Talley 1

Justin Talley
2-18-2014
Joanna Swafford
ENWR 1510-031

Topic 1: Pride and Prejudice and Modernity

Critics have described the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice as an inauthentic

adaptation of the source text, as those behind the adaptation have concentrated almost

solely on the romantic aspects of Jane Austen’s work. While these critics may prefer an

emphasis on the critique of class and societal structure in the 1800’s, others in the twenty

first century prefer a more relatable story of romance and love. In the 2005 movie Pride

and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright, the importance of romance is favored over other

thematic motives when compared to the source work by Jane Austen, as evidenced by

additional scenes of Darcy and Elizabeth not present in the source text, in order to

entertain contemporary viewers instead of informing the audience of nineteenth century

gender and class roles.

The first scene that suggests an attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth occurs at

the Netherfield Ball, displaying the director’s first choice to emphasize romanticism over

social critique. Elizabeth and Darcy are dancing and making limited, snide conversation

with each other when suddenly, towards the end of their dance, everyone fades away. The

director portrays Darcy and Elizabeth as the only ones in the ballroom gliding gracefully

as they share a private dance in this shot. The candle is lit, the flame is struck, the

romance is kindled, and the modern viewer is entranced. While this is completely out of

sync with the book, in which the reader isn’t aware of any love between the two until

much later when Darcy states “I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a

pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow” (Austen 19), this sets the
 Talley 2

precedent of a focus on romance instead of a direct adaptation of the novel. In addition, in Commented [JS1]: Good!

this scene Darcy states that “[he] hope[s] to offer [Elizabeth] more clarity in the future”

(Film) in order to foreshadow their impending relationship. By doing this, the filmmakers

diminish the importance of a first impressions theme. They hint at feelings in the Commented [JS2]: Great!

beginning, unlike in the book where, as the novel progresses, Elizabeth’s first thoughts on

Darcy are slowly revealed to be hasty and judgmental while the possibility of a

relationship blooms. This change of judgment is essential to Austen’s critique of

prejudice between classes in the source text as Austen’s goals were not just to entertain

but also to bring to light this prejudice. Thus, the lack of focus on this theme in the movie

allows for the romantic theme to be accentuated and the shift is more compelling to the

modern viewer.

The next additional scene that places romanticism over social critique is near the

end of the narrative when Elizabeth visits Pemberley and catches a glimpse of a

sentimental greeting between Georgiana and Darcy. This scene displays a side to Darcy

previously unseen: his love for his sister. This is effective in forming a positive opinion

of Darcy in the eyes of the viewer and reinforces the focus on love and romance, but also

eliminates the need for Georgiana’s character development. Within the novel, Darcy’s

love for his sister is shown overtime as we come to understand Georgiana’s overall shy

character and disposition. This is exemplified here: “Mr. Darcy spoke with affectionate

praise of his sister's proficiency” (Austen 133). Along with this quote, Darcy’s letter to

his sister, and other points in the novel the reader comes to see the strong relationship

between Darcy and Georgiana while at the same time becoming familiar with Georgiana

as a well-developed character in the narrative. After coming to know Georgiana, her

 Talley 3

bashfulness becomes obvious due to observations through Elizabeth. Her general shyness

is well summed up at the end of the novel when Austen writes: “ and “she began to Commented [JS3]: You could introduce this better by
writing: “It takes Elizabeth’s guidance for Georgiana to
realize that ‘a woman may take liberties with her
comprehend that a woman may take liberties with her husband.” (A husband.’”

usten 297) This culmination of characterization of Georgiana is seen at the same time as

Darcy’s love for both his wife and his sister is reviewed. By eliminating this

simultaneous development, the filmmakers take away from the sisterhood of Elizabeth

and Georgiana as well as take away from feminine presence within the narrative. The

elimination of character-building scenes of Georgiana in the streamlined movie takes

away from the importance of female characters, which is a key aspect in the novel, thus

setting more importance on entertainment instead of critiquing the society of the time.

The most important extra scene is the movie’s ending scene that includes Darcy

and Elizabeth sitting in front of a large pool with the repetition of “Mrs. Darcy…” (Film)

This is the most romantic scene of the movie as Darcy confesses his true love to

Elizabeth after the accepted proposal. This is entertaining to the viewer because it gives a

sense of “them living happily ever after” which a lot of contemporary audiences prefer to

see. The ignored themes, however, are evident when contrasting the ending of the book to

this final scene. The conclusion of the book contains a focus on the other stories within

the novel apart from Elizabeth and Darcy, which suggests an importance that surpasses

entertainment and romance: “As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no

revolution from the marriage of her sisters” (Austen 296). Other than the contrast to the

book, the scene itself shows a straying away from the strong female role by the repetition

of “Mrs. Darcy”. The focus of this scene is not on Elizabeth’s feelings, unlike the novel’s

narrator, but on Darcy’s feelings and possession of his wife. The use of the title Mrs. to Commented [JS4]: Good observation
 Talley 4

express that she is his and the profession of his love towards her shows a departure from

the importance of Elizabeth and her thought process in this scene. By giving priority to

the supposed preferences of the modern audience with instead of an ending in accordance

with the source narrative, the filmmakers’ focus on the possible entertainment of the

contemporary viewers is apparent.

The 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, while straying

away from important themes in the novel, is able to be relatable to the viewers of late

through a focus on romantic elements and the addition of new scenes with Darcy and

Elizabeth in order to captivate the audience in a manner that a social commentary on

nineteenth century social structures simply could not have.

Works Cited:

Austen, Jane, James Kinsley, and Fiona J. Stafford. Pride and Prejudice. Oxford: Oxford
UP, 2008. Print.

Pride & Prejudice. Prod. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Paul Webster. By Deborah
Moggach. Perf. Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, and Brenda Blethyn. Focus
Features, 2005.

Justin,
Good start! You’ve made some great observations about the ways in which many of
the novel’s themes are subsumed by the romance plot of the movie, and your claim
is excellent. For the revision, you’ll want to make sure your evidence is always
accurate.
Evidence: While it’s great that you’re thinking about the effect that certain scenes
might have on modern viewers, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not asserting
that all viewers feel the same way about the movie. It would be better to claim that
the directors assumed that viewers would find a particular scene enticing or more
interesting as opposed to claiming that everyone feels the same. This is especially
true for your last point, where you imply that viewers would all rather see women
silenced and possessed than thinking; I’m assuming that you mean that the directors
believed that, but it’s always better to be specific and to avoid generalizations.
You’ll also want to work on introducing and analyzing quotations from the text.
Good work!
 Talley 5

B+