Pride and Prejudice Blog #4

Jane Austen succeeds in revealing the true character of Miss. Bingley through her use of syntax and diction, among many other rhetorical strategies. Austen accurately describes this character through a strong word choice (syntax) and the use of hyperbole to reveal her true personality to her readers. When Miss. Bingley reveals her overwhelmingly jealous character to the readers, it is done so "with sneering civility" (logos). How she interacts with Elizabeth at this moment shows that Miss. Bingley's ability to somewhat mask her evil motives by her manners has been lost due to the amount of jealousy she feels towards Elizabeth. Austen makes this jealousy clear when Miss. Bingley aims for Elizabeth's feelings and bashes her and her family without a second thought, stating that the militia "must be a great loss to [Elizabeth's] family". (pathos) This succeeds in proving Miss. Bingley's cold character because Austen's audience can connect with Elizabeth and her reaction to Miss. Bingley's snide remark on a more personal level. Overall, how Miss. Bingley's interactions with others, such as Elizabeth, are portrayed in the novel, decide how the audience will see her. Because of Austen's use of rhetorical strategies, the audience sees Miss. Bingley as the demeaning, selfish, and truly mean character she was written to be.