Chapter 5

Pride and Prejudice

Mountaineers · 10th–12th

Copywork

Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. The distinction had, perhaps, been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and, quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge; where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James’s had made him courteous.

Read the paragraph aloud, and listen for the word “perhaps”. How much of the praise of Sir William do you believe?

For the educator One passage, five sentences: the narrator’s portrait of Sir William Lucas, which opens a chapter that will spend the rest of its length on Darcy’s pride. The first sentence is a career in one breath, from “formerly in trade” to “the honour of knighthood”, and it saves the occasion for last: the honour came “by an address to the king during his mayoralty”, a speech, not a deed. The second sentence is short and turns on one word, “perhaps”: the narrator suggests a fault and declines to insist on it. The third is the longest. It runs through a semicolon, a participle (“quitting them both”) and a second semicolon to “where he could think with pleasure of his own importance”, and ends on the phrase that sounds like pure praise, “being civil to all the world”. The fourth is an antithesis held by “though” and “on the contrary”: “elated” against “supercilious”, his rank against his attention “to everybody”. The fifth begins with a list of three, “inoffensive, friendly, and obliging”, and then attaches it to “his presentation at St. James’s” rather than to Sir William himself, so the grammar seems to credit the court with his manners. For mechanics, notice the commas that set off “perhaps” and “unshackled by business”, the two semicolons inside the third sentence, and the possessive “St. James’s”. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who believes all of it, since the narrator does say he was “all attention to everybody”; for one who hears the smile in “perhaps”, “a disgust to his business” and “his own importance”; and for one who notices that the praise and the smile sit in the same sentences.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in a few sentences, from Sir William’s knighthood to the argument over the bottle.

1. When Mrs. Bennet reminds Charlotte that she was Bingley’s “first choice”, Charlotte answers that “he seemed to like his second better.” Why can she say that so lightly?Character

2. Jane defends Darcy twice: once with what she saw, and once with what Miss Bingley told her. Which defence is stronger?Inference

3. Mrs. Bennet guesses why Darcy said so little to Mrs. Long: he had heard she “does not keep a carriage”. Why does she reach for that reason and not another?Character

4. Elizabeth tells her mother she may “safely” promise never to dance with Darcy. What makes the promise safe?Tone

5. A young Lucas says that if he were as rich as Darcy, “I should not care how proud I was.” He would also drink “a bottle of wine every day.” Mrs. Bennet scolds him about the wine. Why does she leave the pride alone?Character

Make a Connection Think of someone you know, or someone in a book, whose good fortune made them kinder rather than prouder. What do you think made the difference?

Vocabulary

supercilious For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody.

obliging By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James’s had made him courteous.

denominated It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and, quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge; where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world.

self-command “_You_ began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet, with civil self-command, to Miss Lucas.

self-complacency By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary.

Critical thinking

1. Charlotte says a man with “family, fortune, everything in his favour” has a right to be proud, yet the honour her own father won made him courteous. Does his example prove her wrong?

Thesis

Objection

Revision

2. Mary says pride has to do with “our opinion of ourselves” and vanity with “what we would have others think of us.” By her own test, is her speech proud or vain?

Thesis

Objection

Revision

3. Elizabeth says she could forgive Darcy's pride if he had not hurt her own. Is that a fair reason to hold it against him, or does it show some pride in her too?

Thesis

Objection

Revision