The Significance of Letters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

This essay provides an analysis of the function and significance of letters in Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. It explores how letters serve as a dramatic device for character revelation, plot advancement, and theme exposition, highlighting their importance in the 19th-century communi...Read More

Running head: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Pride and prejudice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Introduction
Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austen in 1813, and it is considered one
of her most preferred novels. It is a humorous story of life and love among English gentility. Mr
Bennet is an English man living in Hertfordshire with his wife. He has five daughters, Jane
Bennet being the eldest one. Unfortunately, after their father’s death, their distant cousin whom
they have never met will be inheriting the house. Now, the family’s happiness is dependent on
the marriage of his five daughters. A rich person Mr Bingley, arrived at their neighbourhood and
many tribulations and trials stand between them and their happiness. In the novel, letters are a
dramatic device that is used for character revelation, to further the plot and theme exposition. It
acted as a mode of communication that helped to convey important information allowing Austen
to respond quickly. It is a significant feature as letters were the typical source of communication
during the 19th century (Weldon). This epistolary style was depicted in the novel. It can be stated
that letters were used to reveal the characters for the method of introduction and
advancement of the novel plot. Therefore, the following discussion involves the highlighting of
the function and importance of letters in the novel.
Discussion
Austen highlighted the function of letters and the way it helped to make connections
between the events, personalities and different viewpoints. The immense importance of letters in
the novel is indicated by different actions in the plot. The special significance of the novel gives
the readers a chance for story narration. The author is not directly narrating the novel plot
(Austen-Leigh). Moreover, the main function of the novel is to reveal the contemporary society
in the 19th century where letters were important for the communication process. They are also a

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mean of showing sorrow and happiness and are a way of shaping the characters in the novel. The
letters depicted many aspects of people in the novel where they were judgmental before they
have known the person. The function of letters was to narrate the novel through letters by one or
more characters. Letters served as an advantage as it presented intimate view of the characters
and without any interference from the author that helped to shape the events with dramatic
immediacy. Letters are defined as epistolary where Austen used them as a function to reveal the
characters in the novel of Pride and Prejudice (Gillie).
Unravelling of plot
The characters speak the story and therefore provide small viewpoints of the happenings.
There is only portraying of the characters’ point of view and not of the author. In total, seven
letters helped in unravelling the plot.
Mr Collins wrote the first letter announcing his arrival that anticipated his role in the
novel. Later, he wrote letters describing how Mr Bennet should behave with Lydia and Darcy
engaged to Elizabeth where the author used letters as a plot device. Elizabeth's letter to Mrs
Gardiner, her aunt, helped in the revelation of the characters and their relationship in the novel.
Darcy also wrote a letter to Elizabeth explaining his past dealings with Wickham. The author
avoided dialogue while using letters that helped in providing an important piece of information
to the readers. Therefore, this letter-writing event reveals that it played an important role in the
furthering of the plot (Murphy).
Revelation of character
The letters were also used for the revealing character’s true image in the novel. It was
seen in the two letters written by Mr Collins addressed to Mr Bennet. The reference of Lady

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Catherine De Bourgh on a constant basis showed his status and pomposity. Consequently, the
readers get a picture of Mr Collins’ social climbing character before he was introduced in the
novel (Macpherson).
Mr Collin’s second letter was an apology towards the end of the plot to Mr Bennet. The
letter was written when Mr Bennet lost his daughter, Lydia. He also said that it would have been
better if she had died instead of eloping for marriage. This act forms a picture that he is a person
with high morale and comprises an important theme of pride in the plot. His letters illustrated
perfect examples of condescension and pride caricatured through the letters (Sørbø).
Jane letters also helped in furthering the plot as she tells her story about staying in
London. Letters helped in revealing her character in the novel and relationship she has with her
sisters. The author beautifully condensed Jane’s stay in London in a succinct manner in the letter
(Murphy). The most important letter is from Darcy to Elizabeth. He conveyed his feelings
strongly which expresses the theme of prejudice where Elizabeth judged Darcy in a wrong
manner. There are other important letters written by Jane to Mr and Mrs Gardiner, her aunt and
uncle informing Elizabeth about Lydia’s elopement with Wickham.
Conclusion
The above letters in Pride and Prejudice contributed to the narration of the novel. It
highlights the time when letters were the main means of communication. The letters provided a
chance for narration by the readers instead of the author. The main function of the novel is to
reveal the contemporary society in the 19th century where letters were important for the
communication process. Letters illustrated drama of expectations that was followed by action
being the crucial contributions in the novel. Letters were used to depict the various aspects of the

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people in the novel. The concept of letters exhibited the two separate audiences in one plot. The
reader became the narrator in the plot, as the author is not directly involved in narrating the plot.
The author used letters to define the events in the novel and revelation of characters while
furthering the plot (Ross and Webb).

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References
Austen-Leigh, Mary Augusta. Personal Aspects of Jane Austen. Cambridge University Press,
2013.
Gillie, Christopher. A Preface to Jane Austen: Revised Edition. Routledge, 2014.
Murphy, Olivia. "Jane Austen’s “Excellent Walker”: Pride, Prejudice, and
Pedestrianism." Eighteenth-Century Fiction 26.1 (2013): 121-142.
Murphy, Olivia. Jane Austen the Reader: The Artist as Critic. Springer, 2013.
Ross, Josephine, and Henrietta Webb. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments,
Charades and Horrible Blunders. A&C Black, 2012.
Sørbø, Marie N. Irony and Idyll: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park on
Screen. Vol. 203. Rodopi, 2014.
Van Ostade, Ingrid Tieken-Boon. In search of Jane Austen: The language of the letters. Oxford
University Press, 2014.
Weldon, Fay. Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen. Open Road Media, 2013.