Nonverbal Communication in Pride and Prejudice

Abstract

Language has been the focus of traditional studies on communication. However, real communication does not merely include verbal codes. Nonverbal forms, in fact, send an enormous number of messages in communication, or sometimes, even carry a larger flow of information than verbal codes. This paper, through analyzing nonverbal communication in Pride and Prejudice, is intended to show the roles played by nonverbal forms in literary works: how they operate with verbal codes, how they reveal the characters’ emotions, how they can exhibit social customs, and how they represent the characters’ social status, and in the meanwhile to discuss how nonverbal communication helps develop the plot, mold the characters and reveal the theme of the novel.