Question

Read the excerpt from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; every body had been most kind and attentive to him, there had been no formality, no stiffness, he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.

Which statement best explains Austen’s use of setting in the excerpt?

It helps readers learn about rules of social behavior in the 1800s.
It helps readers understand how Bingley and Darcy are different.
It informs readers about the different levels of society in the 1800s.
It helps readers visualize what the residents of Meryton look like.

Answer 1

It helps readers understand how Bingley and Darcy are different.

The description of the Meryton assembly highlights Bingley’s friendly, sociable response versus Darcy’s cold, judgmental one, using the setting to contrast their characters.