Pride and prejudice door Jane Austen

Discuss a passage or aspect of the novel in which Austen uses satire. Identify the satire, whether it is successful, and how it works with the rest of the novel. The main literature device Austen uses in her novel Pride and Prejudice is satire. There are many examples of it in this work, and the passage used in this essay is an extract in chapter 46, where Elizabeth hears of the possible elopement of her sister Lydia and Mr Wickham. Having just returned from Pemberley, Elizabeth receives two letters from her other sister Jane, with whom she has a very close relationship. Jane is the only person Elizabeth has confided in about the true character of Wickham. The former is happy that neither of them has told their parents, their sisters or anyone else about what they know about him, and she is willing to forget it herself. Her trying to ignore Wickham's bad qualities is very typical of her own character. Jane is very naive and she tries to see the good sides of everyone she knows. In her first letter, Jane says about Lydia and Wickham's elopement: "So imprudent a match on both sides ! - But I am willing to hope the best, and that his character has been misunderstood. Thoughtless and indiscreet I can easily believe him, but this step (and let us rejoice over it) marks nothing bad at heart." In her second letter, Jane talks about her parents' state of mind and that she wishes Elizabeth would come home. Darcy comes into the room when Elizabeth is reading the letter, and she tells him what has happened. She says: "When I consider [...] that I might have prevented it ! - I who knew what he was. Had I but explained some part of it only - some part of what I learnt, to my own family ! Had his character been known, this could not have happened. But it is all too late now." Irony is used in two ways in this passage, both having to do with Lydia's elopement with Wickham. Firstly, Wickham used to be interested in Elizabeth. She found him very agreeable, until a letter from Darcy made her reevaluate her opinion towards him. Apparently, Wickham had been lying to Elizabeth and many other people in the village about Darcy. Elizabeth's affection turns into contempt. Wickham, by this time, has lost interest in Elizabeth and has now created affection for another girl - who, ironically, owns more money than Elizabeth. However, the situation has now changed completely, and Wickham has now ran off with Lydia. The reader knows that he does not love her, and that the affection Lydia feels for him is nothing more than a passing whim. Their marriage will probably be similar to the one Mr and Mrs Bennet have. Mr Bennet probably married his wife only because of her good looks, and has become less interested in her ever since. The only pleasure he can take out of their marriage is taking advantage of her undeveloped mental skills. However, the irony in this passage is the fact that, instead of a relationship developing between Elizabeth and Wickham, he is likely to become her brother-in-law. Upon receiving the letters, Elizabeth is very shocked. She realises that, with such a scandal in her family, Darcy will not show any more interest in her. Irony exists, because at this time Elizabeth has just started to become interested in him. Throughout the novel, up to this point, she has only felt contempt towards him as she found him to be proud and vain. She does not show any respect towards him, and several times she is actually rude, or at least ironic. However, he has now changed his behaviour, he is more gentleman-like than previously, and he has impressed the Gardiners and Elizabeth a great deal with his courteousness. Elizabeth has now started endearing him, and developed hope for him proposing a second time, or at least staying interested in her. However, Lydia's elopement has brought disgrace to the family, and the chance of any of her sisters ever being proposed to is very small. The family does not even know whether Lydia is actually marrying Wickham. If not, this running off would imply that she has a relationship with him without any official connection, which was scandalous in those days. "Darcy made no answer. He seemed scarcely to hear her, and was walking up and down the room in earnest meditation; his brow contracted, his air gloomy. Elizabeth soon observed, and instantly understood it. Her power was sinking; every thing must sink under such a proof of family weakness, such an assurance of the deepest disgrace.” Darcy's behaviour at this point actually makes Elizabeth realise how much she feels for him. She thinks: "It was, on the contrary, exactly calculated to make her understand her own wishes; and never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be vain." Darcy leaves the room, and Elizabeth feels how small the chance now is of ever meeting with him again. However, the reader knows that the story would not end in this way, and that some thing or another will bring the two lovers back together, as they are destined to be with each other.