My favourite passage in PnP - Amelia, 08S303

“Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature; and, for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be wounding your’s. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express.”

“I am sorry, exceedingly sorry,” replied Darcy, in a tone of surprise and emotion, “that you have ever been informed of what may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted.”

“You must not blame my aunt. Lydia’s thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter; and, of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them.”

“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.”

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.


In this passage, Elizabeth and Darcy finally reach an impasse where their love is resolved, when both characters finally brave their true feelings towards each other. This passage serves as an essential turning point in the novel as it can be seen that the pride and prejudice of both Elizabeth and Darcy have been set aside in order for them to love each other. As such, we are able to see how Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s characters have been changed for the better through the course of the novel.

At the beginning of their courtship, Elizabeth was convinced that nothing Darcy did could have “tempted (her) to accept” his hand in marriage. It was only through Darcy’s persistence and his actions that he eventually won her over. Elizabeth had been convinced later that he would have been the exact man that would suit her temperament. It is an irony in this passage that Elizabeth could still not see that Darcy’s truest “inducement” of his acts of kindness was her. She even thanked him, “in the name of all my family”, for his kindness. However, this irony only helps to build on to the tension of the later paragraphs, in which their misunderstandings of each other are resolved.

In fact, it can be seen that Elizabeth is still very much in love with Darcy when she describes herself as a “very selfish creature”. The only reason in which she would call herself a “selfish creature” when she is not is due to the fact that she is afraid of putting Darcy in an awkward situation by braving her feelings. Her concern for Darcy’s welfare, to protect him even from her own feelings, proves that she cares for him. This is in contrast to the beginning of the novel, where she acts abominably towards Darcy, not caring about how he would feel. By calling herself “selfish” so as to “(give) relief to (her) own feelings”, it shows that Elizabeth cannot help but express her emotions, as she still harbours hopes of meaning something to him. To Elizabeth, Darcy’s need for secrecy when helping Lydia must have been an indication of not wanting to be associated with them anymore, and yet by thanking him, Elizabeth inadvertently causes it. Thus, it can be seen that by building suspense through Elizabeth’s ignorance of Darcy’s feelings despite her love for him, their triumph over the many obstacles faced throughout the novel is further emphasized.

On the part of Darcy, this passage mainly serves to portray his character in a much better light in comparison to the rest of the novel. It adds on to his acts of kindness, especially when he apologises for not keeping the matter properly from Elizabeth “in a tone of surprise and emotion”. His image of a Good Samaritan is highlighted by the fact that he does not want his good deeds publicised. In fact, he was dismayed once he was exposed by Elizabeth, since he did not want to give her any “uneasiness”. His concern over the welfare of Elizabeth is very much evident since he only wanted to help her in a way that does not make her feel obligated to repay him.

To further show the depth of his love for Elizabeth, it is made evident later in the novel that his sole purpose in visiting this time was to “see (her), and to judge, if (he) could … ever hope to make (her) love (him)”. This is justified especially when he reveals in this passage that “(she) might add force to the other inducements which led (him) on” since he only “thought of (her)”. Thus it shows that his love for her is not to be thwarted, despite having been rejected once. His bravery to gain her love is shown through the second proposal where he bares his feelings once more, yet leaving Elizabeth to back out of it gracefully if she refused by telling her that “one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever”. As such, from this passage, Darcy’s love for Elizabeth can be seen as one undaunted by challenges, yet magnanimous enough to only want her to be happy, and not forcing her into anything she despises.

Lastly, this passage shows that love can overcome all boundaries and challenges, bringing happiness and fulfilment to a couple ultimately. The significance of Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s love which is portrayed here is highlighted through the objections voiced against their union throughout the novel. For one, Darcy himself was unsure of his love for her in the beginning of the novel. In his first proposal, it can be seen that although he accepts the fact he loves her, he is not fully comfortable with loving someone as significantly beneath him as her. Lady Catherine seconds that opinion as she visits Elizabeth not too long before this instance of the novel, trying to force Elizabeth to agree not to marry her nephew. Therefore, this passage is especially important as it signals the resolution of Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship and the subsequent happy ending after having to face many obstacles and trails to reach this point.