prejudice, the heroine Elizabeth Bennett judges Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham based on her first impressions of them. Appearance versus reality in this novel illustrates that one’s true character is often hidden by one’s outward behavior. Mary Shelley uses actual physical appearance of the creature to illustrate the theme of appearance versus reality in Framkenstein. The character of the creature is used to shed light on the importance appearance plays in society. Charlotte Bronte uses character deception in Jane Eyre to uncover the true feelings of the heroine. Appearance versus reality in this novel encourages the first person narrative of Jane. The theme’s motifs in the above works differ from each other significantly. Appearance versus reality is displayed in Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, and Jane Eyre through misunderstood first impressions, physical abnormality and behavioral deception respectively.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen proves through three primary characters that first impressions are often flawed. The heroine of the story, Elizabeth Bennett, bases her opinion of Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy on her first encounters with them. In both cases Elizabeth does not inquire about their histories, families, background or relations to support her opinions of them. Nor do the men volunteer this information to her. When Miss. Elizabeth Bennett first meets Mr. Wickham he is all charm and joviality. He discusses with her his station of being a poor officer and easily garners Elizabeth’s sympathy. Elizabeth is able to empathize with Mr. Wickham as she sees an equal in him. Mr. Wickham jumps at the opportunity to discredit Mr. Darcy as soon as he learns of Elizabeth’s ill opinion of him. Wickham lies to Elizabeth about his and Mr. Darcy’s history. He makes himself out to be the victim in his tale. His charm and good looking appearance is all Elizabeth needs to take what he says at face value. This is clear in Elizabeth’s reaction to Mr. Wickham’s tale, “How abominable! – I wonder that the very pride of this Mr. Darcy has not made him just to you!- If from no better motive, that he should not have been too proud to be dishonest, – for dishonesty I must call it” (Austen, 56).
The Essay on Darcy Elizabeth Wickham Jane
Pride and Prejudice is set some 200 years ago in England. When the story opens, we are introduced to the Bennett family on their estate, Long burn. A handsome, wealthy gentleman named Charles Bingley has just moved to the neighborhood. Charles develops a crush for Jane Bennett, but his friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, thinks Jane is not good enough for his friend. Because of this, Darcy, along with the ...
This reaction is ironic considering that Mr. Wickham was just entirely dishonest in the telling of his tale to Elizabeth. The truth is that Mr. Darcy carried out his father’s wishes towards Mr. Wickham and what he is owed from his father’s will. Mr. Wickham chose to squander this fortune and entrap Georgiana Darcy into elopement when the money ran out. Elizabeth does not learn this however until she has been forced to hear Mr. Darcy’s side of the story. Mr. Wickham does not turn out to be the man that he first impressed upon Elizabeth. Later on in the novel, Wickham causes damage to Elizabeth and her family’s reputation by living with Lydia out of wedlock. Elizabeth and the reader soon learn that all Wickham’s actions are out of his own self interest. Mr. Darcy’s first impression has the opposite effect on Elizabeth that Mr. Wickham’s had. At the Meryton ball when Bingley tries to convince Darcy to dance with Elizabeth, he haughtily responds, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men” (Austen, 9).
The Essay on Pride And Perception Wickham Darcy Elizabeth
Pride and Perception Jane Austen's society values impressions, and considers them an important aspect of their culture. A first impression determines the entire perception of that person. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet learns a hard lesson by basing her perception of other characters completely on their first impressions. "The comedy is concerned with a heroine who must be educated out ...
Elizabeth was in earshot of this encounter and it therefore marked in her a dislike for Mr. Darcy right away. Darcy’s rude behaviour demonstrates his pride and sense of social superiority which furthers Elizabeth’s dislike of him. While Darcy’s opinion of Elizabeth changes within a few chapters, her sense of him as a self important and arrogant individual remains constant until midway through the novel. After the rejection of his first proposal Darcy sets the record straight about Mr. Wickham and how he betrayed the Darcy family on more than one occasion. He also saves the Bennet family’s reputation by paying off Wickham and forcing him to marry Lydia after they escaped together. Elizabeth does not learn this until after the fact when her opinion of Darcy begins to change. She realizes that she has been prejudiced towards him based on her first impression of him.
