Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-23 of Pride and Prejudice – Pride and Prejudice Discussion Group 3    

Pride and Prejudice Questions for Discussion: (Ch. 1-23)

GROUP #1 

* What is ironic about the way the Bingleys acquired wealth? Incorporate a quote as support in your response. (Ch. 4)
* Is Charlotte’s view of marriage a sound reasoning or is it biased? Explain and give an example from the text. (Ch. 6)

GROUP #2 

*  Caroline Bingley comments on the “insipidity, and yet the noise – the  nothingness, and yet the self importance” of the villagers of  Hertforshire. Compare and contrast the Bingleys with the villagers of  Hertfordshire. Whose company would you find more desirable and why?  There should be 2-3 criteria you are establishing to compare these two  groups and at least one quote from the story to support your answer.  (Ch. 6)
* After Elizabeth leaves the room, Miss Bingley complains  about her which then leads to a remark that Mr. Darcy makes. What does  she say and how does Mr. Darcy respond? Quote them directly. Then,  analyze what you think is the irony behind his remark? (Ch. 8)

GROUP #3 

*  Miss Bingley’s sarcasm emerges when she says to Mr. Darcy, “Do let the  portraits of your uncle and aunt Philips be placed in the gallery at  Pemberley. Put them next to your great uncle the judge. They are in the  same profession, you know; only in different lines”. First of all, what  does Miss Bingley mean? With her sarcastic remark, what is Miss Bingley  really trying to say about the class gap between the Darcys and the  Bennets? Explain thoroughly. (Ch. 10)
* Read over the dispute between  Darcy and Elizabeth and judge whose view is closest to a critical  thinker. Bring 1-2 specific examples to back your answer. Make sure you  mention at least one critical thinking concept (i.e. logos, pathos,  ethos, etc.) in your explanation. (Ch. 11)

GROUP #4 

*  Mr. Wickham makes an excellent first impression. What does he possess  that Mr. Darcy seems to lack? Provide 2-3 specific details. Consider  what is desired by the society at that time. (Ch. 15-16)
* Why is Mr.  Wickham’s argument against Mr. Darcy so believable? Provide 2-3 details  that support his ethos in this section. In your response, you might  want to also consider his persona and pathos. (Ch. 16)

GROUP #5 

*  What is the irony in Elizabeth accusing Darcy of being prejudiced?  Clearly explain. Bring at least one quote from the section as support.  (Ch. 18)
* Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal is anything but persuasive.  Why is his argument (his proposal to Elizabeth) weak? I would like you  to reference two logical fallacies in his proposal. Make sure you  specify and explain the fallacies he commits in his reasoning. (Ch. 19)

GROUP #6 

*  Elizabeth reacts very passionately against Charlotte’s acceptance of  Mr. Collins’ proposal. She thinks her friend “sacrificed every better  feeling to world advantage”. What does Elizabeth mean? Do you agree with  her? Evaluate Elizabeth’s argument here. Is she biased or does she have  a sound argument? If biased, then identify a fallacy you find in her  reasoning. If sound, then identify a strong critical thinking concept  she uses (i.e. deductive reasoning, ethos, etc.). (Ch. 22)
* Is it  fair that the Longbourn estate won’t pass onto Mr. Bennet’s children,  but will be given entirely to Mr. Collins? First, offer a clear  definition of what entailment means in this novel. Then, provide your  opinion on what the future holds for the Bennet family because of  entailment. Finally, provide one important contrast between the property  laws during late 18th and early 19th century versus the property laws  of today. (Ch. 23).

ASSIGNMENT 3 

Essay #2: Writing an Evaluation              

Option #2 (Evaluation): Evaluating a Controversial Argument

Purpose: The objective of this assignment is to practice  persuasive writing, which includes the elements of logos, pathos, and  ethos as well as practice writing an evaluation.

Topic: Evaluations are everyday arguments that help  individuals make decisions. Should I vaccinate my child? Should I become  vegan? Am I spending too much time in front of the TV? These are topics  that become loaded as soon as they are debated. If the topic is not  debatable, then it is not a strong evaluation. Your first step is to  find someone whose argument you wish to debate. Your next step is to  prepare your counterpoints against this person’s argument. To help your  audience reach a decision (which side of the debate they support), it is  important to establish compelling criteria that weigh the evidence  before leading to a judgment. A strong evaluation includes opinions based  on observation and fact, not based on personal assumptions and biases.

Writing Task: Begin with research. What are some arguments  individuals in the public eye have made that you find yourself  disagreeing with? You will need to choose one and write an evaluation  essay disproving that argument. This argument can be a speech (maybe  from a political figure like our current president, Joe Biden), a  lecture (possibly from a professor, such as Jordan Peterson), a podcast  (like Joe Rogan), a blog (choose someone credible), a tweet (like say  Kanye West), and the list goes on. You will need to find the original  source and include it in your Works Cited page. Then, do the following:

Evaluate your chosen argument with the intent to disprove it.

Tips:      

* Contextualize the argument. Background information will be needed,  so make sure to provide it (i.e. who, what, when, where). Be very  specific. For example, is the tweet you’re analyzing in response to a  bigger issue? You will need to clearly identify the issue itself.

* Brainstorm the argument by creating specific criteria. For  instance, you might want to begin by asking, “Does this argument violate  any person’s rights?” Or you might want to ask, “Is this argument based  on biased opinion?” Remember, a strong evaluation is not going to be  based on your personal preferences or assumptions. For example, if  you’re evaluating an argument against chocolate, you shouldn’t argue  that the writer’s argument is weak because you love chocolate.

* Be persuasive by considering the logos, pathos and ethos of the  argument you’re evaluating. You might want to ask yourself what evidence  the argument provides, how the writer of the argument tries to build  credibility, and how the writer tries to appeal to the emotions of the  reader. Avoid aggressive, offensive language and work on your stylistic  flow.

* If you’re critiquing the argument, identify fallacies in the author’s line of reasoning.

* Do research. I would like you to use two credible sources:  one source should be a credible media article (preferably from a  newspaper or magazine) and one source should be a scholarly article  (published in a scholarly journal). You must provide a Works Cited page  that includes both outside sources as well as the original argument  you’re analyzing.