First Impressions in Pride and Prejudice essays

First Impressions in Pride and Prejudice essays "It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us." What Arthur Schopenhauer means is that primary judgments are formed by what we can immediately detect, which can create an inaccurate illusion of character. His sentiments directly relate to the plight many characters in Pride and Prejudice face concerning wrongful outlooks on people caused by first impressions. In Jane Austen's novel, Elizabeth's initial mistaken view of Mr. Darcy leads to another misconception of character in Mr. Wickham. Because Darcy refuses to follow social norms regarding dancing, his reputation quickly declines in the eyes of his acquaintances, including Elizabeth. On the other hand, Wickham instantly gains the trust and respect from Elizabeth because of their similar feelings towards Darcy. She later learns her original notions about both men are completely incorrect. First impressions can lead to false judgments of character because of the human inclination to make assumptions When Elizabeth first encounters Darcy, she without delay places a label upon him based off of what she could notice from across the room. In the town of Meryton, social gatherings are of much significance because they are opportunities to build up a reputation. Elizabeth attends a ball with pressures of marriage upon her, therefore her mindset is to scrutinize every man eligible. One man she notices in particular, Mr. Darcy, receives negative attention from her because of his preference of remaining reserved. When deciding her opinion, Elizabeth takes into consideration, "Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world" (7). Without taking into cons...