Jane Austen's Conception of Human Nature as Perceived through the Novel, Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen's nineteenth century novel, Pride and Prejudice, demonstrates that human nature is innate and, for good or bad, can be cultivated and influenced by the society to which one subscribes. Austen further substantiates that human nature is fortunately alterable and refineable. Austen demonstrates this notion by focusing on two particularly iniquitous aspects of human nature; pride and prejudice. The inevitably deleterious effects of the titular qualities and the possibility of reformation are exemplified in an extraordinary