The Metamorphosis of Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and PrejudiceIntroduced in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as a handsome and self-centered aristocrat, Fitzwilliam Darcy experiences a change in his personality and the character. Falling in love was what Darcy needed to shed her existing views on marriage and money. Although Mr. Darcy was well-mannered, he did not know how to treat women with respect, especially those whose social status was lower than his own. However, Elizabeth Bennet's love changed his behavior forever. Darcy's arrogance shines through early in the novel during his first appearance at the Meryton ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly asserted that she was "...tolerable, but not beautiful enough to tempt me" (230). His feelings of superiority over the townspeople result in Mr. Darcy being judged as a man with a repulsive and atrocious personality. Women, who had found him dashingly handsome at first sight, considered him a man unworthy of marriage because he offered no positive qualities other than wealth and physical attractiveness. Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with Elizabeth, but he also made it clear that no woman in the room met his standards for a suitable woman, stating that "...there is no other woman in this piece that would not be a suitable woman.” a punishment to make me stand” (229). Mr. Darcy only cares about people's wealth and social status at the beginning of the novel and will not even communicate with the townspeople because they are inferior to him and undeserving of his presence. However, as the novel continues, Darcy becomes more and more accepting of the Bennet family, whom he once considered nothing... middle of paper ... this. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1996. Hennelly, Jr., Mark M. “Pride and Prejudice.” Jane Austen: New Perspectives. ed. Janet Todd. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc., 1983. Jane Austen information page. Henri Cemetery. University of Texas, Austin. November 23, 2000. .Monaghan, David. Jane Austen's social structure and vision. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1980. Poplawski, Paul. An Encyclopedia of Jane Austen. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998. Reidhead, Julia, ed. Norton Anthology of English Literature vol. 7, 2nd ed. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2000. Ward, David Allen. “Pride and Prejudice”. Explainer. 51.1: (1992).Wright, Andrew H. “Sentiment and the Complexities of Pride and Prejudice.” Ed. Donald Gray. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1966. 410-420.