The Role of Perception in Pride and Prejudice

After reading Susan Morgan’s critical essay, the juxtaposition of Elizabeth and Jane has come into clearer focus for me. Jane ventures little risk in waiting for things to happen to her rather than initiating the action. Her philosophic position is to be patient and not rush to judgment. She allows things to happen and processes  information before forming her judgments about them. Jane allows life to come to her rather than forcing the action. Morgan says of Jane: “She has never deliberately chosen involvement over clarity” (345). And yet, there is a price to be paid for such passivity. Does clarity come from remaining philosophically motionless?

By contrast, the traits of character that contemporary readers find so appealing in Elizabeth—and I include myself in that group—embrace a quick wit and snap judgments without due consideration of either facts or circumstances. Morgan concludes: “Austen’s major interest is always with those whose connections to reality, in terms of knowledge and goodness, are at once more questionable and more difficult” (345). Human relationships are complex and constantly evolving. Ironically, perceptiveness, which is also one of Elizabeth’s strong suits, can only be gained through involvement. The same quick wit that gets Elizabeth into trouble also teaches her about life. It is simultaneously a bane and a blessing. 

I think that Austen’s literary intention in Pride and Prejudice is to demonstrate that there are no absolute truths. Areas of gray are more extensive than those of clarity or black and white. Ambiguity is the norm. No knowledge is complete, and people’s actions must necessarily occur in the absence of fixed truth. Knowledge and maturity are not always gained by rapid leaps, but often incrementally over time. Character is revealed by how people react to one another and to shifting circumstances that are often beyond our control. 

By the end of the novel Jane and Elizabeth arrive at a similar, but presumably temporary understanding of life, but by radically different means. It requires wisdom to learn about the character of other people without judging them. For Elizabeth, this comes from trying to see things from the point of view of other people, as well as her own.