Pride and Prejudice
Are there limitations to the romantic worldview in the book pride and prejudice?
Limitations to romanticism
Limitations to romanticism
There are certainly limits to romanticism. Austin used the character of Elizabeth to break down some of the accepted traits of romantic love. We see the breakdown of romanticism through the flaws in character.
For instance, Elizabeth almost loses her chance at happiness because her vanity overcomes her pragmatism. Lydia's lack of virtue is linked with her inability to control her passion and desire.
Most of these examples emphasize the importance of self-awareness. Without knowing oneself, it is difficult to develop virtue. Darcy and Elizabeth, two of the only characters who actually change in the novel, can only see past their pride and prejudice with each other's help. In the end, Austen links happiness to virtue and virtue to self-awareness.