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Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

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Feminism in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

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The Feminist Perspective in Austen's Novel in Pride and Prejudice

The satirization of society's flaws in pride and prejudice by jane austen, darcy’s letter to elizabeth: analysis of "pride and prejudice" by jane austen, the interconnection between realism and romanticism in pride and prejudice, female representation in jane austen's pride and prejudice, analysis of mr. darcy and elizabeth bennet's relationship in 'pride and prejudice', man and woman' conflict - the relationsip between mr. darcy and elizabeth, the character of charlotte lukas in pride and prejudice, the problem of marriage and husband finding through elizabeth bennet's character, the original title and its resonance in the novel "pride and prejudice", the concept of "design" and calculation in in pride and prejudice, elizabeth bennet’s attitude to marriage in pride and prejudice, pride and prejudice: first impressions, relationship, and marriage, criticism of regency england through elizabeth bennet’s identity, 19th century attitudes towards marriage through elizabeth bennet's perspective, marx's ideas of society in austen's pride and prejudice, the impact of parenting on bennet sisters in pride and prejudice, characters' private and public selves in pride and prejudice, humor and insensitivity of mr bennet's character in pride and prejudice, pride and prejudice and bridget jones’s diary: comparative analysis.

1813, Jane Austen

Romantic Novel; Satire, Historical Fiction

Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Jane Bennet, Mary Bennet, Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Charles Bingley, Caroline Bingley, George Wickham, Mr. William Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Georgiana Darcy, Charlotte Lucas, Colonel Witzwilliam

According to numerous sources, the book is not based on a true story and has been entirely composed by Jane Austen.

Justice, prejudice, misconceptions, love, romance, misjudgement, reputation, class relations, overcoming obstacles, true love.

As one of the most beautiful literary works and the happy ever after tales, it is one of the best romance novels that will be relevant through every decade. The book is teaching us an important lesson about making snap judgments of not judging the book by its cover. Although this book is often read by college students, it is also an important read for educators as well since college professors should not judge their learners too soon.

It revolves around the Bennet sisters called Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Their mother wants to see them married in a good, successful way because they won't inherit their family house since only a son can do so. So once Me. Bingle comes down, their mother does her best to help Mr. Bigley fall in love.

Jane Austen has also been rejected for not being rich enough in the past. Mr. Darcy is often made as an equivalent to a Rockefeller. The Gretna Green mentioned in the book by Lydia is the modern-day Las Vegas, which has nearly ruined the Bennet family. Jane Austen has also been very close to her sister, which has influenced her to describe the closeness of Elizabeth to Jane. The publisher has rejected "The Pride and Prejudice" even without taking a closer look or reading it at all. The title originally came from a novel called "Cecilia" by Fanny Burney. Jane Austen always worried that her novel was too frivolous and modern for her times.

“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.” “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”

The love and marriage through the class relations is the central theme of this romantic story. It focuses on how a person can judge and break down the romantic relations. Jane Austen constantly uses good satire, detalization of her characters, and narration that helps to analyze the vocational nature of being married in the English society. One can also explore an attitude to matrimony.

This novel is an example of pride and prejudice, social relations, class challenges, and the freedom of women to do exactly what they want. It is also used as the analysis of judging something by its cover with the different examples. This romance story can be explored through the lens of any modern situation where the pride and misconception of the first impressions are coming first before a clear judgment is being made.

1. McKeon, R. (1979). " Pride and Prejudice": Thought, Character, Argument, and Plot. Critical Inquiry, 5(3), 511-527. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/448004?journalCode=ci) 2. Lacour, C. B. (1992). Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Hegel's" Truth in Art": Concept, Reference, and History. ELH, 59(3), 597-623. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2873444) 3. Austen, J. (1993). Pride and Prejudice (1813). New York. (https://link.springer.com/book/9780333801338#page=36) 4. Morrison, R. (2009). Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Routledge Study Guide and Sourcebook. Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203868492/jane-austen-pride-prejudice-robert-morrison) 5. Fischer-Starcke, B. (2009). Keywords and frequent phrases of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A corpus-stylistic analysis. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 14(4), 492-523. (https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/ijcl.14.4.03fis) 6. Lau, B. (2017). Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. A Companion to Romanticism, 237-244. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405165396.ch21) 7. Appel, P. A. (2012). A Funhouse Mirror of Law: The Entailment in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Ga. J. Int'l & Comp. L., 41, 609. (https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/gjicl41&div=25&id=&page=) 8. Wootton, S. (2007). The Byronic in Jane Austen's" Persuasion" and" Pride and Prejudice". Modern Language Review, 102(1), 26-39. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/427/article/825032/summary)

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Pride and Prejudice

Introduction pride and prejudice.

