Jane Austen

Your essay must have a thesis stated in the opening paragraph of your essay. A thesis is an argument that needs evidence to support it. The evidence you will provide to support your argument are quotations from the novel. As a rule, you should have at least one quotation for each paragraph, not including the introduction or conclusion. The quotations should support the point of the paragraph and the way in which it supports the point should be adequately explained to the reader. When quoting passages from the novel, use MLA-style parenthetical citations. Since many of us are using different editions of the novel, please list the edition at the end of your paper as a “Work Cited”:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Name of city of publication: Name of publisher, Year of publication.

When quoting from the novel, use this format: (Chapter number. Page number). For example, if a quotation comes from Chapter 53 on p. 313, list it like this: (53.313). Punctuation goes after the parentheses.

Focus on Elizabeth Bennet’s development over the course of the novel. What are her first impressions of the important characters in the novel and how do her perceptions change? What does she learn about herself from having to confront her own prejudices? How does what she learns lead to the ending of the novel? How has she changed from the beginning to the end? Answer these questions by choosing four specific scenes in which Elizabeth’s character is revealed at different points in the novel. Describe the importance of each scene and analyze Elizabeth’s character using quotations from the novel. Show how Elizabeth develops through the use of your examples. The most successful essays on this topic will not simply repeat what we have already discussed in class.