Sunday, October 13, 2013

Explain the meaning of the term "probity" in the novel Pride and Prejudice.

Chapter 18 of the novel Pride and Prejudice
takes place at the Netherfield ball, where Elizabeth is looking for Wickham,
her recently acquired friend, only to find out that he is not
there.


Elizabeth suspects that the feud between Mr. Wickham
and Mr. Darcy has led the latter to ask his friend, Mr. Bingley, to omit Mr. Wickham
from the list of guests, who are all red coat
officers.


This helped confirm Elizabeth's assumption that
Mr. Darcy was unfair and mean to Mr. Wickham, firing her hatred for Darcy even more.
Additionally, she gets into a confrontation with Miss Bingley, in which Elizabeth is
again told that Mr. Wickham's reputation
is questionable.


As a result, Elizabeth goes to her sister,
Jane, who isBingley's love interest. Bigley is also Mr. Darcy's best friend. Elizabeth
needed confirmation from Jane as to whether she has heard anything negative about
Wickham from Bingley.


However, Jane responds in the
negative stating:


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"Mr. Bingley does not know the whole of
Wickham's history, and is quite ignorant of the circumstances which have principally
offended Mr. Darcy; but he will vouch for the good conduct, the probity, and honour of
his friend,.." 



The term
"probity" refers to Darcy's character and integrity. Basically what she said was that,
although Bingley was not familiar with the feud between Darcy and Wickham, he does not
question Darcy's choice, for he is a man with a flawless character and a high sense of
integrity. Hence, Wickham probably deserves what he gets.

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