The universally acclaimed tour de force of Jane Austen , Pride and Prejudice, a novel of manners, is also called a model of the Romantic Movement in literature. It was written and published around 1813 during the classical Regency Period. The storyline revolves around the Bennet family whose mother’s only desire is to see her daughters married to well-off and handsome young men to secure their inheritance. However, the main character , Elizabeth Bennet, shows her evolution from a rash, hasty girl to an appreciably understanding lady, who accepts her mistakes and agrees to Darcy’s proposal by the end.

Summary Pride and Prejudice

A wealthy young man, Charles Bingley, rents a manor in the proximity of Longbourn, a village, where the Bennet family resides. Having five daughters ready to be married, Mrs. Bennet sees Mr. Bingley a likely match for any one of her five daughters. She, therefore, persuades Mr. Bennet to pay him a courtesy visit following which all join a ball at Mr. Bingley’s manor, Netherfield Park. Jane, the second Miss Bennet, succeeds in attracting Mr. Bingley, toward her during the dance, and they both spend much time together. However, it happens that Mr. Darcy, too, joins them, though he is not much pleased with this party where Elizabeth is also present. Both of them show their displeasure, as Mr. Darcy does not join her in dance, a sign of arrogance considered in those social circles.

In the later weeks, when Mr. Bingley is already enjoying his friendship with Jane while Mr. Darcy hopes to see Elizabeth. One day when Jane is caught in the rainstorm and falls ill on her way to Netherfield Park, Elizabeth visits the mansion to take care of her and gets her dress muddied on the way to the mansion. Miss Bingley does not like her appearance and insults her. Mr. Darcy defends her and it angers Miss Bingley and this incident also adds jealousy toward Elizabeth.

Both of the sisters return after Jane recovers. Mr. Collins, their cousin, visits them. Mr. Collins is likely to become the heir of Bennet’s property, as he is the only male member of the family. He instantly falls in love with the Bennet girls and their manners. Soon, he starts courting Elizabeth only to face rejection.

Meanwhile, soldiers stationed near Longbourn keep the Bennet girls busy, where Wickham, a dashing soldier, turns to Elizabeth and tries to win her attention. He berates Darcy alleging that he has tried to cheat him of inherited property. When winter starts, the Bingleys, along with Darcy, return to London which disappoints Jane. Around this time, Collins also gets engaged with Charlotte Lucas, the daughter of a knight. When they get married, Elizabeth promises to visit them. Winter passes without any stir in the emotions of the Bennet sisters due to the long absence of Darcy and Bingley.

When spring arrives, Elizabeth goes to see Charlotte, Mr. Collins’ wife, residing near Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine. Darcy also visits his aunt and meets Elizabeth. He starts visiting her at the Collins’ and proposes to her which invites immediate rejection from her with some words for his arrogant behavior. However, instead of retreating, he leaves a letter for her about Jane and Bingley, and his reasons for distancing from Jane. He also informs her that Wickham, the soldier, is a habitual liar and has been trying to elope with Georgiana, Elizabeth’s younger sister. However, Mr. Darcy from whom Wickham has sought assistance has refused to assist him. This letter reveals the good nature of Darcy to Elizabeth after which she shows cold-shouldering to Wickham. Also, Lydia still seeks permission to stay at Brighton. Elizabeth gets acquainted with the Gardiners, where she, unknowingly, stumbles upon the Pemberley, the estate of Mr. Darcy. She visits and finds him generous in every way. When Mr. Darcy arrives, he serves her well without mentioning her rejection.

During Elizabeth’s stay at the estate, she comes to know that Lydia eloped with Wickham. She hurries home, while Gardiner goes to find the couple. They convince Wickham to marry Lydia at which the Bennets readily agree. They realize that they owe Gardiner as might have paid Wickham to marry Lydia. However, the source of that money remains unknown at this time.

After their marriage, though, Lydia and Wickham come to Longbourn to meet the family, they are not happily welcomed home. Disappointed, the couple leaves. Bingley, afterward, reappears and starts flirting with Jane, while Darcy is there with him to visit the Bennets. Though, he does not mention his wish for Elizabeth. So, Bingley proposes and wins Jane’s hand. Darcy seeks assistance from his aunt, Lady Catherine, who broaches the topic of his marriage with the announcement, asking Katherine to refuse. Elizabeth finally agrees to go out on a date with Mr. Darcy. Three daughters are happily married by the end of the novel.

