Interpreting Darcy’s LetterPride and Prejudice

Prompt

The passage below is Mr. Darcy’s letter from Pride and Prejudice to Ms. Elizabeth Bennet. Read the letter carefully. Then write a well organized essay in which you analyze the literary techniques Austen uses to convey Darcy’s outrage and to clear his name.

Process

Identify the “T.A.G” (Title , Author, Genre)

Identify the “Big” and “Little” questions

Number the paragraphs (if the lines are not identified already)

Initial reading: read the passage slowly, paying close attention to the narrative situation, the perspective, and the complexity of the speaker’s emotion

Group reading/second reading: In groups of 4, decide what is happening in each of the paragraphs (annotate) – doing so will help you see how the author manipulates emotions. Note shifts in attitude and tone

Discussion Questions

In your group create four discussion questions for the class that would aid in answering or responding to the prompt.

B Period Best Questions

How does Jane Austen's use of a flashback help to convey a deeper understanding of the reasons behind Darcy’s outrage?

How does his use of tone convey his unstable emotional state?

In what ways does the syntax of the letter allow the reader to pick up on Darcy’s raging state of mind at that time?

F Period Best Questions

How does Mr. Darcy address Elizabeth’s accusations through the use of rhetorical devices?

How does Austen’s use of logos establish Darcy’s authority to clear his name?

How does Austen’s use of repetition at the end of the first paragraph demonstrate his intense urgency to clear his name?