Question

What role does sarcasm play in pride and prejudice

Answer 1

The effect that irony and sarcasm in Pride and Prejudice has on the reader is that it helps them to stay focused on the book. Sarcasm helps the reader to understand how the characters interact with each other, when Mr. Bennet was talking to his wife about visiting Mr. Bingley and he tells Mrs. Bennet that he does not plan to visit, she tells him that he is messing with her nerves. Mr. Bennet responds by saying “You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.” The man uses a sarcastic tone because he has dealt with the nerves his whole life, but reminds her just to humor Mrs. Bennet. Irony also plays a big part of this novel; it seems that everyone has a first impression of all the other character, the ironic part is that they judge the one most like them. Elizabeth first thinks that Mr. Darcy is stuck up and rather rude since he does not seem to talk to anyone out of his social status; it is ironic because once she got to know him, Elizabeth realized he is rather similar to her in the way the act and are perceived.

Austen’s narrative style helps reinforce the critical perspective on social class and gender relations, by making the women to be like the ones in Regency England. The women in England during this period were focused on being married to know they had security, so in the novel she made almost all the ladies the same way, with the exception of a few. That is her perspective on the social class. The style in this novel also helps to show her perspective on gender relations. Women were not to greet men who moved to their town until the husband of the family met him first. The part of the novel when Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet discuss how the husband must first visit Mr. Bingley it is a fine example of gender relations. Does this help?