Major Themes in Pride and Prejudice

• Pride: The novel shows the thematic strand of pride through the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth. They both demonstrate pride toward each other and both think that the other one is snobbish and haughty. However, Mr. Darcy soon learns that Elizabeth is just cautious and responsible. While Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy is just an isolated man, but full of kindness and love for others. However, Lady Catherine, by the end, plays a strange game by asking Elizabeth not to accept the marriage proposal of Mr. Darcy to which she refuses to promise. She finally accepts his proposal on her claim that she has the right to be happy.
• Prejudice: This is the second thematic strand is also in the title of the novel. The prejudice lies in the character of Elizabeth that she does not consider Mr. Darcy good enough to dance with him. Both are prejudiced toward each other, as Mr. Darcy, too, shows scorn for those who is not in his personal social circle. However, when Elizabeth enters his social circle, he immediately proposes to her again and marries her.
• Family: Having a complete family is the third major theme as the Bennets are waiting for young men to marry their five young daughters. That is why when Mr. Bingley arrives in Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet immediately asks her husband to visit him. Similarly, Jane and Elizabeth find their matches in Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy in their desires to complete their families through marriages.
• Women: Although there are several towering male characters like Mr. Darcy and Charles Bingley, yet Pride and Prejudice is the novel of women. Women play a central role throughout the story . It also comprises so many marriages. Hence, it has been rightly termed as the novel of manners. Mrs. Bennet is a towering character with her daughter Elizabeth along with Lady Katherine, Darcy’s aunt. Although all men seem to play their role, except Mr. Darcy, all others seem to be going on the way the women choose for them. Mr. Bennet does what Mrs. Bennet asks him to do. Wickham becomes what Lydia wants him; her husband after Mr. Darcy purchases her marriage from him.
• Class: Although the novel supports a no-class system, it emphasizes that the marriages should be based on convenience and status that points to class consciousness. Darcy is clearly conscious of his class. So, when Elizabeth rejects his proposal after he does not dance with her, it becomes a point of the class system. However, when the same Elizabeth visits his estate and comes to know him, she immediately changes her opinion and softens her feelings towards Mr. Darcy. At the end of the story, it does raise her status. Also, Bennet’s sisters flirt with Collins, as he does not belong to their class.
• Marriage: The theme of marriage comes to the readers through the Bennet family, especially plotted by their mother, Mrs. Bennet. She is fully obsessed with the idea of marrying her daughters to any young man who comes their way to secure their inheritance. When Mr. Bingley arrives, she immediately springs up from her stupor to torture her husband, Mr. Bennet to visit her. She even tries to keep Collins for any one of them, but they do not pay heed to her suggestions. Therefore, the first line of the novel presents this major theme.
• Individual and Society: The novel also presents the theme of an individual and his place in society such as Mr. Darcy, who encourages Wickham to marry Lydia, instead of keeping her unmarried with him. Had it not happened, Wickham would have caused embarrassment to the Bennet family. Also, it shows that no individual could find respect and honor in society, for Wickham would have caused damage to himself, too.
• Virtue : The theme of virtue in, Pride and Prejudice, is clear from the character of Elizabeth, who keeps her vanity in front of her, instead of giving priority to her happiness. This becomes her virtue that wins the heart of Mr. Darcy, while Lydia’s act causes damage to her reputation, which becomes Lydia’s vice.

