Final answer:
Fitzwilliam Darcy cannot pursue Elizabeth as a prospective bride due to his higher social status, engagement to someone else, and duty to marry for financial reasons. The correct options are A) He is already engaged to someone else. C) He is not of a suitable social status for Elizabeth. D) He has a duty to his family to marry for financial reasons.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Fitzwilliam Darcy cannot pursue Elizabeth as a prospective bride because of multiple reasons:
1. Social Status: Darcy comes from a higher social class than Elizabeth, and his aristocratic background makes him believe that he should only marry someone from a similar social level. Thus, he initially looks down on Elizabeth as being of lower social standing.
2.Engagement to Someone Else: Although not mentioned in the given passages, Darcy is actually engaged to his cousin, Anne de Bourgh, as arranged by their families. This makes pursuing Elizabeth impossible.
3.Duty to Family: Due to his family's financial difficulties, Darcy has a duty to marry someone with wealth and connections to help improve his family's situation. Elizabeth, being relatively poor, does not meet this requirement.