In contrast to the obtrusive morality of the majority of novels at that time, Austen’s pieces of work are strongly marked by an ironic tone, a subtle humour and highly ambivalent statements. This ambivalence and high use of irony makes it, even today, difficult to determine Austen’s attitudes towards society and the question whether her novels are to be interpreted as conservative, modern or feministic pieces of literature. Romantic novel, Bildungsroman, comedy of manners and comedy of character are some examples for the various terms Austen’s novels have been labeled. In particular in Pride and Prejudice, an ironic tone is predominant throughout the novel. As Klingel Ray states, Austen is “first and foremost a satirist. And for a satirist, irony is the major tool of language.” In order to analyse the novel thoroughly and adequately, it is thus of paramount importance to study Austen’s use of irony and her intentions and motives behind the ironic statements and events in the book. This essay seeks to investigate Austen’s use of irony in Pride and Prejudice. After discussing the definition of irony that should be applied when studying Austen’s works, including an explanation of the different motives behind her use of irony, the author’s treatment of irony in the structure of the plot and her narrative strategy will be illustrated. An analysis of the two most ironic characters in Pride and Prejudice will then follow, and their relative contribution to the ironic tone of the novel will be depicted with the aid of several examples. Finally, two exceptions from the prevailing ironic tone in Pride and Prejudice will be stated and explained.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Compares Mr Bennet’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s uses of irony
- Examines free indirect speech through Elizabeth Bennet’s perspective
- Examines two exceptions to the novel’s prevailing ironic tone
- 16 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Appropriate Definition of Irony for the Purpose of this Essay
3. Irony in the Structure of the Plot and the Narrator’s Use of Rhetorical Irony
4. The Characters’ Use of Rhetorical Irony
4.1. Mr Bennet's Use of Irony
4.2. Elizabeth Bennet's Use of Irony
5. Exceptions from the Ironic Tone of the Novel
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This essay investigates how Jane Austen uses irony in Pride and Prejudice and asks how ironic language, narrative techniques and plot structure contribute to the novel’s humour and social criticism. It also compares the uses of irony by Elizabeth Bennet and her father and considers exceptions to the novel’s predominantly ironic tone.
- Definitions and purposes of irony
- Irony in plot structure and narration
- Mr Bennet’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s rhetorical irony
- Free indirect speech and the reader’s perspective
- Social conventions, marriage and characterisation
- Exceptions to the novel’s ironic tone
Excerpt from the Book
3. Irony in the Structure of the Plot and the Narrator’s Use of Rhetorical Irony
The ironic tone of Pride and Prejudice is set with the very beginning of the novel. Its first sentence, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”11, foreshadows the humorous tone of the novel. It is ironic in different ways and serves as a prime example for Austen's wit and skilfulness.
First of all, the statement is ironic in the respect that, in the late 18th century, women were much more dependent on their husbands than vice versa. Especially women who had no families who could provide for them were hardly able to earn their own living in the prevailing patriarchal society.12 Thus, it was usually the woman who was in want of a husband with a good fortune and not the man desperately looking for a wife. Secondly, calling the latter half of the sentence a universal truth is obviously a massive exaggeration which attributes an improper magnitude to a rather trivial subject. Reading on, the reader learns that the narrator is by no means concerned with the wider world; he is concerned with a neighbourhood:
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.13
This rather bathetic opening draws the attentive reader's attention to the ironic treatment that the narrator will give to his subject matter.14
After the first two sentences which not only determine the tone of the novel but also subtly criticise the view of marriage as a business, a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet follows. They are the first married couple the reader is confronted with in a novel in which marriage is one of the major topics. Mrs. Bennet, loud, loquacious and dominant, tells her husband, Mr. Bennet, who is calm, reserved and often cynical, about Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. While her only intentions in life are finding a husband for her daughters and gossiping, Mr. Bennet's personality is much more complex. Their differing characters are emphasised by the relative narrative technique that is used to present them. While Mrs. Bennet's statements are demonstrated in direct speech, her husband's answers, if he answers at all, are displayed in indirect speech, which sums up their diverging personalities fittingly: while Mrs. Bennet is straightforward, hence a very direct person, Mr. Bennet is more subtle and often uses irony. Thus, he is his way of expressing his thoughts and opinion is indirect. Additionally, a short description of their characters by the narrator follows, ensuring that the differences between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are firmly anchored in the reader's head.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: The essay places Austen’s fiction in the context of contemporary attitudes to novels and introduces its investigation of irony in Pride and Prejudice.
2. The Appropriate Definition of Irony for the Purpose of this Essay: This chapter considers irony as a means of exposing discrepancies between appearances and reality, entertaining readers and indirectly criticising social conventions.
3. Irony in the Structure of the Plot and the Narrator’s Use of Rhetorical Irony: The essay examines the novel’s opening, plot reversals and narrative techniques, including free indirect speech.
4. The Characters’ Use of Rhetorical Irony: The chapter compares Mr Bennet’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s uses of irony through examples of their interactions with other characters.
5. Exceptions from the Ironic Tone of the Novel: The discussion considers two departures from the prevailing ironic tone, concerning the treatment of sexual morality and Mr Darcy’s characterisation.
6. Conclusion: The conclusion brings together the essay’s interpretation of irony, characterisation and social criticism in the novel.
Keywords
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, irony, rhetorical irony, narrative irony, plot structure, free indirect speech, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Bennet, Mr Darcy, social conventions, marriage, characterisation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the essay about?
It examines Jane Austen’s use of irony in Pride and Prejudice, considering its functions in the plot, narration and characterisation.
What are the main themes?
The main themes include irony and humour, social conventions, marriage, narrative perspective and the differences between characters’ uses of irony.
What is the essay’s primary objective?
Its primary objective is to investigate how Austen uses irony in Pride and Prejudice and to consider the intentions and effects associated with it.
What method does the essay use?
It uses literary analysis, interpreting passages and narrative techniques in the novel alongside published critical commentary.
What does the main discussion cover?
It covers a definition of irony, ironic plot structures and narration, Mr Bennet’s and Elizabeth’s rhetorical irony, and exceptions to the novel’s prevailing tone.
Which keywords characterise the essay?
Key terms include Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, irony, free indirect speech, social conventions, marriage and characterisation.
How does the essay compare Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Bennet?
It compares their motives and verbal techniques through examples of their interactions with family members and other characters.
Why is free indirect speech relevant to the analysis?
The essay considers how this narrative technique connects Elizabeth’s perspective with the narrator’s voice and influences the reader’s response to her judgements.
Which exceptions to the ironic tone are discussed?
The essay considers the treatment of sexual morality in the account of Wickham and Georgiana and the relative absence of intentional irony in Mr Darcy’s speech.
- Quote paper
- Theresa Weisensee (Author), 2009, The Use of Irony in Jane Austen’s 'Pride and Prejudice', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/149474
