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Humour in Pride & Prejudice |
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 Apr 18 2008, 06:49 PM
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A 'Sirius' Veil Whisperer
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Jane Austen is not an author to use jokes to show humour, much of it is in the form of satire to highlight the attitudes of society at the time. Her characters are, on the whole, serious in what they say, they don't intend people to laugh at them. We, however, can see the ridiculous aspects of such pompous characaters as Mr Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, we can appreciate the wit of Elizabeth and Mr Bennet as they deal with pomposity and the shallowness of such people as Caroline Bingley and Mrs Bennet.
Mr Collins make a proposal of marriage to Elizabeth, not because he's in love with her but because he thinks he should set an example, as a clergyman, that he thinks it will "add to [his] happiness", although he doesn't elaborate on that, and, lastly, because Lady Catherine de Bourgh advised him to (and he always follows her advice). He tells Elizabeth that he is "run away with by [his] feelings" which makes her want to laugh because his "solemn composure" just doesn't fit with someone who's feelings are capable of running away with him. He comments on her lack of money but promises never to use that against her and yet he's making it clear that he's only proposing to her because she has no money of her own. He accuses her of playing games by refusing him, he can't believe she would genuinely reject him because he can't believe his "hand is unworthy, or that his connections with Lady Catherine aren't in his favour and even points out to Elizabeth that "it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to [her]". Really, what woman could bring herself to refuse him 
Lady Catherine is herself such a pompous character that I can't help but laugh at her. "There are are few people in England, I suppose, who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient". We could all say that, had we learned the ballet, the guitar or cardiac surgery, we would be proficient because the fact is that we (or at least I) haven't so claiming any skill in those areas is pointless.
A scene which I really love in this book is the one where Mrs Bennet is complaining bitterly to her husband that Elizabeth has turned down Mr Collins' proposal. He tells Elizabeth that "An unhappy alternative is before you Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." Until that last phrase Mrs Bennet was secure in the belief that he would back her up and insist on his daughter marrying Mr Collins. Apart from the humour it shows how much he cares for Elizabeth and her future happiness, he knows she would be miserable in that marriage and doesn't want it for her. I love his request that Mrs Bennet allows him "the free use of [his] understanding on the present occasion".
Let us know what you think of the humour in this book. What made you smile? What gave you a sense of the ridiculous in the characters?
This post has been edited by Dreamteam: Apr 19 2008, 07:36 PM
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Apr 20 2008, 06:05 PM
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Perusing the Magical Menagerie
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The funniest thing to me is Jane Austen's tendency to skip the "important" stuff. I mean, Darcy proposing to Elizabeth is a huge event. Don't you want to know what he says? But, no, she wastes no words on romance and instead gives great detail to arguments and veiled insults.
I laugh at how Miss Bingley childishly pursues Darcy in a way that could only repulse him. He's so delicate in letting her know that he's just not interested, but I would love to know what was really going on inside his head when she asked to mend his pen in the middle of his writing a letter. I just long for him to turn to her and say "Could you shut up for a minute? I'm trying to write. Thank you." (How very un-Darcy-like, though)
In this story there are two and a half people with healthy senses of humor. (It is not a coincidence that these are the people who 'improve their minds through extensive reading.' Austen is telling us something.) Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth delight in "follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies." They create the humor, but Darcy can occasionally be seen to appreciate a witty remark, as seen in Elizabeth and Darcy's brief dialogue about the food of love. I hope that Elizabeth eventually, gradually, teaches him to laugh at himself. If anyone could do it, she could.
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Apr 21 2008, 10:00 AM
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Exclusive distributor of The Dungbomb Protection Kit
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QUOTE(Mused @ Apr 20 2008, 05:05 PM)  The funniest thing to me is Jane Austen's tendency to skip the "important" stuff. I mean, Darcy proposing to Elizabeth is a huge event. Don't you want to know what he says? But, no, she wastes no words on romance and instead gives great detail to arguments and veiled insults.
I laugh at how Miss Bingley childishly pursues Darcy in a way that could only repulse him. He's so delicate in letting her know that he's just not interested, but I would love to know what was really going on inside his head when she asked to mend his pen in the middle of his writing a letter. I just long for him to turn to her and say "Could you shut up for a minute? I'm trying to write. Thank you." (How very un-Darcy-like, though)
In this story there are two and a half people with healthy senses of humor. (It is not a coincidence that these are the people who 'improve their minds through extensive reading.' Austen is telling us something.) Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth delight in "follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies." They create the humor, but Darcy can occasionally be seen to appreciate a witty remark, as seen in Elizabeth and Darcy's brief dialogue about the food of love. I hope that Elizabeth eventually, gradually, teaches him to laugh at himself. If anyone could do it, she could.
I love your thoughts here, especially the bolded, as it is something I hadn't connected. I also love how Austen's humor is so natural to her characters, it doesn't feel forced. I think the fact that Darcy can be witty is another evidence of how perfect they are for each other.
A couple of my favorites are courtesy of Mr. Bennet, made better by the fact that his silly wife cannot see it coming. The two I am thinking of both occur when Mrs. Bennet is trying to rally his support in forcing Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins.
Mrs.B-"Lizzy declares she will not have Mr. Collins, and Mr. Collins begins to say that he will not have Lizzy."
Mr. B-"And what am I to do on the occassion? It seems a hopeless business."
And later:
Mr. B-"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
 Mrs. Bennet's wail in the movie is exactly what I heard in my head when reading this exchange!
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Apr 21 2008, 03:20 PM
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A 'Sirius' Veil Whisperer
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QUOTE(eileen310 @ Apr 21 2008, 12:17 AM) Lydia is definitely the most humorous character in the novel. When Jane comes back from London and Lizzy comes back from the Collins'... the scene where they come to eat lunch I laughed the entire time. Lydia just goes on and on about how she would treat them to lunch, but she spent all her money on a hat that wasn't very pretty, but she got it because there were uglier ones in the store and it was the least ugly. Then she makes Jane and Lizzy pay for the lunch and later goes on and on about how she treated them and isn't she so nice.
Her actions are just ridiculously out of control. You hate her but you have to laugh at her at the same time.
I agree eileen310, Lydia is so funny, as someone else's sister that is. I think she'd be incredibly irritating as my own sister but I can laugh at her because she isn't . I love that scene in the inn and that she only bought the hat because there were others more ugly. I don't think she intends to take credit that isn't hers for payment of the meal, I think she really does believe she's treated them, she's definitely the "silliest" of the daughters and I think she's the sister who is the most like her mother, I can really see her turning into a "Mrs Bennet" in later years.
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