A Great Opposition of Character

Pride and Prejudice, chapter 4

The Meryton assembly is over, and the attendees have now reached the most enjoyable part of any evening: talking about everyone else. First are Elizabeth and Jane Bennet, the latter of whom speaks for the first time:

WHEN Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.
"He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"
"He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."
"I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment."
"Did not you? I did for you. But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.''
"Dear Lizzy!"

Jane’s and Elizabeth’s characters are given clarity here by their opposition to each other; such that even Elizabeth comments on it. Jane is modest, and Elizabeth expects compliments (whether for Jane or for herself is not entirely clear). Jane sees the best in everyone, while Elizabeth is skeptical. Jane is sweet, while Elizabeth is sharp.

This is the first real glimpse the reader gets of Jane. We’ve learned already that she is beautiful, and we know from the last chapter that Bingley liked her enough to dance with her twice. What do we learn about her here? Jane is more than beautiful; she is kind and forgiving, and eager to like everyone. We also learn that she is reserved, and would not speak freely of how much she liked Bingley until she and Elizabeth were alone. This will have an impact on the plot going forward, as Bingley will be very easily persuaded that Jane doesn’t care for him at all.

The person who really makes herself known here, however, is Elizabeth, who we should recognize as the protagonist by now. What do we learn about Elizabeth? We know from the previous chapter that she “delighted in anything ridiculous.” We can see that in her conversation with Jane: their give and take is full of affection, but there is a mocking undertone to much of what Elizabeth says. She never displays the cruelty that her father often does to her mother, but there is a hard edge to her that Jane is entirely without. We can see her cleverness and what the narrator calls her “quickness of observation” because Jane is there to throw it into sharper relief. Again, we understand characters in Pride and Prejudice primarily through conversation, through their relationships with other characters.

This chapter has a wider scope than the ones that preceded it; after visiting with the elder Bennet sisters we are given a description of Bingley’s personal history, along with his seemingly unlikely friendship with Darcy, and finally an account of their opinions on the assembly. Like Elizabeth and Jane, Darcy and Bingley are described in opposition to each other:

Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of a great opposition of character. -- Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy's regard Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Darcy was continually giving offence.

Bingley, like Jane, has good words for everyone he met at the assembly, and Darcy (like Elizabeth) found very little that pleased him. Bingley is friendly, open and forgiving; Darcy is reserved, clever and snobbish. This contrast doesn’t just tell us more about them, but subtly connects Darcy to Elizabeth. They are very different themselves; she is open and lively while he is not, but they have each been clearly established as the sharper, smarter half of a pair of friends. Anybody could tell that Bingley and Jane are going to fall in love. Austen is already telling us, quietly, that Darcy and Elizabeth will too.