Throughout our reading of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, we have come to see the importance of the letter. On the surface, a letter is simply a means of communication, but when used in a literary context, it can convey plot points through different points of view and lend much to the characterization of its author. For example, the first glimpse of Mr. Collins we receive is through his letter to the Bennets, expressing himself in a ridiculous and overly verbose manner, and we come to find upon his arrival to Longbourne that this manner is an exact representation of his character (which is not very surprising, as we later learn that he physically writes down little complimentary speeches to give to people). Jane's letters also reflect her temperament, as she is unable to think ill of anyone even in a private letter. Her correspondence with Lizzy while in London shows that she is ever optimistic about the characters of others, even when she reports that Wickham has run off with Lydia.
However, Austen employs the letter specifically as a tool of satire in order to reveal the contradictions of her characters--consequently making a statement concerning the contradictory nature of all humans. From the first, we all know Darcy's demeanor to be taciturn and haughty, but in his letter to Lizzy concerning the two accusations she has laid against him, Austen shows us traits to the contrary. The style of the letter conveys Darcy's desire to get straight to the point, a quality sharply juxtaposed with many other characters in the novel, but the length completely contradicts his short, sometimes nonexistent, manner of speaking in Hertfordshire society. We are told he even writes on the envelope, he has so much to say. His facade of pride is lifted as he delves into his past, taking Elizabeth into his confidence and opening himself up for the first time in the novel.
Conversely, though, letters can also be used to project facades for social purposes. When all the letters of congratulations flow in upon the Bennet sisters' marriages, many of them are insincere notes sent as a matter of social obligation. Others are used to patch up relations of the past, such as Caroline Bingley and Lydia's letters, in hopes of making social or monetary gain through association.
Whether used to bring news, reveal secrets, or simply say hello, a letter conveys much more than its intended message, as much is woven subconsciously between the lines.
I agree that Austen uses the letter as a device through which to provide characterization. As you said, Darcy is first portrayed to us as quiet and arrogant, yet in his extensive letter we are exposed to a different side. I think the simple act of him writing such a long, explanatory letter exposes the fact that his true character is much different from the one we have seen previously in the book. Austen reveals him to us as a real human being with feelings and emotions, not simply the proud and cold hearted stereotype we have seen him as. The letters do provide extensive material for satirical purposes, as they seem to exemplify each character's true self and ways, thus allowing their personalities to blatantly contradict each other in a humorous way.
ReplyDeleteI think that Natalie brings up an interesting topic in letters. I had not given much thought to them before this, but her post made me realize that the style of a letter can add a lot to a character and indicate the level of pride or vanity possessed by its author. Darcy's letter to Elizabeth was extremely thoughtful or thought through. It seems as though he takes written correspondence as a way to express that which he cannot say with words. He uses his letter as a tool to communicate in a way that he otherwise cannot, so there is no redundancy between what he writes and says. Mr. Collins, on the other hand, further proves his vanity with his correspondence. He writes exactly what he has said, or what one might expect him to say. He does not, as Darcy does, take writing as a way to express himself in the most refined way. He uses letters to display to his recipients that he is cordial enough to write a letter. Collins' words do not have much meaning behind them. With the use of letters, Austen characterizes Darcy, a proud character, as one who has many layers, and the vain Collins as one with whom you get what you see.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't see Austen's usage of letters as such a groundbreaking tool. Sure, characters' traits are expressed through their writing, but I find that their flaws and tendencies are even more apparent in social interactions. Mr. Collins' ridiculous prose is just a taste of his knack for making an ass out of himself. Jane's letters, while remaining true to her naive view of life, don't bring up any revolutionary ideas, nor in my opinion do they advance the plot, outside of the factual contents of the letter (e.g. oh look, Lydia has run off with Wickham). The only interesting letter in the entire novel was Mr. Darcy's letter, in which he is able to explain himself fully without having to face Elizabeth's incredulity and constant interruptions. By choosing to write a letter as opposed to trying to reason with her face to face, Darcy is able to present his perspective without having to fight the uphill battle of changing Elizabeth's prejudice. Put simply, the only advantage that the form of prose possesses is the ability to present the entirety of one's argument or sentiment without being shot down in the process of conveying those thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTo say something with not a great amount of bearing on what Natalie mentioned, I also think letters in Pride and Prejudice are highly interesting because they contain some of the most human ("unadorned") and honest interactions in the novel. Often Austen uses letters as a vehicle of revelation or for characters to learn the truth (such as Mrs. Gardiner's letter to Elizabeth); in contrast, many characters in the novel tend to act with vanity, artifice, and concern over their socially projected image when they are interacting with another in person. I think it's both an interesting contrast (the fact that letters often carry more real humanity than actual human interaction) and a forceful satire of the way people act toward one another when they are overly concerned with social form (this sort of goes along with Austen's lampooning the early 19th century British upper classes).