Major Characters in Pride and Prejudice

• Elizabeth: Elizabeth is the protagonist , the most loving character of the novel. She is her father’s pet as well as a center of admiration for Mr. Darcy. She is misunderstood at first. Elizabeth is also called Eliza or Lizzy in her familial circle. As the second daughter of the Bennet family, she wins Mr. Darcy by the end with her quick thinking, despite the initial hiccups in forming relations with the same person. She demonstrates a balanced personality and removes her prejudicial behavior.
• Darcy: Though, Fitzwilliam Darcy called, Mr. Darcy appears haughty and socially shunning he proves equal to Elizabeth in thoughts as well as likes. A person of demanding taste, he shows kindness, manners, and wins the respect of others on account of his rational approach to life despite his initial arrogance toward Elizabeth. However, later he proves that he is a man to be trusted when he helps The Bennets to settle Lydia’s elopement affair. He falls in love with Elizabeth and proposes at the end of the story.
• Jane Bennet: The eldest of Bennet girls, Jane, later, marries Mr. Bingley. However, despite her beauty and fairness, Mr. Darcy prefers Elizabeth to her in the beginning. While Bingley instantly falls for Jane. She is a conventional lady who has faith in her sister Elizabeth, whom she tells about Mr. Bingley. Jane has set an example of marrying in the traditional atmosphere .
• Bingley: The significance of Charles Bingley’s character in the course of the novel lies in that the very first sentence of the novel pays tribute to his wealth and requirement for a wife, which prompts Mrs. Bennet to send her husband for socialization with him. He, seeing beauty in Jane, instantly goes for her, instead of the other clever ones. He also loves Caroline and Louisa, his two sisters, and has a kind heart. Following his marriage, he moves near the Pemberley to stay close to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
• Wickham: George Wickham is a charming soldier and close to Mr. Darcy. He is the most undesirable character in the story due to actions such as beguiling Lydia and lying about Darcy. Elizabeth might have been his intended victim, but her wit saves her from his cheating nature. He then lures Lydia, mired in gambling and bad habits. Wickham has been Darcy’s close relative, the reason that his father has bequeathed some property for him. When he elopes with Lydia, Mr. Darcy intervenes to save his skin and gets them married.
• Bennet: She is a very tiring but inquisitive character. Mrs. Bennet proves a bee in the bonnet for Mr. Bennet whenever she sees any prospect of a coming young man marrying any of her young daughters. It happens in the case of Mr. Bingley when she comes to know that he has not married despite having a good fortune. However, she is deficient in both; the mundane sagacity as well as human relations. She becomes fully satisfied at the end of the novel when she sees all her girls marrying and settling happily.
• Bennet: Mr. Bennet is the head of the Bennet family, and also a legal hand working in the court with a mind full of worldly wisdom. At home, his favorite daughter is Elizabeth to whom he calls Lizzy. Sadly, his relations with his wife are always sour. He is often found cutting jokes at Mrs. Bennet’s bad temper. He suffers and feels insulted at Lydia’s affair from which Mr. Darcy saves him.
• Lydia Bennet: Despite her beauty and closeness to Elizabeth, Lydia proves her stupidity by falling into the trap of Mr. Wickham. She elopes with Wickham without realizing the consequences. However, Mr. Darcy, sensing danger, reaches to assist her in marrying Wickham.
• Catherine Bennett: Kitty or Katherine is the second last Bennet sisters, who despite being young, do not marry and continues with her life like before, which shows her shrewdness for brightening her prospects after getting her sisters married.
• Mary Bennet: She is the most educated or seemingly educated but serious character of the novel. She mostly stays away from others immersed in her books. She also has a very keen interest in human relations and understands more than others.

Writing Style Pride and Prejudice ‎

Jane Austen has shown her amazing linguistic skills through this novel by using simple and straightforward language. This style is meant to hook her readers from any language background and take them on a tour of a family, 18th-century lifestyle, and human relations. However, the specialty of this simple language lies in its iron andy wit. The narrator , the third person omniscient , often says something that means entirely something else. For instance, Mr. Bennet’s comments against his wife, creating an amusing situation. Otherwise, the story goes straightforward without much of twists and turns. The style also stays uncomplicated throughout the novel except in some cases where educated characters talk seriously about issues such as Lydia’s behavior and Wickham’s actions.

