Vanity and Pride

Jane Austen clearly states the difference between vanity and pride in Pride and Prejudice. She not only describes it in words directly, but also shows it through the characters. A character that represents pride is Mr. Darcy (this is pretty obvious). Other characters see him as a pride disagreeable man. His indifference to this view also implies his pride. Miss Bingley exemplifies vanity which she shows through her actions. She cares much about her status and is reserved to act according to it. They both certainly show some self-complacency but there is a distinction between the two of them.

In other’s eyes “Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise.” (43) But his belief is that “I [he] have [has] faults enough, but they are not … of understanding.” (43) Even though he is admitting his faults, this shows his pride because he also states that he does not have a type of fault. Mr. Darcy criticizes others for their faults and this comes from the belief that he does not have such faults. He says “Nothing is more deceitful … than the appearance of humility” (35) to Darcy when they talk about his writing skills. This demonstrates well how Mr. Darcy thinks about himself highly. He does not care about how others see him but only cares of his own thoughts.

Miss Bingley is very different from Mr. Darcy. She acts in certain ways to show it off to the others. When her family, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are all present, she acts very polite, “elegant, and she walked[s] well.” (41) which she intended to show to Mr. Darcy. She expects to have the attention of the people when she acts a certain way. When Elizabeth receives the attention instead of her she is vexed enough “to be jealous” (38) She is a woman who cares much about what others think of her. This makes her the perfect example of a person with vanity.

In the contrast between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley, it’s easier to understand the difference between Pride and Vanity. It adds to the explanation that she gives previously.