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Jane Austen's First Impressions Analysis

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A few months ago, I binge-watched the first season of the television series Arrow. The show is about a billionaire named Oliver Queen, who returns to Starling City after being stranded on an island for five years. By day, Oliver acts like the wealthy businessman his friends and family consider him to be. By night, Oliver secretly is a vigilante who protects the people of Starling city--armed with only a bow and arrow. In episode seven, Oliver meets Helena Bertinelli, a girl Oliver feels he can finally be himself with. Oliver uses his favorable first impression of Helena to help justify his decision to reveal his true identity as the vigilante to her. This decision is impulsive and impetuous. Oliver’s pride in his ability to know the true intentions of a person lead him to quickly and falsely trust Helena--who in episode seventeen, threatens to hurt everyone Oliver cares about. In the same way, Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice illustrates that those who are prideful often use the first impressions they have of others to affect their decisions. Elizabeth Bennet uses her first impressions of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, and Mr. Collins to make quick decisions. When Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth first meet at the Meryton Ball, Mr. Darcy criticises Elizabeth, knowing that she is right behind him listening. Mr. Darcy explains to Mr. …show more content…

Perhaps this is because the first impressions that characters like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth make of those around them reveal the confidence Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth have in themselves. Their pride is what almost destroys the possible relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and causes both of the characters to make abrupt and impulsive choices. Although Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are both not vigilantes, they, like Oliver Queen from Arrow, let their feelings and first impressions dictate the choices they choose to make in an instant--choices that can determine their

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