The Disorienting Fog of Pride

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy

(If you’re new to this Substack, one of the things I’m offering subscribers in 2023 is A Year with Jane. We’re reading through Austen’s six novels and you can find all the details here.)

We’re celebrating finishing up our first novel of the year with a live Zoom with Dr.

Joy Clarkson

THIS Wednesday, March 1st at 12pm East. Here’s the Zoom link. The Meeting ID is 748 9079 1423 And if you need it, the passcode is Jane

We’ll be chatting about Pride & Prejudice, Joy’s famous defense of Mr. Collins, and what this novel says about the importance of good parenting and moral education. So join us during the lunch hour (or the dinner hour if you’re in the UK like Joy)!

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Let’s Talk About Pride

“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.”

(For this week’s reading, we’re diving into the Pride & Prejudice chapter from my book Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life.)

In each of Jane Austen’s novels one (or more) of the main characters has an opportunity to cultivate an important virtue. Their struggle may be deeply relatable or it may not be (I’ve never related much to Marianne Dashwood, for instance). But in Pride & Prejudice none of us can avoid getting uncomfortable because we all struggle with pride and need to cultivate humility. It’s truly the perfect topic to consider during this season of Lent!

Austen does such an incredible job of demonstrating how the sin of pride disorients us. It’s like wearing glasses that are all fogged up. You simply can’t see clearly under the effects of pride. Without pride’s antidote (humility) we misjudge and misunderstand others and what’s even more dangerous, we fail to understand ourselves.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are both blinded by their pride. Lizzy can’t see Wickham’s true character because her pride has made her vulnerable to his flattery and charm. But all the while she is convinced she has grand powers of perception until the pivotal moment that wakes her up: Mr. Darcy’s letter.

In my book, I reference C.S. Lewis’ fantastic essay on Jane Austen in which he explores the theme of “undeception” when Austen’s heroines experience a flash of self-awareness. For Lizzy this is when she is struck by her failures in judgement after being informed of the true history of Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy. The line that everything hinges on is her reflection,“Till this moment, I never knew myself.” The grace of self-awareness, of “undeception” is often granted to us in highly uncomfortable ways—usually through our friendships, romances, and family relationships. Community inconveniently reveals who we are. This experience is highly unpleasant for Lizzy (and at times for all of us!), but it’s also the foundation for growth.

Lizzy and Mr. Darcy’s interactions wake them up to their own flaws. Their relationship wipes away some of the cobwebs of sin obscuring their vision. In our Substack chat thread (you can find it in the Substack app) and in the comments of our Year of Jane posts we’ve been talking about good and bad marriages in the novel. The good marriages are characterized by sharpening each other’s characters so that each spouse becomes more charitable, more wise, more virtuous. The tragedy of the Bennets’ marriage and Lydia and Wickham’s marriage is that the spouses are so blind to their flaws that instead of inspiring each other to greater heights they will simply reinforce each others vices.

Here’s this week’s question to reflect on (and share in the comments if you feel comfortable): Have you ever experienced a moment of undeception like Lizzy Bennet when she reads Mr. Darcy’s letter or Mr. Darcy when Lizzy rejects his first marriage proposal? What relationships have you taught you the most about yourself? What friendships, marriages, and relationships inspire you to grow?

Next up we’re reading Emma! So order or borrow a copy and we’ll be pairing it with Chapter 3 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life. Grab a copy from Ave Maria Press (use STEWART20 for 20% off) or from Amazon.

If you’re on the fence about ordering the book, here’s a recent review on GoodReads:

“Have you...
...wanted to read Austen but don't know where to start?
...tried to read Austen but gave up because it was too "dense"?
...wondered what the big deal is about Jane Austen?
...read everything she's written and want an easy introduction for someone else you love?
...want to share the virtue and morality of Austen with the younger generation?
This is the book.
Suitable for high school and up.
Engaging and wonderful.
A lovely menu set before us to learn the very best of why Austen is so important in the Western Canon and how you can fall in love with her too.”

Thanks for the kind words, Lauren!

And don’t forget to mark Wednesday, March 1st in your calendar and join the live discussion of P&P with Dr. Joy Clarkson!

All Jane Austen book club emails and 2023 emails will continue to be available with a free subscription. But this is a reader supported effort. Consider supporting this literary Substack by upgrading to a paid subscription.

And if you know someone who would love this virtual book club, please share with them:

Looking forward to discussion Emma with you soon! (Stay tuned for the details and weekly reading schedule.)