An Objective and Subjective First Impression of Pride and Prejudice

2012-03-27T07:20:00.003-07:00

     In a culture full of self-absorbed people, I believe the concept of objectivity has fallen to the wayside. If a person dislikes something, then it is “bad” and no one else should like it either. However, I believe that being able to understand viewpoints that you disagree with is the key to properly presenting your side of the issue. In order to give a subjective point, you must have an objective mind. From this perspective, I will describe why Pride and Prejudice is considered a classic novel and such a beloved title. Furthermore, I will explain why I have formed an incredibly negative first impression of the book and because of how the driving conflict is structured.
     When I first started reading Pride and Prejudice, I was instantly struck by the construction of even the most basic sentences and paragraphs. The writing was tight and every word contributed to the overall meaning of the section. The format reminded me a bit of Dickens’ writing, but it was more dialogue-focused than a Dickens’ novel. The character interactions feel real and believable. Also, Jane Austin succeeded in creating distinction in her many similar characters. The book is also laced with social commentary, another characteristic it shares with a Charles Dickens work. I can understand and appreciate this book as a classic novel, even if I don’t like it very much personally.
     Because of my classical education and general love of books, I’ve read more pieces of classic literature than most of my peers. Some of my recent reads include Moby Dick, Great Expectations, 1984, and Robinson Crusoe. One of the reasons these books have captivated me is the multiple layers of conflict the authors flawlessly establish within the world of the novel. In contrast, the reason that I dislike Pride and Prejudice is not because it is too “girly”, but rather its over-simplified structure. The novel is similar to a soap opera in the way the plot centers completely on inter-personal conflict. All the main conflicts, problems, and adversity in Pride and Prejudice stem from character interactions. In contrast, Moby Dick is a story with three levels of conflict. Ahab’s struggle with madness is the internal conflict, Ahab’s vendetta against Moby Dick and relationship with his crew is the personal conflict, and Ahab’s struggle against nature is the extra-personal conflict. Stories with only one level of conflict are typically uninteresting and predictable to many people.
     Soap opera-style movies and television shows bore me, as do mindless Rambo-like movies. The former banks the entire plot on personal conflict and the latter on extra-personal conflict; however, in the end they both feel shallow in comparison to any movie that melds all three types of conflict into a seamless package (“The Crow” and “Pursuit of Happyness” come to mind). No matter how eloquent Pride and Prejudice is, the underlying premise fails to interest me in the slightest. Yet, I can understand how someone who loves this type of plot would absolutely adore this novel.
     In conclusion, I have tried to give Pride and Prejudice credit where credit is due and not “bash” it simply because I’m a teenage male who doesn’t care anything at all about who’s marrying who. Hopefully, I’ve explained why the book is very boring to some people and very exciting to others. I’m also reading Frankenstein right now and am enjoying it far more than Pride and Prejudice.

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An Objective and Subjective First Impression of Pride and Prejudice