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GENERIC ROMANTIC ELEMENTSPRIDE AND PREJUDICE INCIDENTA heroine – lively and attractive, though perhaps notobviously so. At the start her circumstances may not beideal. She may lack advantages that might smooth herpath in life and love.A hero – ideally tall, dark and handsome. He may have apast, one that continues to colour his present, makinghim seemingly aloof and unattainable. His circumstances(social standing) may also set him apart.Early misunderstandings. Despite the hero and heroinebeing eminently suitable for one another, their initialcontacts are not happy ones. The differences betweenthem seem to predominate and circumstances seem toconspire against them.The family as obstacle. Families are often a major sourceof impediments in romantic fiction. Both the hero andheroine’s families might prove problematic. There aremany ways families can interrupt the course of true love,but one of the main ones is in undermining the heroine orhero’s love in some way or by demanding that theychoose different partners in life.Misunderstandings. The hero and heroine might be drivenapart by their misreading or misinterpretation of oneanother.Rivals as obstacles. The hero and heroine might well needto see through the allure of possible love rivals. Thesecharacters may pose an illusory threat, but for a whilethey will seem like real challengers for the hero orheroine’s affections.The crucial meeting(s). At some point the hero andheroine might meet in a context outside of their normalenvironment. Freed from some of the social constraintsand conventions that hampered them in the past, theyare able to read one another more clearly. Film Education 20057

GENERIC ROMANTIC ELEMENTSPRIDE AND PREJUDICE INCIDENTTrials and tribulations. Circumstances will arise that testthe love of hero and heroine. The hero may well berequired to make a sacrifice or perform a trial that securesthe heroine’s affections.The happy ending. There will be a coming together for thehero and heroine. The strength of their marriage will beborn of the trials and tribulations they have overcome.Against the pattern of mutual respect and love theyachieve, other relationships are clearly to be seen to bewanting. Their love marks a triumph over narrowmindedness and societal pressures. Film Education 20058

JANE AUSTEN AND THE EARLYNINETEENTH CENTURYIf you have some understanding of the society in which Jane Austenlived and her own preoccupations, then you are more likely torespond confidently.WOMEN, MONEY AND MARRIAGETA S K 1Read the opening of Pride and Prejudice and underline any words or phrases thatare to do with money and property, marriage and social position. Now searchthrough the passage to find any obvious contrasts or oppositions that might beginto reveal what this novel is going to be about.PRIDE AND PREJUDICECHAPTER 1It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, the truth isthis much is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property ofsome one or other of their daughters.‘My dear Mr Bennet,’ said his lady to him one day, ‘have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?’ Mr Bennetreplied that he had not.‘But it is,’ returned she; ‘for Mrs Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.’ Mr Bennet made no answer.‘Do not you want to know who has taken it?’ cried his wife impatiently.‘You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.’This was invitation enough.‘Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the northof England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with itthat he agreed with Mr Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servantsare to be in the house by the end of next week.’‘What is his name?’‘Bingley.’ Film Education 20059

‘Is he married or single?’‘Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year.What a fine thing for our girls!’‘How so? How can it affect them?’‘My dear Mr Bennet,’ replied his wife, ‘how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marryingone of them.’‘Is that his design in settling here?’‘Design! Nonsense. How can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and thereforeyou must visit him as soon as he comes.’‘I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be stillbetter, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr Bingley might like you the best of the part.’‘My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinarynow. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.’‘In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.’‘But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.’‘It is more than I engage for, I assure you.’‘But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucasare determined to go merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go,for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.‘You are over scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you toassure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good wordfor my little Lizzy.’‘I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsomeas Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference.’‘They have none of them much to recommend them,’ replied he; ‘they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; butLizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.’‘Mr Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have nocompassion on my poor nerves.’‘You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mentionthem with consideration these twenty years at least.’Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (Oxford World's Classics, 2004) Film Education 200510

