Dialogue In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice still continues to be such a popular novel after all these years not only because of its memorable characters and the general appeal of the story or the established beliefs of the era, but also because of the skill with which it is told. It is undeniable that Austen’s extensive use of dialogue in the novel is remarkable for its progress.

Generally, dialogue can be found in different types and usually its objectives are specific. It aims to move an action forward, to convey important information, to individualize speakers, to reveal characters or motives and lastly, to build suspense or to highlight important moments. In England, and especially in the past years, the humor and the cultural elements were obvious through the

The dialogue in Pride and Prejudice is more conversational, quicker and very clever, better than a monologue. Rarely is there a character having an extensive speech, and there are not any chapters that only describe analytically each and every physical characteristic of each person. Jane Austen uses dialogue to portray the personality of her characters, which means to allow the reader see the underlying feelings and meanings behind the character’s words. True nature reveals itself every time the characters speak and it is easier for the reader to distinguish every unique characteristic and every character’s development that is represented with the best way through dialogue. In this way, the reader has access to the character’s thoughts and emotions and is able to understand plenty of elements of their personality that could not be expressed otherwise. With these conversations, the reader collects a great deal of information which connects so as to understand the plot of the novel. It is quite interesting to mention that Austen, except of dialogue, sometimes uses very little scenes of monologue which disclose the intense and inner thoughts or changes of feelings. The most typical example is that of the protagonist Elizabeth in the famous scene of self-recognition when she talks to herself and admits “How despicably have I

These two methods function effectively as the reader encounters a range of narrative voices that are able reveal the plot in an interesting, innovative and exciting manner. Lastly, no one can deny Austen’s ability to create unforgettable characters, build well-structured plots, or deliver assessments of society. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice, possess a timeless quality, which makes her stories and themes as relevant today as they were two hundred years