Decisive parts of both plot and meaning of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are conveyed by means of conversations. “In them the word becomes an authentic deed”, as H. BABB puts it. In linguistic terms, conversation is discourse – and discourse is necessarily social discourse. Taking into consideration that Jane Austen’s age “was an age of society’s predominance, when man was viewed primarily as a social creature”, and that “’ways of putting things’, or simply language usage, are part of the very stuff that social relationships are made of”, it is not hard to realize how much importance lies in the way the characters in Pride and Prejudice express themselves. Therefore, when he focuses on the various linguistic aspects of civility in Pride and Prejudice, the reader can throw light on the novel from a different angle.
Civility is derived from the Latin word ‘civilis’, meaning ‘of or pertaining to citizens’. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is “behaviour proper to the intercourse of civilized people; ordinary courtesy or politeness, as opposed to rudeness of behaviour; decent respect, consideration”. J. HARRIS notices that Jane Austen “explores [Richardson’s] important word civil”, without giving her finding consequence enough to go into much detail. However, when the word root civil itself occurs “over seventy times in the novel”, seventyeight times to be precise (while occurring only forty times in Sense and Sensibility, for example), and words closely related to civility appear in over one-hundred-and-fifty instances in the course of the novel, it becomes clear that the aspects of civility deserve a closer look. Because the social scheme has changed significantly since the time Jane Austen wrote her novels, the vocabulary related to civility has undergone some significant changes as well. The gaps in meaning between politeness, civility and gentleness have been diminished or have ceased to exist altogether in some speakers’ vocabulary. The aim of this paper is therefore to pinpoint the different notions of civility and words related with civility as they are employed by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. In the course, most attention will be paid to Mr Collins, a character who miraculously manages to be an epitome of both politeness and rudeness.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Negative aspects of civility
- Sneering civility - Miss Bingley
- Shallow civility - Sir William
- False civility - Wickham
- Condescending civility – Lady Catherine
- Mr Collins - the formal aspect of civility
- Collins's first letter
- Negative politeness strategies
- Mr Collins's reception in society
- The importance of formality
- External and internal factors of politeness
- Mr Collins - dominated by external politeness factors
- Pemberley & Rosings as symbols
- Mr Collins - an epitome of impoliteness
- Masked face-threatening-acts
- Collins's collected offences during his proposal
- Two different proposals
- Civility: a decisive factor in the main characters' relationship
- Civility as the basis of Darcy's and Elizabeth's conduct
- Phase 1: Misunderstanding
- Phase 2: The proposal – a "breakdown of civility"
- Phase 3: Reconstitution via civility
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the different notions of civility and related terms as used by Jane Austen in *Pride and Prejudice*, with a particular focus on the character of Mr. Collins, who embodies both politeness and rudeness.
- The various facets of civility in *Pride and Prejudice*, encompassing both positive and negative aspects.
- The significance of conversation and discourse in shaping social relationships in the novel.
- The role of civility in the development of the main characters' relationships, especially that of Darcy and Elizabeth.
- The influence of external and internal factors on politeness and civility.
- The social context of civility in Jane Austen's time and its relevance to the novel's themes.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of civility in *Pride and Prejudice*, highlighting the importance of conversation and discourse in shaping social interactions. It explores the etymology of the word "civil" and its significance in Jane Austen's writing.
- Negative aspects of civility: This chapter examines different forms of negative civility, such as Miss Bingley's "sneering civility" and Sir William's "shallow civility." It analyzes how these expressions of civility can be used to mask true intentions and create tension in social interactions.
- Mr Collins - the formal aspect of civility: This chapter delves into the character of Mr. Collins, who represents a more formal aspect of civility. It examines his use of language, his social interactions, and his adherence to etiquette.
- External and internal factors of politeness: This chapter explores the distinction between external and internal factors of politeness, focusing on how Mr. Collins is primarily driven by external factors. It also examines the symbolic significance of Pemberley and Rosings in relation to civility.
- Civility: a decisive factor in the main characters' relationship: This chapter discusses the role of civility in shaping the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. It analyzes the different phases of their interactions, from initial misunderstanding to the breakdown of civility during Darcy's first proposal, culminating in a reconstitution of civility that leads to a deeper understanding.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in this paper include: civility, politeness, social discourse, conversation, *Pride and Prejudice*, Jane Austen, Mr. Collins, Miss Bingley, Sir William, Darcy, Elizabeth, external politeness factors, internal politeness factors, social context, and the relationship between civility and social status.
- Quote paper
- Michael Helten (Author), 2004, Aspects of Civility in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/56946
