1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
The character, Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice is seen as a "villian". He is wealthy, harsh, proud, and arrogant. Darcy is very quick to judge others and is very aware of his high social standing. At first, readers cannot sympathize with Darcy, as he is extremely rude to Elizabeth, saying to Mr. Bingley that Elizabeth is not handsome enough for him and is just merely tolerable. At the ball, Darcy refuses to dance with anyone who is not rich and of a high social class. His haughtiness creates disdain among Elizabeth and the readers of this story.
As the story progresses, readers are able to see how Darcy changes. Darcy begins to develop a liking for Elizabeth, as she is cunning, clever, and intelligent. After Elizabeth rejects Darcy's marriage proposal, he is so humiliated that he sheds his pride and tries to show Elizabeth that he truly loves her. He helps Elizabeth's sister, Lydia, from being disgraced by paying Wickham the money for the marriage. He also defies his aunt, Lady Catherine, by endlessly pursuing Elizabeth. Darcy shows that he no longer cares that Elizabeth is from a lower class than him. In the end, Elizabeth finally sees the changes that Darcy has made and accepts his marriage proposal.
Not only do readers see how Darcy changes, but they also realize that some of Darcy's actions aren't all that evil and villanous. For example, at first glance, readers may think that Darcy is cruel for manipulating Mr. Bingley to leave Jane by saying Jane is only after Mr. Bingley's money, but later on in the story, readers discover that Darcy only did that to protect Mr. Bingley's heart. Darcy shows that he is an extremely loyal friend. Another example is Darcy's hatred of Wickham. In the beginning, readers are confused why Darcy unfairly treats Wickham, but then it is revealed that Wickham tried to take Darcy's inheritance from Darcy's father.
Darcy is a great example of how reader's should not "judge a book by its cover". Although Darcy is rude and is viewed as the villian of the story, he is able to change himself for the better. Throughout the book, readers can see the full presentation of Darcy, which makes them realize that Darcy is not that bad after all. By the end of the story, readers are able to sympathize with Darcy.
You picked a prompt and clearly stated your thesis. You supported it very well over all you did a good job. I have read the book and I have the same opinions about Mr. Darcy and that he can be good after your initial opinion about him.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a good job for the most part! The one thing I saw was that the second paragraph, the one about the marriage proposal, seemed a little bit like a plot summary, which the prompt explicitly said to avoid. One more thing I would suggest you work on is adding qualifiers (very, extremely, etc). Other than those two little things, I think you did a good job answering the prompt!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brianna about the second paragraph.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it may help your essay if you focused on the "judging books by their cover" part and stayed away from showing how Darcy changes as time goes on. An evil villain can act and be evil, then change into a good person and the reader's opinion of him would be correct all along, which wouldn't be an answer to the prompt. Your second and fourth paragraphs described how Darcy changed from evil to good, which isn't what the prompt asked for. Your other two paragraphs, on the other hand, were perfect in this respect.
Noah Symanzik