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Quote 2. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again. Explanation and Analysis. Elizabeth is about to overhear Darcy say to Bingley that Elizabeth isn't pretty enough for him to ask her to dance, so he'll prefer to ask no one. Darcy has acted proud and aloof throughout the dance, and this is the last straw for Elizabeth. Here, Austen screens a description of Darcy through the opinions of "everybody" at the party. Elizabeth may be making a relatively quick judgment about Darcy's character, but at least she is not alone in her judgment. Indeed, the fact that certain prejudices are shared by the majority of people in this small community is often what will allow them to be sustained for so long. Darcy's coldness is not just looked down upon by the partygoers because he is rude; his attitude also suggests that he does not consider the others worthy of his attentions or of his politeness. As a result, their natural response is to act the same way towards him. Pride often kicks in, in the book, as a defense mechanism to prevent feelings of shame or inferiority, and here is the first major example of such a reaction.