Mr. Darcy
Mr. Darcy is the other central character in the novel. Darcy enters the story as a friend of Bingley. Since he is friends with such a gentlemen, this provides a clue to the reader that there is more to him than his faults. His main failing is that of pride. Since he has been raised in an extremely wealthy family, he has a high opinion of others who are equally blessed and tends to look down on those who are note. His pride initially causes him to distrust the Bennets, especially after witnessing Mrs. Bennet's foolish behavior. This causes him to tell Bingley to break off his ties with them. Darcy's own distaste for people of a lower class makes him convinced of Jane's disinterest. Darcy also fails to conform to social norms of politeness and courtesy to strangeness. This gives him a bad reputation early in the book, building a foundation Elizabeth's later hatred of him.
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A key moment where his pride is displayed is during his proposal to Elizabeth. He has no doubt in his mind that she will accept, if only for the money. When she refuses him and accuses him of immoral things, Darcy realizes that he needs to reevaluate his character. He begins to hate himself for his own pride and starts to change for the better. This is shown by his friendliness towards the Gardiners, who he would previously disdained for their lower rank in society than himself. Darcy understands the importance of humility and civility after his harsh rejection and begins to think of others as equals. This change leads to his eventual acceptance by Elizabeth. Since he was rejected the first time, he is also more wary of making assumptions of others. Not until he learns that she is grateful to him does he feel bold enough to second his proposal. Darcy is the character that changes the most through out the story by learning the value of all people, no matter where their value falls in class rankings.