ReplyDeleteIn addition to what Natalie wrote about letters (which I more or less agree with), I think the constant letter writing helps contribute to the society of speculation that we continuously see in the text. Letters are a way to spread or add context to rumors, but they can also clarify what actually occurred. The physical separation between characters is made more apparent by the need to write, and thus the speculative nature of the town makes more sense. I do think it's interesting that for just about every important event that happens, at least one letter has to be written about it to someone—like an intermission in a play where everyone talks about what has happened and speculates what is to come, the characters treat other lives as their amusement.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the topic of letters holds significance to the meaning of the novel. I believe the contents of each character's letter represents the true personality of its author. A letter is a form of communication distinct from the strict social obligations of middle and upper class life in England. These social forms breed the contrived interactions and dull conversations we have seen throughout the book. With the use of the letter, Austen allows us to see the true personality of our characters. For example, Darcy's true character is highlighted in his writings, as he is shown to be a romantic, emotional man despite his aloof and prideful behavior at various social events. However, Darcy is unable to show his true character at social events, because he has been pigeonholed into the stereotype of the condescending, aloof noble.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalie in saying that letters convey much more than the message itself and that they portray a person’s character as well. We see Darcy’s attitude change from self-centered and proud to his more vulnerable state of open and sincere love for Elizabeth, and idea that is greatly emphasized through the length and depth of his letter. In addition to the letters depicting one’s own character, they also have an impact on how we perceive other characters’ personalities. For example, while it seems that Elizabeth’s desire to disregard Darcy is to keep up appearances and maintain a sense of power over him, clearly her peers perceive otherwise, as evident in Mrs. Gardiner’s letter. Mrs. Gardiner’s words depict Elizabeth’s character to be more obnoxious, the opposite of Elizabeth’s intentions. It also shows Mrs. Gardiner’s sensible personality, as she argues practically and rationally against Elizabeth, demonstrating how letters can both depict their author’s character as well as those involved in the content.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that letters are important in Pride and Prejudice. As Natalie brought up, they are a great way to further characterization of the author of the letter. I think an interesting thing to consider, however, is not just the content of the letter with respect to its author, but the behavior of the author (by writing the letter). The very act of writing letters is important, as not all characters do. Neither Wickham nor Lydia ever writes to Elizabeth, though they would have ample reason to at several points in the novel. On the other hand, you have Darcy writing a letter even though he is perfectly able to speak to Elizabeth face-to-face. The fact that Darcy has to write a letter adds depth to his character: the reader initially thinks of him as narrow minded, but by showing that he needs a letter in order to express himself, Austen suggests that Darcy is not terse, but rather, shy. I think that, in many cases throughout the book, it's not necessarily what the letter says that is important--it's the fact that the letter was written in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post - letter writing plays an instrumental role in the thematic development of the novel, yet we have not yet discussed it in depth. I can't wait for tomorrow's discussion!
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Anisha's comment (which I agree with), the act of letter writing in itself is a way to reveal character because it requires time, effort, and care. As Natalie (and several others pointed out), it is a means to establish intimacy. One of the things I find interesting is that society seems to rely on these handwritten letters to convey vulnerability and express true thoughts - or ones that cannot be spoken (even in private) without fear of reproach. However, if I were to write a nasty letter about someone to a friend and that friend were to leak the letter, there would be indisputable proof of my actions. Letter writing is such a risky action and requires immense trust in the recipient, yet it is one of the few ways in which people express themselves honestly. Most of the characters in Pride and Prejudice instead choose to form judgements about people based on secondhand (or third, or fourth-hand!) gossip. Perhaps the social and culture mores reserved this correspondence as strictly confidential (moreso than is expected today).
I think letter-writing is so revealing also because the author of the letter has the time to write it free of interruption. Also, when Elizabeth accused Darcy of ruining her sister's engagement and leaving Wickham broke, had Darcy chosen to explain the situation right then, he would not have been as effective because both of them were agitated, and the juxtaposition between reason and sentiment suggests that heightened emotional states are not the most conducive to rationality.