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley the theme of appearance versus reality is very much focused on the physical appearance of individuals and the value that society bases on appearance rather than their moral compass. In this novel, Mary Shelley illustrates through characterization one of the many downfalls of human nature. Vision is often the primary sense of mankind and usually the main basis of judgment. Without humanity’s limitations of overall outward appearances, humans could likely be a creature that emphasizes morals, justice and intelligence. If there were no predetermined ideal model of what human beings should resemble, one would never suffer isolation due to disability, unattractiveness or unusual physical attribute. This unfortunately was the case for Victor Frankenstein’s creation. Throughout the whole novel he is not even referred to as anything other than a “creature,” “creation,” “monster” and “mummy”. The novel Frankenstein illustrates the judgment of appearance through the tale of an unwanted creation that is never given a chance due to his appearance. What is ironic is that Victor created him that way and designed his looks. Yet the creature is so hideous even to Victor, his creator, that Victor abandons him and never gives him a name.
The creature’s journey is one simply looking for family and love. Something he is denied from his first moments on earth. An infant needs to be shown love when it is born. Victor denies his “baby” this basic need and abandons him. The creature learns the basics of life in his hovel at De Lacey’s residence. Through observations of De Lacey and his family, the creature learns about love and joy that comes with having a family. These feelings have been absent from his own life and he is determined to find them for himself. At first De Lacy accepts the creature because he is judging him simply on what he hears from the creature. However when the rest of De Lacey’s family returns the creatures appearance is so hideous and frightening to them that he scares them half to death and he is banished form the family. The creature was able to experience acceptance for a very short amount of time and only because De Lacey is blind. He was without the power to judge based on appearance. What is interesting is that despite his family’s reaction, De Lacey did not seem to find anything threatening about the creature. Due to his grotesque appearance the rest of De Lacey’s family immediately scorn the creature. It does not matter that De Lacey himself was sitting calmly with the creature when they entered the cottage and that he did not appear to be under any danger. This was a significant turning point in the novel. The creature begins to hate humanity for the way it treats him and for what society places value on. In particular, the creature curses Victor his creator for bringing him into such a judgmental and lonely world, “All men hate the wretched; how then must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by annilation of one of us” (Shelley, 126).
The Essay on Jane Eyre Her Growth
Jane does grow in the book Jane Eyre. The theme of the book is Janes continual quest for love. Jane searches for acceptance through the five settings where she lives: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House and Ferndean. Through these the maturation and self-recognition of Jane becomes traceable. It is not until she runs from Rochester and Thornfield that she realizes what she really wants. Jane ...
It is only at this point that the creature seeks revenge on Victor by killing his brother. Before this point in the novel the creature was a kind and calm individual looking for nothing from society but to be accepted. From his very birth and every attempt following that the creature had been rejected. After being rejected a final time from the De Lacey family whom he admired for so long from afar, only then does the creature lash out and look for revenge.
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte shows the reader that lies and secrecy cannot permanently disguise reality. Mr. Rochester has met his match in Jane. She is someone who can compete with his sardonic nature and sarcastic wit. Jane eventually falls in love with Mr. Rochester despite their difference in social class. She finds a true friend in him and looks forward to their discussions. Jane actually attributes gaining health and strength to her camaraderie with Mr. Rochester. Her friendship with him has put a stop to her pining for her own relations for the first time in her life. Mr. Rochester has fallen in love with Jane too. Only he does not tell her right away. In fact he does everything in his nature to make her believe he is in love with Miss. Ingram. While having his guests stay at Thornfeild Mr. Rochester ensures that Jane be present every night in the drawing room. She is ignored by Mr. Rochester’s guests and uses the time to study them from her corner. Mr. Rochester makes it a point to favour Ms. Ingram’s company in front of Jane. After playing a game of charades he flirts with Miss. Ingram shamelessly by saying to her, “Well, whatever I am, remember you are my wife;we were married an hour since, in the presence of all these witnesses” (Bronte, 157).
