Literary Terms for Pride and Prejudice

o irony - figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is
different from the actual meaning of the words. ( "He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left
to all the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.")
Chapter 45 (non volumed version)
dramatic irony - occurs when the audience knows something the characters do not. (The
reader has already begun to get the impression that Darcy feels an attraction for Elizabeth, which
the reader began to see when she was tending to her sister at Netherfield.)
situational irony - involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from
what was intended ( Mrs. Bennet ironically wishes one of her daughters to be "happily settled at
Netherfield" thus leading the way for "the others to be equally well married.")
verbal irony - involves what one does not mean ("It is a truth universally acknowledged, that
a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Ch. 1))
o sarcasm - rhetorical device that is meant to mock with often satirical or ironic remarks ("truth
universally acknowledged.")
o understatement - figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a
situation seem less important than it really is ("Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with
this reply as to continue the subject." (chapter 8). )
o hyperbole - figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of
emphasis (Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my
future life. But before I am run away with by my feelings upon this subject Pg. 91)
o satire - show foolishness or vice in humans, organizations, or even governments ( Mr. Bennet
is also used as a more detached commentator on the society he evidently despises and from
which he holds aloof.)
o Horatian Satire - Satire in which the voice is indulgent, tolerant, amused, and witty (Mrs.
Bennet, a foolish woman who talks way too much and her only obsession in life is to get her
daughters married.)
o bathos - when a writer or a poet falls into inconsequential and absurd metaphors, descriptions
or ideas in an effort to be increasingly emotional or passionate ( When Lydia went away she
promised to write very often and very minutely to her mother and Kitty; but her letters were
always long expected, and always very short.")
o parody - composition that imitates the style of another composition (
o circumlocution - rhetorical device that can be defined as an ambiguous or paradoxical way
of expressing things, ideas or views ( Mr. Collins )
o caricature - device used in descriptive writing and visual arts where particular aspects of a
subject are exaggerated to create a silly or comic effect ( Mrs. Bennet )
o center of consciousness - the main focus of an idea ( The bennet daughters)
o participatory, subjective narrator - When a story is told through a specific person's point of
view, that story is said to have a subjective narrator. (In Chapter 3 - The narrator shows the
townspeople to be vain and changeable while simultaneously showing Darcy to be proud and
aloof.)

o authorial intervention - Authorial Intrusion is an interesting literary device wherein the

author penning the story, poem or prose steps away from the text and speaks out to the reader (
she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther, and he
continued. Chapter 19)
o theme - main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or
indirectly ( Love between Darcy and Elizabeth)
o motif - object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work ( those between Darcy and
Elizabeth and between Bingley and Jane. Courtship)
o aphorism - statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner ( It is a
truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in
want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first
entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that
he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters. Chapter 1)
o epistolary novel - writers use letters, journals and diary entries in their works, or they tell
their stories or deliver messages through a series of letters ( The entire book contains letters that
are quoted)
o Neoclassicism - literature that draws inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of
Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome ( This is her writing style mixed with romanticism)
o Romanticism - An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 1700s
and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of
emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion
against established social rules and conventions ( Her writing style however she tried to avoid it
as much as possible.)
o three volume novel - was a standard form of publishing for British fiction during the
nineteenth century ( Pride and Prejudice itself )
o novel of manners - work of fiction that re-creates a social world, conveying with finely
detailed observation the customs, values, and mores of a highly developed and complex society
o tone - in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience (All
the women in the novel are taught to behave a certain way and listen and respect men)
o metonymy - figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something
else with which it is closely associated ( character Elizabeth's change of heart and love for her
suitor, Mr. Darcy, is first revealed when she sees his house )
o euphemism - polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh
and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant ( Jane Austen refers to Collins lack of
manners by using the euphemism impertinent freedom when he forcefully introduces himself
to Darcy)
o didactic - a particular philosophy in art and literature that emphasizes the idea that different
forms of art and literature ought to convey information and instructions along with pleasure and
entertainment ( The opening line about a rich man must be in want of a wife)
o pedantic - overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching
( Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given

her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner, which would have injured a higher degree of
excellence than she had reached. Chapter 6)
o sentimental - based on, showing, or resulting from feelings or emotions rather than reason or
thought ( The novel is sentimental as it keeps hold of traditions of those days yet contains satire.)
o coquettish - A woman who regularly makes romantic or sexual overtures; a flirt. (Lydia)
o allusion - brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural,
literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it
refers ( "The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth" Chapter 10 )
o anaphora - the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an
artistic effect ( page 136 "...for there is such a sight to be seen!" )
o balanced clauses - a sentence consisting of two or more clauses that are parallel instructure.
( He shall be mercenary, and she shall be foolish Elizabeth on Wickham and Miss King )