"Her acute observation of character and her satiric depiction of human behaviour are distinguishing features of Jane Austen's writing." Discuss, with close attention to characterization, style and themes.
Jane Austen narrates Pride and Prejudice for the most part from the point of view of her heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. In Elizabeth, Austen creates a truly honest multi-dimensional character, whose development as a person is shown throughout the course of the novel. The character of Elizabeth, as with most characters in Austen's novels, is developed fully by description, dialogue and narrative techniques such as letters. .
As in all novels by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice centers around the education of its heroine, in this case Elizabeth. While Elizabeth is always portrayed positively, and usually as the most intelligent and witty in her company:.
"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters." .
Her character does improve significantly throughout the novel. To begin with, Elizabeth is both proud and prejudiced, but sheds these qualities as a result of various events in her life over the course of the novel. .
These changes in Elizabeth are shown most strongly through her interactions with Darcy, a character who also embodies the central theme of overcoming one's prejudices. Darcy's character develops on par with Elizabeth's, and their respective character development culminates in their marriage at the end of the novel, when each has become tolerant and open-minded enough to find the best in each other.
This emphasis on the education of a young heroine was made popular by Jane Austen and is a distinguishing feature of her writing. This serves her often didactic themes, and also serves to satirize other characters in her novels and thus human behaviour, by contrasting their hypocrisies with her heroine's intelligence and humanity.