The Term Paper on Mrs Ingram Jane Rochester Physical
Beauty is generally classified into two main categories: physical and mental. In the Charlotte Bronte's Jane Erye, the protagonist rejects by choice and submission, her own physical beauty in favor of her mental intelligence and humility. Her choice becomes her greatest benefit by allowing her to win the hand of the man of her desires, a man who has the values Jane herself believes in. She values ...
Of course Jane is within earshot of this discourse. In the disguise of a gypsy Mr. Rochester gives all of his guests their fortunes, including Jane. When it is Jane’s turn she inquires if Mr. Rochester and Miss. Ingram are to be married. Under his disguise Mr. Rochester confirms Jane’s query by saying, “Appearances would warrant that conclusion” (Bronte, 170).
Through the first person narrative of Jane, the reader has no choice but to believe Mr. Rochester’s words and actions as well. Mr. Rochester’s deceptive behaviour creates tension in Jane and subsequently in the reader to provide the narrative with suspense. Mr. Rochester takes the rouse so far as to tell Jane that she will need to move away when he and Miss. Ingram are married and that he has found her a place to work as a governess in Ireland, “. . . and when you get to Butternut Lodge, Connaught, Ireland, I shall never see you again, Jane: that’s morally certain” (Bronte, 214).
This is the tipping point for Jane as she exclaims her love for Mr. Rochester and for Thornfeild, the first home she has ever known. Jane has withheld her feelings from Mr. Rochester until this point because she has been led to believe that he is in love with someone else. It is not until Jane’s outburst that Mr. Rochester reveals the truth about his feelings. He explains to Jane that his intentions all along are not what they appeared, that he was truly in love with Jane and has no feelings for Ms. Ingram. He wanted Jane to feel jealous of his relationship with Miss. Ingram because he believes that jealousy is what truly motivates a person to reveal their true feelings. He deceives Jane for his own interest as well as hers. In Mr. Rochester’s mind, their true feelings for one another would not have been revealed had he not played the facade of being in love with Miss. Ingram. His trickery not only reveals to the reader Jane’s thoughts and feelings about his behaviour but also fills the narrative with suspense.
The Essay on Janes Life Jane Rochester Strong
Both novels are variations of the same theme: the spiritual and emotional growth of the heroine. Is this a fair assessment Both novels convey important, political messages exploring the idea of feminism and womens emancipation. Bronte uses Jane as a figure of female independence, while Walker demonstrates her views on civil rights and commitment to feminism through Celie. In this essay I will be ...
Jane Eyre, Frankenstein and Pride and Prejudice all display the theme of appearance versus reality in different ways. In Jane Eyre, the theme encourages the first person narrative and gives the reader a more in depth understanding of Jane’s thoughts towards Mr. Rochester and his behavior. In Frankenstein, appearance versus reality focuses on actual physical appearance of the creature in the novel and how society reacts to him. In Pride and Prejudice false first impressions play a role in the theme of appearance versus reality as the heroine Elizabeth Bennett judges Wickham and Darcy on their first impressions and will not inquire further into their character. In all three novels the theme aids in character development, encourages overall literary suspense and is used to comment on the values of society.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York, N.Y: W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 2001. Print.
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York, N.Y: W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 2001. Print.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, New York: Modern Library, 1999. Print.
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The Dissertation on Love Theme in Frankenstein
LOVE THEME IN FRANKENSTEIN I have chosen to focus on the film Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein by Kenneth Branagh, since it is the closest adaptation of the novel over all the Frankenstein films that is made. In addition to this, cinema authorities classify this film as horror, romantic and drama so love theme could be easily understood from this adaptation. However, it should be mentioned that the film ...
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Name: | Allison Dwyer | ID Number: | |
Address: 43 Palomino trail Georgetown, Ontario | Course: | ENGL 395 |
Assignment: | Essay #1 |
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Telephone: | 416 574 3498 | Date Sent: | January 3, 2012 |
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