Carroll’s Model: Is an unsatisfactory account of Pride and Prejudice

Carroll’s analytical version of Pride and Prejudice follows more an account of the movie version than the actual book, leaving out nuances of character-building meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth such as the scene where she refuses to dance with him. As well, Carroll seems to completely ignore the historical precedent of the storyline when forming his assumptions of character behavior and of the author. For instance, he says that, basically, Miss de Bourgh is thrown to the wolves at the bottom of the social hierarchy without the characters and the author feeling any pity for her diminished mental state. What Carroll is failing to realize is that at that point in history, people with mental illness (most likely autism or mental retardation in Miss de Bourgh’s case) were permanently put away either in an institution, or, more likely, someone’s attic or closet for the entirety of their lives. Miss de Bourgh earns no pity because the privilege of her birth has saved her from such a wretched life and can be thinly passed off as “normal” by her mother to the general public. In fact, her life, even as secluded as it is, is to far better standards than what Elizabeth lives at. It’s little details like this that are undermining Carroll’s critique attempting to compare the characters to real-life humans.

Also, Carroll is still stuck on the “evolutionary psychology” aspect of criticizing humans, something he warns against doing at the beginning of the article. He keeps referring to the fact that all people are mainly seeking resources and mates, especially in Pride and Prejudice. This may be true for most Cro-Magnons and baboons, but not all people are gold-diggers or nymphomaniacs. The thing that people are most likely seeking, especially in this book, is social status. Social status is considered by some to increase or create the realization of self (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Really, it just increases a person’s adaptability into a social group or culture to create a sense of belonging. Truly, all the women in this novel are insecure. Mrs. Bennett fears belittlement by her neighbors with an embarrassment of unwed daughters. The daughters are unsure about their future since they are unable to hold property and it would be demeaning to work according to their social customs. They are all seeking security by increasing their social status. Lydia, even though her marriage doesn’t bring much “property” still gives her the added advantage of now being married (an adult) as exemplified when she showed off her ring to a local girl in town. But, males also marry to gain status among other males (the authority figures at the time). Carroll says that men gain resources in order to attract a mate. However, men then and now still gain resources to show off to other men and women, especially then, can be property. If you have the most gorgeous woman in the county on your arm at a ball it is to flaunt her to the other men perhaps claiming greater sexual prowess, charm, etc. Carroll’s view is definitely flawed.

Carroll, Joseph. "Human Nature and Literary Meaning: A Theoretical Model Illustrated with a Critique of Pride and Prejudice."