TA S K 2Look at extract one from the film study extracts and try to identify how the filmmaker has tried to capture these ideas on screen.When Jane Austen was writing, marriage was much more than a contract between two people who love each otherenough to want to spend their lives together. In fact, love might not even have been a consideration. For women,marriage gave the only form of financial security. Legally, married women owned nothing; all money and propertybelonged to their husbands. In families with sons, there was little complication about who inherited the wealth - theeldest son. Daughters had to be allocated a portion of the family’s wealth (a dowry) but this was really for use asbargaining power in the marriage marketplace.During Jane Austen’s short life (she was born in 1775 and died in 1817), there were many important events andchanges in society. The most obvious point to make about her life is that it bridged the eighteenth and the nineteenthcenturies. As far as literary history is concerned, there was a gradual change in attitudes and philosophy which alsospanned the two centuries, so that it is possible to recognise typical eighteenth century views reflected in bookswritten in that century as well as views typical of the nineteenth century. Broadly speaking, the eighteenth century hasbeen called ‘The Age of Reason’ - the age of sense when there was a belief in a ‘right way’ for the universe to workand in ‘true’ human behaviour. The nineteenth century saw a gradual move away from ‘reason’ towards human instinctand feeling, so that it became known as ‘The Age of Romanticism’ with the emphasis on sensibility. The influence ofthis transition was broad reaching affecting attitudes to art, architecture, music, philosophy as well as literature.Ta s k 3Draw a time line that begins in 1775 and ends in 1817. Using as many sources as possible, try to find out some of the main historicalevents that took place throughout Jane Austen’s lifetime. Now discuss what you can remember of the film and how accurate a portrayalof early nineteenth century England it is. You might discuss some of the following topics: fashions, the presence of the military, social classdifferences etc. Film Education 200511

CHARACTERSOne of the key elements of storytelling is the characters in the story. A novelist or filmmaker has to create believableand interesting characters in order to involve the reader/viewer in the story.The major techniques used by writers and filmmakers to establish a character and to help us understand what type ofperson they are include: Physical description (including dress, looks, voice)Personality (friendly, happy etc.)Actions of the characterInteraction with other charactersComments on other charactersCharacters are essential to the movement of a story. As a story is a construction and everything within it should berelevant to its development, then we can see that the actions, thoughts and words of any character are a vital elementof the dynamic of a story.In the novel, ‘character’ means one of two things. Firstly it is used to refer to the imaginary people that populate thenovel. Talking about character however, can also refer to a psychological judgment of some kind. Bingley says toElizabeth, ‘I did not know before, that you were a studier of character, it must be an amusing study.’ (Ch 9). The studyof a person’s character; in other words their personality, ethics and manner of conducting themselves is a matterdiscussed frequently in the novel. True judgment of character is exhorted as a valuable skill, especially by Mr Bennetwhen he is giving advice to his daughters.Readers are able to exercise their own character judgments. For example, the easy-going Bingley is a simpler characterto understand. He is polite and affable to everybody. Whereas Darcy is a more intricate character. His actions seem tobe controlled by a struggle between his decency and his pride, the latter often resulting in antisocial behaviour.How far does this hold true for the film?Jane Austen is economic in her descriptions of characters. This is to the advantage of filmmakers who have morefreedom when it comes to their casting decisions.In the next exercise, use the table on page 13 to collect and analyse descriptions of Elizabeth from the novel. We havegiven you four descriptions to start you off. Film Education 200512

DESCRIPTIONS/INCIDENTSSIGNIFICANCECHAPTER 20Mr Bennet: ‘An unhappy alternative is before you,Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one ofyour parents. Your mother will never see you again if youdo not marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again ifyou do.’Elizabeth could not but smile at such a conclusion ofsuch a beginning; but Mrs Bennet, who had persuadedherself that her husband regarded the affair as shewished, was excessively disappointed.CHAPTER 3Mr Bingley: ‘But there is one of her sisters sitting downjust behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say, veryagreeable ’Mr Darcy: ‘She is tolerable, but not handsome enough totempt me.’CHAPTER 3Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towardshim. She told the story afterwards, however with greatspirit among her friends, for she had a lively, playfuldisposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous.CHAPTER 4Lizzie: ‘Oh! You are a great deal too apt, you know, to likepeople in general. You never see a fault in any body. Allthe world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I neverheard you speak ill of a human being in my life.’Jane: ‘I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one;but I always speak what I think.’ Film Education 200513

TA S KCome up with a series of key words describing Elizabeth. Write them in the space around the still image of Keira Knightley in the rolegiven below.E X T R A C T TA S KLook carefully at extract one from the film study extracts which shows the opening of the film.The opening of the film shows Elizabeth outdoors as day breaks. What impression do you gain of her from this brief sequence? What mightit signify that her arrival is heralded by the sound of the dawn chorus (as opposed to the geese that seem to surround her house) and thatshe is pictured against the dawn?How do these opening shots of Elizabeth in natural surroundings, anticipate other times when she is shown to be outside? Film Education 200514

A C T IO N S A N D M OT I VAT IONHaving looked at the physical and personality aspects of the characters we should now look at their motivation andalso their actions in order to see how each character relates to the other characters.TA S KIn the chart below you will be required to choose three key actions for each of the main characters. For each of these actions you shouldthen try to say what each of them tells us about the character. Finally, you could think of the ways in which this particular actionaffects other characters.WHAT THE ACTION TELLS USABOUT THE CHARACTERREFLECTION INOTHER CHARACTERSCharacter 1:123Character 2:123Character 3:123 Film Education 200515

