"Pride and Prejudice": Character Transformation at its Finest

"Pride and Prejudice", one of Jane Austin's best pieces of work, has a cornucopia of colorful characters which tie together the novel. Some characters are easy to define and understand, like the hard-headed, quick-witted and lovely protagonist, Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth's charm and honesty make her an easy character to admire and fall in love with. Other characters are not as easy to understand, like the brooding and misunderstood Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy undergoes a total character transformation throughout this novel. Initially Mr. Darcy is seen as pompous and haughty, at the ball he refuses to dance with Elizabeth and insults her. The entire town speaks of him negatively and believes him to have the airy, self-righteous personality that typically accompanies those of high class. In the beginning it is hard for the reader to understand Mr. Darcy's actions and thoughts, or even appreciate him as a character. Slowly, it is revealed that Mr. Darcy is not a callous man of stone, but in actuality is very caring. He begins to form a deep attachment to the alluring and headstrong Elizabeth, who seems static in her ethical values and personality. She, however, still views Mr. Darcy as a cruel man because of scandalous rumors, and has yet to see the softer side of him. Naturally when he unexpectedly proposes to her she declines. This event seems to shake Mr. Darcy, and from that point on he continually becomes a more amiable character. He explains himself fully in a letter to Elizabeth, and she feels guilt for the prejudice she had constructed towards him. In her presence after his rejection, Mr. Darcy is polite and cordial. When Elizabeth's wild younger sister disgraces the family by running off with a man of poor character, Mr. Darcy manages to reinstate the family's honor by paying the man off to marry her. Time and time again Mr. Darcy proves to be benevolent and kind, which is very different from his initial characterization. It is revealed eventually that Mr. Darcy is perfect for Elizabeth. Although it was hard to see at first, their personalities are identical and when he proposes for the second time Elizabeth delightfully agrees. Without revealing the depths of Mr. Darcy's true character this story's plot would have had a hard time progressing. Mr. Darcy started as a man of great pride, felt the sting of unjust prejudice and transformed into a man that any lady, especially Elizabeth Bennett, could fall in love with.