What does Darcy admit is one of his weaknesses? What is Elizabeth's response? Draw on evidence from the text in your response.

In Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," Darcy admits that pride is one of his weaknesses. He acknowledges this during his proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, saying, "I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit."Elizabeth responds to this admission by challenging Darcy's assertion. She accuses him of misinterpreting the cause of his failings, suggesting that his pride stems not from his upbringing but from his own character flaws. Elizabeth tells him, "You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner." Here, Elizabeth implies that Darcy's pride has clouded his judgment and caused him to misinterpret her feelings.Overall, Darcy's admission of pride as a weakness and Elizabeth's response highlight the theme of self-awareness and personal growth throughout the novel.