TA S K 1Consider how the characters interact with each other.See if you can draw a diagram that links the characters together.When you have drawn your diagram try to think of key moments in the film that relate to each relationship.OTHER CHARACTERSPride and Prejudice derives a great deal of its appeal from the large number of characters that surround the centralcouple, Elizabeth and Darcy. It is important to realise that each of the minor characters who appear in the novelcontribute to the overall story and themes.TA S K 2Why have so many other chartacters been included? How do they help move the story along?Choose three of the minor characters from the story and decide why both Austen and thefilmmakers decided to include them in the story.Firstly we want you to think about each character individually. For each of the three charactersanswer the following: Describe the physical characteristics of the characterTry to describe their personalityWhat do we know about the background of the character?The next thing to look at is how you have come to understand this. For your answers try tothink of moments within the film that illustrate the points you have made.TA S K 3In a small group, discuss which characters in the film were meant to be amusing and which were meant to be rather unattractive. Findreferences to these characters in the novel and compare the way Austen presents them to the way the actors interpreted their roles. Listthe characters according to their allegiance to pride or prejudice. Film Education 200516

THEMESWe are now going to explore the ideas of themes within the storyof Pride and Prejudice. Earlier in this guide you will have written ashort summary of what happened in both the novel Pride andPrejudice and also in the film Pride and Prejudice. When we talkabout themes of a story we are not talking about what happenedbut what the story is about and what the events illustrate.So, now try to write one hundred words that would tell someonewhat the film is about. One thing you might say is that the film is‘about’ marriage. This will lead you on to some of the otherthemes in the film. If you have studied the novel, you should thenrepeat the same exercise, trying to say what the novel is about.You will probably find that marriage crops up again!Once you have the two lists of themes, compare them to see whether the film has stuck to the themes of the novelin the new-filmed version of the story. Are there any differences? Can you account for these?Below are some of the themes that appear in both the novel and the film Pride and Prejudice. ValuesPridePrejudice Economic statusMoney and self-interestMarriage and loveClass and wealthThe role of womenNarrowness of visionTA S KIn the chart below write down four of what you think are the themes of the film. Next to each theme try to write down at least two incidentsfrom the film that illustrate that theme.THEMEINCIDENTS IN FILM1234 Film Education 200517

A SENSE OF PLACEAs has already been mentioned, a romantic story often needsa fairly tight set of locations in which to be played out. Thissense of enclosure, or claustrophobia, was potentially highlypronounced in Jane Austen’s day when travel was bothexpensive and time-consuming. For example, in the novel twoweeks is deemed too short a time for Elizabeth and Mr and MrsGardiner to reach the Lake District from Southern England.They have to make do with Derbyshire – with all sorts ofunforeseen incidents flowing from that change in itinerary.One of the main ways in which the screen version of Pride andPrejudice is able to bring home the social and characterdistinctions between people is through their domestic settings.FORMAL AND INFORMALStudy the opening sequence in which we are taken on a tourof the Bennet’s home Longbourn. What indications are therethat this is neither a well managed or disciplined household?What impressions are there that the house is very muchadjacent to farming activity? Can you think why thefilmmakers, adopted these indicators of the Bennet’s inferiorstatus over the distinctions in sizes of parlours, gardens ordeliberate areas of wilderness that are mentioned in the novel?Again – late in the film identify the ways in which the Bennetshave to modify their behaviour in the sitting room before theycan receive Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley. What is required of thewomen in terms of their dress, deportment and behaviourbefore the gentlemen can be admitted?Contrast the appearance of Longbourn and its inhabitants withthat of Netherfield and the party there. Consider the way inwhich the scenes in which Elizabeth is greeted after her crosscountry walk or when Darcy is depicted writing to his sisterGeorgiana are arranged deliberately to emphasise the stagedelegance of the scenes and their inhabitants. Film Education 200518

OTHER CRUCIAL SETTINGSHUNSFORD – how does the film use the environment of the parsonage to suggest the emotional space that hasbeen quickly established between Caroline Lucas (as was) and her husband Mr Collins?ROSINGS – the novel suggests that Lady Catherine’s home is reflective of the kind of dr

version of Pride and Prejudice. PITCH FACTORS ORDER OF IMPORTANCE It remains one of the best-loved tales, in the top ten of English readers ' choices when asked to list their favourite novels. There is a wealth of character actors in Britain able to provide the kind of acutely observed cameo performances needed to make Pride and Prejudice's