Why is Darcy Attracted to Elizabeth?
In Jane Austen’s novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is one of the most celebrated and analyzed in English literature. The novel traces their journey from mutual dislike and prejudice to mutual respect and love, as they overcome their own flaws and misunderstandings. But what makes them fall in love in the first place? What draws them to each other despite their apparent differences and conflicts? In this essay, I will argue that Darcy is attracted to Elizabeth because she appeals to both his conscious and unconscious mind. He consciously admires her rationality, pragmatism, and individualism, which reflect his own psychological traits. He unconsciously recognizes her as his anima, or feminine counterpart, who can balance his personality and help him achieve self-actualization. I will use the theories of Henry James and Carl Jung as frameworks to support my thesis.
Henry James was a nineteenth-century American novelist who was influenced by Austen’s works. He praised her for her realistic portrayal of human psychology and social relations. He also developed a theory of fiction that distinguished between two types of characters: round and flat. Round characters are complex, dynamic, and capable of change, while flat characters are simple, static, and predictable. James argued that round characters are more interesting and engaging than flat ones, because they reflect the richness and diversity of human nature.
In ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Elizabeth and Darcy are round characters, while most of the other characters are flat. Elizabeth is intelligent, witty, lively, and independent. She has a strong sense of self-worth and does not conform to the expectations of society. She is also honest, loyal, and compassionate. She is not afraid to speak her mind or challenge authority. She values reason over emotion and judgment over prejudice. Darcy is also intelligent, rational, principled, and proud. He has a high sense of duty and honor and does not care about the opinions of others. He is reserved, dignified, and generous. He values truth over appearance and action over words.
Darcy is consciously attracted to Elizabeth because he sees in her a reflection of his own qualities. He respects her for her intellect, wit, and courage. He admires her for her honesty, loyalty, and integrity. He appreciates her for her pragmatism, realism, and independence. He recognizes that she is not like the other women he knows, who are either silly, superficial, or mercenary. He realizes that she is a rare and valuable person who can challenge him intellectually, morally, and emotionally.
But Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth is not only based on conscious recognition. It is also influenced by unconscious factors that he is not aware of. To explain these factors, I will use the theory of Carl Jung, a twentieth-century Swiss psychologist who was interested in the role of the unconscious mind in human behavior. Jung proposed that every person has a psyche that consists of three parts: the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. The ego is the conscious part of the psyche that controls one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. The personal unconscious is the part of the psyche that contains one’s memories, experiences, and emotions that are not accessible to the conscious mind. The collective unconscious is the part of the psyche that contains the inherited patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that are common to all humans.
Jung also suggested that every person has four psychological functions: thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. These functions help one perceive and process information from the external and internal world. Jung believed that one function is dominant and one function is inferior in each person, while the other two functions are auxiliary and complementary. The dominant function defines one’s personality type and determines how one relates to others. The inferior function is often repressed or neglected and causes one’s weaknesses and problems.
In ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Darcy is a thinking type, while Elizabeth is a feeling type. Darcy relies on his logic, analysis, and principles to make decisions and judgments. He is rational, objective, and critical. He values order, clarity, and consistency. He is not easily swayed by emotions or opinions. Elizabeth, on the other hand, relies on her intuition, empathy, and values to make decisions and judgments. She is imaginative, subjective, and creative. She values harmony, diversity, and authenticity. She is sensitive to emotions and opinions.
Darcy’s inferior function is feeling, while Elizabeth’s inferior function is thinking. Darcy has difficulty expressing his feelings and understanding those of others. He is often cold, aloof, and arrogant. He does not know how to show his affection or appreciation. He tends to offend or hurt people without realizing it. Elizabeth has difficulty applying her logic and analysis to situations that require them. She is often impulsive, prejudiced, and stubborn. She does not know how to admit her mistakes or change her mind. She tends to jump to conclusions or act on impulses without considering the consequences.
Darcy’s anima is Elizabeth, while Elizabeth’s animus is Darcy. Darcy projects his repressed feelings onto Elizabeth, who embodies them in her lively, warm, and passionate personality. He sees in her the emotional richness and spontaneity that he lacks in himself. He feels drawn to her by a mysterious force that he cannot explain or resist. Elizabeth projects her repressed thoughts onto Darcy, who embodies them in his calm, cool, and rational personality. She sees in him the intellectual depth and strength that she lacks in herself. She feels challenged by him by a curious attraction that she cannot understand or deny.
Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth is therefore partly unconscious and irrational. He does not know why he loves her or what she can offer him. He only knows that he cannot live without her. He needs her to complete him and make him whole. He needs her to awaken his feelings and balance his personality. He needs her to help him achieve self-actualization.
Self-actualization is a term coined by Abraham Maslow, a twentieth-century American psychologist who was influenced by Jung. He proposed that every person has a hierarchy of needs that must be satisfied in order to reach one’s full potential. The needs are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Self-actualization is the highest need and the ultimate goal of human existence. It means fulfilling one’s unique talents and expressing one’s true self.
In ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Darcy achieves self-actualization by overcoming his pride and prejudice and marrying Elizabeth. He realizes that his social status and wealth are not enough to make him happy or worthy. He learns to value and respect people for who they are and not for what they have. He learns to express and share his feelings with honesty and humility. He learns to accept and appreciate Elizabeth’s differences and similarities. He learns to love and be loved.
Elizabeth also achieves self-actualization by overcoming her prejudice and pride and marrying Darcy. She realizes that her first impressions and opinions are not always accurate or fair. She learns to use and trust her reason as well as her intuition. She learns to admit and correct her mistakes with grace and courage. She learns to respect and admire Darcy’s qualities and flaws. She learns to love and be loved.
In conclusion, Darcy is attracted to Elizabeth because she appeals to both his conscious and unconscious mind. He consciously admires her rationality, pragmatism, and individualism, which reflect his own psychological traits. He unconsciously recognizes her as his anima, or feminine counterpart, who can balance his personality and help him achieve self-actualization.
