Discuss_How_Narrative_Voice_and_Dialogue_Are_Important_Elements_in_the_Creation_of_Meaning_in_the_Passage.

Discuss how Narrative voice and dialogue are important elements in the creation of meaning in the passage. In the first sentence we see Austen using Lizzy’s voice briefly in free indirect speech when she declares herself ‘not tired’. I can hear Lizzy saying this even though it is only two words. Omniscient narration is used towards the beginning of the passage from ‘and they stood together on the lawn’ to Elizabeth saw him walking slowly towards the house’. This passage shows a slow movement of time and awkwardness between our hero and heroine. They are forced to stand alone together whilst they wait for Mr and Mrs Gardiner. The narration explains that they have much to discuss, but feel that this is not the time. They are silent for some time and Austen specific words that make us feel that time is slow such as ‘ at last’ and ‘yet time and her aunt moved slowly’ After Darcy leaves them to continue their journey her Aunt and Uncle have much to say about the time they had spent together, this whole section lets the reader see how characters are changing their view of Darcy. Until this point they have all heard that he is a proud and cruel man. Mrs and Mrs Gardiner immediately use words like ‘stately’ and ‘unassuming’ to describe him. Austen uses focalisation and dialogue very cleverly to help the reader see the rise in their opinion, the omniscient narrator shares their thoughts in saying ‘each of them pronounced him to be infinitely superior to anything they had expected’ Although this is the thought of the married couple, I feel that this is focalised as well as omniscient. Mr and Mrs Gardiner then go on to discuss his attributes in dialogue. Mr and Mrs Gardiner obviously think highly of Darcy. The narrator is using free indirect speech when the answer to the Aunts question, ‘but how came you to tell us that he was so disagreeable'’ I think Lizzy is uncomfortable and a little embarrassed of her previous opinion and also confused as she ‘excused herself as well as she could’. In the following lines she shares that she likes him more each time that she meets him. It seems that maybe her first impression is fading and her respect for him is growing in its place. Lizzy is still unsure as the narrator uses focalisation to show her point of view in the sentence ‘Elisabeth felt they entirely mistaken his character, but said nothing’ The last dialogue in this passage is from Mrs Gardiner and affirms her new opinion of Darcy and also hints at attractiveness in him. ‘There is something pleasing about his mouth when he speaks’ and again refers to his station by talking of his dignity. This is quite a long speech by Mrs Gardiner compared to the rest of the passage and lets her see that she is confused about her previous opinion of Darcy. She now finds it hard to believe that he could have wronged Mr Wickham. Austen uses focalisation through Lizzy to inform them of the truth. The paragraph is powerful in its simplicity. Austen uses very few words to explain through Lizzy’s point of view that Darcy’s character was ‘by no means so faulty or Wickham’s so amiable’ Then to confirm this again without lengthy dialogue Austen uses the omniscient narrator to inform that Lizzy ‘related the particulars of all the pecuniary’ transactions in which they had been connected’ We then jump into focalisation through Mrs Gardiner for the next paragraphs Austen shows that she is ‘surprised and concerned’ but then her mind wanders as they ride through country that she knows and remembers with warmth. Time them moves quickly from the travelling to the evening and shows that Mrs Gardiner is now busy thinking of other things, memories of the past and catching up with old friends. This quickening of pace is very different to the slow and awkward beginning to the passage. The last paragraph brings us back to Lizzy's thoughts with focalisation. It shows that she has little attention for these people that Mrs Gardiner is so pleased to see. Lizzy’s mind is full of the day’s events and of Darcy. She is shocked and bemused by his civility and her mind is consumed by this and the knowledge that he wants her to meet his sister.