Personal Reflection

Personal Reflection

In reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in my grade 11 year, I have evolved, matured, and learned new things. I’ve learned about Jane Austen herself, by wanting to, and conducting further research into her life and upbringing to further understand her reasoning and insights for this novel. Personally I feel I have improved and broadened my literary interests by reaching out a little farther into older, more classic novels. I usually tend to read fairly new and recent books and authors, novels such as J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter, Ellen Hopkin’s Impulse and The House of Night series by P.C. Cast. These books mostly have classic themes, but are written more to today’s standards. By including Jane Austen and Frankenstein and other such classic novels in my day-to-day reading I’ve become much more intellectual in my way of thinking and writing.

Having a wider audience in my reading, including everything now, from classic to futuristic, my writing has and will continue to grow into a more in-depth art form. The structures and literary techniques incorporated from all of these types of novels give new ideas and style into my own personal writing. Because of a psychology class I took last year, and all of the reading I did over that time, and since then, I have a broad knowledge of human nature. Knowing how and why certain brain maladies such as mental deterioration, occur scientifically; help me to understand writings about people who are dealing with those things in their everyday life. Knowing the how and the why together further boost my appreciation of the novel that I am reading.

I am currently reading Stephen King’s IT, which is about an evil, murderous clown. This novel is told from various points of view and time periods ranging over the last 30 years. This novel is very dynamic and sometimes a little hard to follow, but it too pushes my knowledge, reading and writing power with each new thing this infamous author has combined in making this best-selling thriller.

Apologia~

        Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is considered to be a classic novel around the world. Pride and Prejudice is an absolute classic because men and women around the world have appreciated and enjoyed its company since it was first published in 1813. The heroine Ms. Elizabeth Bennet is the physical embodiment of prejudice while Mr. Darcy is considered to be pride. Having two people in a novel so entirely connected to the title, with their personalities reflecting and mirroring each other’s so perfectly, is wonderful. The couple is so perfect for each other they make the novel, and their horrible charade at hating each other, all the more lovable. Thousands will read this novel repeatedly; by the young and the old, it will never go out of style because every girl wants to find someone like Mr. Darcy.

Pride and Prejudice is a classic novel because it can be read time and time again and you will find something new and exciting each and every time. It may be 200 years old but it is still fresh and invigorating. With Austen’s dry humour and wit this novel is both funny and a classic. It’s classic setting and language sets it ahead, as it is something different. Novels today about the 19^th century continue to use modern language, and this detracts from the legitimateness of the history.

Jane Austen herself is a classic; her realism and social commentary throughout her books are amusing and very concrete. Jane and her books will never be erased from history, her clever style of writing and romantic characters are imprinted on anyone and everyone who have and ever will read them. Jane was a very bright child born in England in 1775, Jane may have begun writing short stories and poems as early as 1787 for her family’s own personal amusement. Jane’s sense of humour could be found offensive and discouraging to many, but to most her honesty and bluntness, although 200 years old, is quite fresh. In a letter sent to her sister Cassandra in 1811 on the birth of their nephew, she says “I give you joy of our new nephew, and hope if he ever comes to be hanged it will not be till we are too old to care about it.” Her confidence in her own writing’s is a sign that she can recognize true talent as can many others, and they will continue to do so. In a letter Jane wrote about her own character Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, “I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.”

Jane is a wonderful author because her own personal beliefs are very clearly portrayed throughout her novels but they are not so potent and overpowering that you feel you are being forced to believe the same, as one of her characters in Pride and Prejudice, Mary, says early in the book, “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” This is easily distinguishable as Austen’s own thought, but is so hidden by the pompus and haughty attitude of Mary Bennet that it is somewhat humourous, not forceful.

In conclusion, Jane Austen and her timeless novel, Pride and Prejudice  will never be forgotten they will continue to go down in history and be read and love and enjoyed by many.