In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the characters emphasize the importance of abandoning pride, embracing self-respect and humility for attaining happiness. Furthermore, they advocate substituting prejudices with tolerance and mutual respect.
At the beginning of the novel, the Bingley sisters, Caroline and Mrs. Hurst, demonstrate their prejudice towards Jane due to social status differences. Their arrogance leads them to believe that their wealth makes them superior to others. This bias causes them to actively avoid individuals of lower social standing and go to great lengths to shield their family members, especially Mr. Bingley, from such people. Instead of recognizing the love between Mr. Bingley and Jane, they allow their pride to blind them and foolishly assume that only a woman of equal status deserves their brother’s affection. To eradicate any hope Jane may have of marrying Mr. Bingley, the sisters cleverly manipulate her into thinking that her feelings for him are unreciprocated. Furthermore, they suggest that Bingley’s marriage to Miss Darcy, who will henceforth be our sister, would bring happiness to many. Despite their attempts to separate them, Jane and Bingley manage to marry by the novel’s end. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are compelled to swallow their pride and reconcile with Jane because they understand that if they didn’t, Mr. Bingley would never accept them. The Bingley sisters exhibit tolerance and mutual respect towards Jane once their prejudice based on social class is eradicated.
Caroline Bingley’s pursuit of Mr. Darcy illustrates her lack of self-respect. Her excessive pride is showcased through her belief that their similar social statuses mean Darcy belongs to her. She consistently insults Elizabeth, revealing her prejudice. Caroline thinks she can win Darcy’s affections by flattery, but fails because her feelings for him are not genuine – she only seeks to win him over with her money and social standing. Caroline believes that by commenting on Elizabeth’s lower social status, she can turn Darcy against her, showing her prejudice towards those of “lower status.” However, she does not realize the depth of Darcy’s affection for Elizabeth, and ultimately learns that love cannot be overcome by social status or wealth. Through giving up her pride, Caroline gains a slight but significant sense of self-respect. Previously, she viewed herself solely as a wealthy individual, but now recognizes the importance of judging others based on character rather than wealth. This transformation also reflects Caroline’s shift from prejudice to tolerance towards Elizabeth.