To me, the letters seem to create part of the personality of the characters that write them. They give us a first taste of the character's nature, as is the case with Mr. Collins. Or, as with the letter of Mr. Darcy, they can reveal a different side of the character's temperament. Although these letters can reveal to us some part of that individual's personality, I do have to agree with Liam that we learn even more due to the social interactions, as the letters give us just a piece of puzzle. I think Austen tends to utilize the letters for most of characters in order to just extend and enhance our view of them, but again I think we would get most of the picture even without the secrets revealed within these writings. It seems the only letter that reveals anything about a character is Darcy's letter, which even he admits is a slightly false representation at the end of the novel, as it displayed how he felt towards Elizabeth at that moment and not how he normally feels about her. Although the letters are vital to the story, I do not think that too much importance can be placed on them lest we lose sight of the characterization that occurs elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteLetters are commonly used by authors as a form of indirect characterization (as seen in Crime and Punishment!), and Austen uses this technique masterfully. However, I don't see the crux of your argument. It is only natural that letters provide insight into their writers; that's what correspondence is for, after all. While they are useful, the letters do not have any outstanding qualities. I CAN see Austen utilizing the letters as a discourse on the habits of the upper-class. Outside of that, I can derive no special significance from Austen's consistent use of letters for correspondence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much everything that has been said above. I want to add onto the point that the letters serve as a great satirical tool in the novel. I find that the letters not only expose the contradiction between characters' real-life facades and their true natures, but they also serve to remind people to go back in the story and reconsider the events occurred. Mr.Darcy, for example, has very early on repeatedly explained that he is shy with strangers and not very good with words sometimes. Yet, Elizabeth, before receiving his letter, misunderstood the explanation as an excuse for his excessive pride as she judged it. The extensive length of his letter, however, reveals that Darcy's silence doesn't indicate a lack of interest or even contempt for Elizabeth. Elizabeth's, as well as the readers', prejudice against Darcy is thus readjusted as the letter leads her to go back and reinterpret Darcy's previous behaviors. Later on, also, Mrs. Gardiner's letter to Elizabeth explaining Darcy's secret help to Lydia also provides an entirely different perspective on the whole event regarding Lydia's disappearance. While Elizabeth had previously thought that Darcy no longer loved her and we readers simply thought that Darcy had disappeared, the letter introduces a deeper side of Darcy's character by redefining the whole event as guided by Darcy's help. So, I think the letters help reveal both the individual characters' contradictions and the contradictions in the interpretation of major plots. Austen uses letters as a satirical tool on both micro and macro levels to emphasize the inaccuracy of first impressions (as mentioned in class) in judging characters and the events that surround them.
ReplyDeleteWhile I certainly appreciate the clarity and insight that the letters bring, I can't help but wish that there were fewer letters. Yes, I understand that certain circumstances prevent some characters from publicly expressing themselves, but I feel like the "reveal" that we readers get also has another effect: in my opinion, by illuminating such divergent planes in a single character, Austen overemphasizes the idea of a multifaceted person. Sure, one-dimensional characters are boring, but not everyone has a million layers. One thing that I really valued was something that Josh brought up, the fact that Darcy characterizes his own letters as declarations colored by passion. (Focusing on Darcy's letter) I feel like Darcy's essay to Elizabeth presented a very optimistic view of him; while he was acting selfishly by preventing the union of Bingley and Jane, his antipathy towards Wickham was warranted, and he always had a reason for his actions. But when Darcy qualifies his letter as something he wrote while in the moment, he seems less sunny, and that seems to be more in line with his character. I guess what I'm trying to say is the existence of so much contrast in one person alienates me from a character because the disparity between elements seems irreconcilable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Henry and Liam. The fact that the letters are able to help develop character and advance plot is not really surprising given that generally authors use letters to do those very same things. It’s not very specific how letters are different. They are undeniably important, but I do not believe that they are any more important than any part of the book. However, there is the argument being advanced that letters through their indirectness are better vehicles of characterization because they circumvent the awkwardness of formal exchange in upper class society. To this, I’m not very convinced because many examples brought up demonstrate that people write and act the same. Darcy is very straightforward in his letter as he is in social interactions. I find it ironic that we are now judging based on the letters characters write because I feel it represents the very prejudice we critique: the type of judgment based on incomplete information.
ReplyDeleteLetters create an interesting combination of private yet detatched dialogue, which often provides further insight into characterization. The letters often inform thecharacters in a more direct/honest manner than speech, especially in the case of Darcy's letters. Absence of scrutiny allows Darcy to reveal his more emotional side without his actions being judged by all of the cast. Letters allow the characters to express more honestly their thoughts, without the filters imposed by the prides and prejudices that impede conversation.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting absence of letters from Wickham indicates his unwillingness to let his real nature be known; he instead lets gossip conceal and confuse the details of his life. A letter would ruin the speculative nature of other characters' impressions of Wickam