From page to screen: Pride and Prejudice adaptation to cinema

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-->The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast how society and the characters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice¹ were depicted in the 2005 film adaptation. It incorporates information on the Adaptation Theory, passages of the novel and its correlative scenes in the movie in order to provide a context for understanding inclusions/exclusions and shifts in the perspective.

In Pride and Prejudice, society was divided into a class system rooted in family connections and wealth. Although the narrative reveals a critical judgment of the assumptions and prejudices of the upper classes and satirizes haughty and snob people, it also ridicules the poor and their misbehavior. Class mobility is limited and there is a strong sense of ranks, which is also present in the film adaptation.

The novel begins with one of the most famous sentences in Literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (P&P, p. 05), which introduces the plot and summarizes the story. It actually reveals the preoccupation with a socially advantageous marriage and its meaning gets clear when the reader checks the next sentence: “However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters (idem, ibidem).

As it is observed later in the novel, a single woman needs to find a successful marriage to rise in the social scale, which unfolds matrimony as the main goal throughout the story.

The movie, directed by Joe Wright, begins by introducing the space where it takes place and the Bennets. That conflates the opening of the novel, the descriptions of the family's routine and surrounding, as well as the main characteristics of the personages: Elizabeth walks reading whilst her sisters Lydia and Kitty giggle “He's single!”

Pulverness explains that reading and watching a film involve setting propositions about the next part or how the story will develop. That, however, can only be achieved if   

Both narrative fiction and narrative film give their audiences a strong sense of place,     making use of recognisable, often actual, locations. As well as places, we like to feel     that we recognise characters, and in both  novel and film we measure the success     of their representation according to the psychological consistency of their behaviour. 

The first Pride and Prejudice scene works as an acquaintance to the viewer and introduces the same ideas of the novel. The subsequent dialogues are taken from the book, but there are elements which do not belong to the narrative introduced in the adaptation. However, they are added only to emphasize the humor and a character's trait, such as when Mary asks “who's got warts?” during their conversation about this single Mr. Bingley. 

The first part is, according to Pulverness' categorization, a literal translation because “it renders the novel as faithfully as possible in a different 'language'”. Though there are some additions, the viewers will tend to approve of it for the adaptation has stayed close to their source material.

However, some elements of the narrative may be neglected in the adapatation: such as the style or even the mood”. As an alternative, the director may introduce a shift. In Pride and Prejudice, to maintain the leading contents, the director moved topics of the narrative to the characters speech:

Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained. (P&P, 09)

[...] “And so ended his affection,” said Elizabeth impatiently. “There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!” “I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love,” said Darcy. “Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away.” Darcy only smiled; and the general pause which ensued made Elizabeth tremble lest her mother should be exposing herself again. She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say [...] (P&P, p. 37)

Elizabeth Bennet: And that put paid to it. I wonder who first discovered the power of poetry in driving away love?
I thought that poetry was the food of love.
Elizabeth Bennet: Of a fine stout love, it may. But if it is only a vague inclination I'm convinced one poor sonnet will kill it stone dead
Mr. Darcy: So what do you recommend to encourage affection?
Elizabeth Bennet: Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable.

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-->In the screen speech, Elizabeth has a “summary” of her main ideas and incorporates lines of the narration. That is important to keep the atmosphere of the novel and to draw the characters’ personalities. Mr. Darcy needed to ask that question to have his interest and challenging attitude displayed. Elizabeth's answer, in turn, had to be witty to settle her position regarding her interlocutor. 

So, these shifts brought a certain amount of psychological description that readers expect and enriched the adaptation. The changes may also imply other traits of the novel. The critics have argued that Austen's novels overlook lower classes and servents seem pleased with their position. This lack of interest, however, reflects the society behavior towards this same class:

The dinner too in its turn was highly admired; and he [Mr. Collins] begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellency of its cooking was owing. But he was set right there by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. He begged pardon for having displeased her (P&P, p. 53-54).

Mr. Collins: And what excellent boiled potatoes. It's been many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable. To which of my fair cousins should I compliment the cooking?
Mrs. Bennet: Mr. Collins, we are perfectly able to keep a cook.

-->The allusions to employees in the book relate only to their daily activities, which may reflect the way society viewed the lower classes. Any reference to the family houseworking is not considered a merit and Mrs. Bennet highlights their competence to pay for servents. 

In the novel passage, the narrator employs the adjective “good” to emphasize her pride, which is not necessary in the film because the actress performs the script using different tones of voice.

In the movie, however, the audience can see this maid and is aware of her name – Betsy, which is only pronounced once when the girls are getting dressed for Mr. Bingley's ball.

Althoug this post has already argued over shifts  and inclusions there is one type of inclusion which has not been addressed: when the narrator describes the scene, but does not mention what the characters have probably said:

“[...] If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.” Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. (P&P, p. 281-282)

Mr. Darcy: You must know, surely you must know, it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night and it has taught me to hope as I had scarcly allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your fellings had changed, I will have to tell you, you have bewitched me body and soul and I love...I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.
Elizabeth Bennet: Well then... [takes Mr. Darcy's hands and kisses them] Your hands are cold.
Mr. Darcy: [nods]

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The second marriage proposal is driven by the narrator's descriptions which may not satisfy the modern viewers when it is adapted into a movie, which can be misinterpreted either because they believe novels and films have essentially distinctive properties or because the director did not interpret the passage correctly. 

Actually, those properties are functions of their historical moments and not of the media themselves. Even “a man violently in love” should express his feelings sensibly. The strategy adopted was to make Mr. Darcy stammer before confessing his love and wish not to be parted from Miss Elizabeth.

A good adaptation highly depends on the written script, which is an interpretation of a literary work, and on the actors' interpretation of this script. So, the film must be seen as a possible reading/interpretation of the work prior to it and not as an inferior version of the novel

The binary oppositions that poststructuralism has taught us to deconstruct should be applied to this field in order to fight  conceptions like literature versus cinema, high culture versus mass culture, original versus copy.

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Pride and Prejudice plot summary

Do you like Jane Austen? How about reading a Persuasion analysis?

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