Eric Showers
Coon
AP English
19 March 2012
Summary of “The Pursuit of Happiness in Pride and Prejudice”
In “The Pursuit of Happiness in Pride and Prejudice”, Claudia L. Johnson analyzes what the preferences of each character might say about themselves and, as part of the framing of the text, what those preferences reveal about Austen and the society in which she lived. Another important facet of the characters’ individual perception of happiness is how it changes over time, particularly in Elizabeth’s case. Johnson’s point is that Pride and Prejudice is much less a critique of social norms as it is a retrenchment of the kind of conservative nostalgia that maintains elitism among the upper classes. As opposed to Mansfield Park, which provides a scathing satire of those who share Darcy’s social stature, Pride and Prejudice not only casts no judgment on the upper classes for whatever foibles they may have, but rather justifies and even encourages them in the name of pride, as even Elizabeth mentions that she can forgive him his pride in light of his standing. Elizabeth’s initial middle-class resistance and individualism is later subsumed by the temptation to become a part of the untainted majesty of Pemberley—ultimately the conservation of status quo values.
As opposed to the development of Elizabeth’s character, which represents the upholding of upper-class superiority, happiness as defined by characters such as Lydia and Mrs. Bennet represent their failings as characters. Lydia’s “happiness” is a much simpler thing that Elizabeth’s, as she is simply attracted to soldiers and balls without any of the independence, humor, or wit that Elizabeth seeks to inject into every situation. Even when she is effectively used as a tool to extort money from the Bennets by Wickham, she finds nothing wrong with the situation. The same goes for Mrs. Bennet, whose only desire is to marry off her daughters. Johnson uses Mrs. Bennet’s example, however, to show that Pride and Prejudice’s core message of conservatism stretches across all involved classes. As a woman of a household not even close to that of Darcy’s, she claims her life is fraught with worry and frayed nerves. Because Austen sets this up as fundamentally an issue of class, she seems to be drawing a distinction between their sophistication and, thus, their levels of legitimacy. While critiques of authority figures exist in the novel—Mr. Collins stands out as a particularly fine example—Johnson’s argument is that Pride and Prejudice makes a much stronger argument in favor of the happy mythology of the gentry.
