ChrisZhou

Guy3
HonorsEuropeanLiterature
11February2015
DialecticalJournal1

Herladyship,afterawhile,sharedthefeeling,wasmoreopenlyacknowledged,forshedid
notscrupletocallout:
"Whatisthatyouaresaying,Fitzwilliam?Whatisityouaretalkingof?Whatareyoutelling
MissBennet?Letmehearwhatitis."
"Wearespeakingofmusic,madam,"saidhe,whennolongerabletoavoidareply.
"Ofmusic!Thenprayspeakaloud.Itisofallsubjectsmydelight.Imusthavemyshareinthe
conversationifyouarespeakingofmusic.TherearefewpeopleinEngland,Isuppose,whohave
moretrueenjoymentofmusicthanmyself,orabetternaturaltaste.IfIhadeverlearnt,Ishould
havebeenagreatproficient.AndsowouldAnne,ifherhealthhadallowedhertoapply.Iam
confidentthatshewouldhaveperformeddelightfully."
Litdevices:Dialogue,condescendingtone,bombasticdiction.Page#(172)

JaneAustencriticizesthepretentiousconceitoftheupperclassin19thcenturyEngland
throughtheuseofdialogueandindirectcharacterization.DuringadinneratRosingParks,Lady
CatherinenoticedthatElizabethandFitzwilliamwereengaginginanintimateconversation.She
immediatelyinquireddemandingly,Whatisthatyouaresaying,Fitzwilliam?Whatisityouare
talkingof?WhatareyoutellingMissBennet?Letmehearwhatitis(172).Austenportrayed
LadyCatherinewithabombasticdictionasshebluntlyinterruptsthecouplesconverse.Her
questionsarewordedsostraightforwardly,asifshewasinterrogatingthem.Thebombastic
dictionreflectedherconfidencethatshehadeveryrighttoknowwhatFitzwilliamwastalking
aboutwithanotherladyatthedinnertable.Suchtwistedbeliefsweretheresultsofthe
superiorityshefeltwithhersocialclass.In19thcenturyEngland,theupperclasswasfilledwith
conceitandcomplacency.Theirsenseofselfimportancewassogreatthatitprevailedcommon
civilityatthedinnertable.LadyCatherinesbluntinquiryleftnosenseofprivacybetween
ElizabethandFitzwilliam,makingtheguestsextremelyuncomfortable.However,hersnobbish
senseofselfimportancepreventedherfromrealizinghervulgarmanners.Thebombasticdiction
servestoemphasizethepompouscharacterofLadyCatherine,whowastheepitomeofa
conceitedupperclassmemberoftheEnglishsociety.WhenFitzwilliamrepliedthathewas
discussingthetopicofmusic,LadyCatherinedeclaredconfidently,[Music]isofallsubjects
mydelight.Imusthavemyshareintheconversationifyouarespeakingofmusic.Therearefew
peopleinEngland[thathaveabetternaturaltastethanIdo].LadyCatherinespokewitha
condescendingtoneasthoughshewasanexpertatthesubjectandwasinstructingFitzwilliam
whattodo.Wordssuchasmustandtrueenjoymentreflectedherconceivedpositionasan
authority.However,LadyCatherinedidnotreceiveanextensiveeducationinmusic.Shespoke
pompouslyduetoherpositionofahighersocialclass.ItwasthesocialcustomofAustenstime
thatindividualsfromahigherclassoftenlookeddownuponthosefromaninferiorclass.Austen
bitterlycriticizedthissocialdecorumbyportrayingLadyCatherineridiculouslywithher

condescendingtone.Shesoundedauthoritativewhenshefirstdeclaredthatmusicwasher
favorite,buttheaudiencelaterfoundoutthatshedidnotreceiveanyeducationinmusiceither.
LadyCatherineexpectedeveryonetofullyrespecteverywordshesaysandtakeineveryadvices
shegivestherefore,shedidnotconsiderthesensibilityofherstatementsbeforestatingthemina
condescendingtone.Austenindirectlycriticizedtheconceitandpretentiousnessoftheupper
classthroughtheinsensibilityofLadyCatherinesdialoguesandherindirectcharacterization.