GCSE OCR English Literature Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Explore how Austen presents the

Question

Explore how Austen presents the influence of family, in this extract and elsewhere in the novel.

In this extract, Darcy admits to Elizabeth that previously he let his prejudices about class cloud his judgement.

'I cannot give you credit for any philosophy of the kind. Your retrospections must be so totally void of reproach, that the contentment arising from them, is not of philosophy, but what is much better, of ignorance. But with me, it is not so. Painful recollections will intrude, which cannot, which ought not to be repelled. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately, an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father particularly, at heart an amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to be respectable in that circle. Within a few years of my becoming of age, I was allowed to be selfish; I was spoiled by those who were by my own understanding, I was not taught how to look at the rest of the world, to wish at least to make the most of others.

Unfortunately, I coddled you too, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you? You taught me a lesson, hard indeed, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.

Explore how Austen presents the influence of family, in this extract and elsewhere in the novel - OCR - GCSE English Literature - Question 9 - 2019 - Paper 1

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Explore how Austen presents the influence of family, in this extract and elsewhere in the novel - OCR - GCSE English Literature - Question 9 - 2019 - Paper 1

Explore how Austen presents the influence of family, in this extract and elsewhere in the novel.

Join the GCSE students using SimpleStudy...

Other GCSE English Literature topics to explore