Irony and Social Commentary in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Irony and social commentary in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† Like any other society, nineteenth-century England had its share of foppish fools and fawning leeches, hot-blooded lovers and garrulous, gossiping women. While few people exhibit these failings with abandonment, few escape their taint altogether. In the novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† the author Jane Austen satirizes these instances of – not social evils– rather, unpleasant social peculiarities, via a most careful use of irony in the dialogues and thoughts of some of her most delightful characters. The main character indulging in this precious commodity is Mr. Bennet, whom Austen considers important enough that a razor-sharp wit forms a necessary part of his personality. The irony†¦show more content†¦Bingley’s dancing partners: â€Å"If he had had any compassion for me [...] he would not have danced half so much! [...] Oh! That he had sprained his ancle in the first dance!† (8). It is 2 Joshi clear that this line does not show malice on his part against Bingley. Rather, it is an instance of irony which pints out and criticizes the extreme talkativeness of his wife. On another occasion, when Mr. Bennet is accused by his wife for not having any compassion on her nerves, he conjures up a most delightful repartee: â€Å"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least† (2). This piece of sarcasm informs the reader of Mrs. Bennet’s loquaciousness and her husband’s impatience with it. Mr. Bennet appears to have the same opinion of two of his daughters: Lydia and Catherine, whose â€Å"effusions† about the officers stationed in nearby Meryton leads him to observe disdainfully, â€Å"From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country†. When rebuked by his wife for saying this, his retort is priceless: â€Å"If my children are silly I must hope to be always sensible of it† (19). The antithesis constructed by juxtaposing â€Å"silly† and â€Å"sensible† creates a delicious effect of irony that adds weight to his earlier criticism of his daughters’ folly. Austen thereby criticizes the garrulousness rampantShow MoreRelatedJane Austen’s Novel Pride and Prejudice Essay874 Words   |  4 Pagesmarriage for the English novelist, Jane Austen. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen’s major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between the years 1795-1815. During those twenty years England was at the height of its power facing many historical landmarks (Thomson). 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