p. 7
His manners drew the contempt of many in Meryton as they perceived him as proud, sanctimonious, and inconsiderate due to his status. He was shown to be cold and aloof, with such a temperament being misconstrued as sheer arrogance. The narrator described him as clever but also as "haughty, reserved, and fastidious," with manners that, "though well-bred, were not inviting." This was shown to be only natural reserve and a discomfort in company that made him uneasy and defensive. His lack of "inviting qualities" was also due his arrogant disposition towards the lower classes in the beginning of the novel. He told Elizabeth on their walk that he was brought up to do the right thing, but not taught to be humble. Due to his status and the fact that he spent much of his childhood as an only child, his parents never taught him to control his temper or his pride.
This proved true, as his distant manner and apparent contempt for those around him earned the disdain of Elizabeth and many others, particularly in light of the claims of the charming George Wickham—that he was wronged by Darcy, however, it was eventually revealed that these first impressions were erroneous: Darcy's seemingly arrogant character masked a sincerely generous and upright nature, and it was Darcy, in fact, who was wronged by Wickham, whose own character was revealed to be untrustworthy and duplicitous. SOURCE