Narrative Techniques on Pride and Prejudice This essay will focus on Chapter 53 or Volume III, Chapter 11, depending on the edition of the novel. This passage is taken from Bingley and Darcy's first visit to Longbourn after their return to Meryton. The passage focuses on Mrs. Bennet's stupidity and Elizabeth's feelings about the proceedings. Mrs. Bennet's speeches in the passage emphasize her ignorance, which is part of Austen's narrative technique of letting the characters reveal themselves through their speeches. The effect is particularly comical because of Mrs. Bennet's utter ignorance, manifested in moral insensitivity, as seen in her belief that Lydia is "well married" in her shameful union with Wickham, and lack of simple knowledge, as seen in his commenting that Newcastle is "quite a northerly place, it seems." For this reason she manages to be obsequiously polite and at the same time rather rude, as we can see from the contrast between her invitation to Bingley to shoot the birds in Mr Bennet's manor "When you have killed all your birds" and her insult to Darcy saying that Wickham doesn't have "as many [friends] as he deserves". Austen uses similar treatment of Mr. Collins, whose servile language is also used when he criticizes Elizabeth's class[?] in his marriage proposal, and whose excessive praise makes him absolutely ridiculous. The length of Mrs Bennet's speeches betrays the fact that, although she says much, she thinks and means very little, [very good.] a technique which is repeated in Mr Collins's speeches and letters and in Lady Catherine's argument against Elizabeth who marries Darcy during his visit to Longbourn. This is emphasized here by the fact that she is the only one mentioned in direct speech as she speaks aloud in the entire passage. Despite Elizabeth's better judgment, her feelings are kept to herself while her mother chatters indiscreetly about everything that crosses her mind. Elizabeth's poor reasoning as she listens to her mother dishonor herself shows the extent of her shame and misery. Although this scene is largely seen from Elizabeth's point of view, Austen sometimes speaks as the omniscient narrator to reveal little ironies about Elizabeth herself. For example, after Elizabeth hears that "The first desire of my heart... is never again to be in the company of either of you," which the reader should know is foolish, especially regarding