Analysis of Literary Devices in Pride and Prejudice

• Action: The main action of the novel comprises the marriage and choices of the Bennet girls. The rising action occurs when Mr. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth, and she rejects his proposal. However, the falling action occurs when Mr. Darcy comes to help the Bennets in the case of Lydia’s elopement, and finally, Elizabeth agrees to Mr. Darcy’s proposal by the end.
• Adage : It means the use of a statement that becomes a universal truth. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, shows this use of the statement in the very first sentence; “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Chapter-1)
• Allegory : Pride and Prejudice shows the use of allegory in the initial line which discloses that the characters are going to represent abstract ideas such as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth both represent abstract feelings of pride and prejudice.
• Antagonist : Although it seems that Mr. Darcy is the main antagonist of Pride and Prejudice in the opening chapters, it is Mr. Wickham who becomes the antagonist later when he causes embarrassment to the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy redeems himself from this initial impression by helping the Bennet settle the elopement affair of Lydia and Wickham.
• Allusion : There are various examples of allusions given in the novel, Pride and Prejudice. The first allusion is a statement of Mr. Darcy that occurs in the 9 th chapter that “I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love”. Here the final part “food of love” alludes to Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. There are several other Biblical allusions such as of “St. James” (Chapter-5), referring to Sir William Lucas.  The second biblical allusion is of “an angel of light” (Chapter-6), which refers to Meryton.
• Conflict : The are two major conflicts in the novel, Pride and Prejudice. The first one is the external conflict that starts between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham and another between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy, however, possesses the capability to resolve both with the help of Elizabeth, who is also thankful to him. Another conflict is in the mind of both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, which is resolved at the end of the novel.
• Characters: Pride and Prejudice presents both static as well as dynamic characters . The young man, Mr. Darcy, and his would-be wife are two dynamic characters. However, the rest of the characters do not show any significant change in their roles, the reason that Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet, including the Bingleys and Lady Katherine, are all static characters .
• Climax : The climatic takes place when Mr. Darcy suggests Elizabeth to marry him, but she refuses. This climax slowly starts resolving and comes to an end when she finally accepts his proposal.
• Foreshadowing : The first example of foreshadowing in the novel occurs when Elizabeth knowingly reaches the Pemberley. It shows that she is going to pacify or impress Mr. Darcy, in the first chapter of the third volume of the novel. Even before this, the novel’s title of two abstract feelings shows that there will be something about their relationship and feelings, as shown by Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. However, the question of Mrs. Bennet about Mr. Bingley’s married or single life is also a type for foreshadowing.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole or exaggeration occurs when Jane Austen opens the book; “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (Chapter-1). Although it has become an adage , still it is an exaggeration, for several young men may not be in want of a wife. The second hyperbole occurs when Mr. Darcy states that “I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library” (Chapter-11). However, it is an exaggeration of the reading taste of Elizabeth.
• Imagery : Imagery means to use of the five senses such as in the below examples: i. At length the Parsonage was discernible. The garden sloping to the road, the house standing in it, the green pales, and the laurel hedge, everything declared they were arriving. (Chapter-28) ii. The park was very large, and contained great variety of ground. They entered it in one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide extent. (Chapter-43) iii. It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. (Chapter-43) The first example shows images of color, the second one of nature, and the third one shows the images of the building as the description shows the use of the senses of sight, smell, and touch in these three examples.
• Metaphor : Pride and Prejudice shows good use of various metaphors such as the extended metaphors of proud love compared to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s match, dance as compared to the cognitive understanding of the body, and idiocy with acts such as of Lydia and Wickham. Some other metaphors are: i. You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. (Chapter-1) ii. “Oh, she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld.” (Chapter-3) iii. Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart. (Chapter-19)
• Mood : The novel, Pride and Prejudice, shows a satirical mood . However, it also allows characters to be sarcastic and ironic at times to seem biting to some. It, however, becomes tense during the Lydia-Wickham affair but becomes again light-hearted and happy in tone when Mr. Darcy helps the Bennet to settle that affair. It, then, ends on a happy note.
• Motif : The most important motifs of the novel, Pride and Prejudice, are courtships, journeys, dances, and marriages.
• Narrator : The novel, Pride and Prejudice, has been narrated by a third-person narrator. It is also called an omniscient narrator who happens to be the author himself as he can see things from all perspectives . Here Jane Austen is the narrator.
• Personification : Personification means to attribute human acts and emotions to non-living objects such as: i. ‘His pride,’ said Miss Lucas, ‘does not offend ME so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. (Chapter-5) ii. Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment against all others. (Chapter-24) Both of these examples show pride and heart personified.
• Protagonist : Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist of the novel. She comes in the novel from the very start and captures the interest of the readers until the last page.
• Paradox : Pride and Prejudice shows the use of paradox in its title in that it is a regency paradox of feeling pride and then showing prejudice.
• Rhetorical Questions : The novel shows good use of rhetorical questions at several places such as: i. ‘I cannot believe it. Why should they try to influence him? Elizabeth to Jane (Chapter-24) ii. When is your turn to come? You will hardly bear to be long outdone by Jane. Mr. Bennet to Mrs. Bennet (Chapter-24) iii. ‘Good Heaven! what is to become of us? What are we to do?’ would they often exclaiming the bitterness of woe. ‘How can you be smiling so, Lizzy? (Mrs. Bennet to Elizabeth) (Chapter-41) This example shows the use of rhetorical questions posed by different characters such as first by Elizabeth to Jane, then Mr. Bennet to Mrs. Bennet, and third by Mrs. Bennet to Elizabeth.
• Theme : A theme is a central idea that the novelist or the writer wants to stress upon. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, not only shows the titular thematic strands of pride and prejudice, but also life in general and marriage in particular with communication, conventions, relationships, and status or class as other thematic strands.
• Setting : The setting of the novel, Pride and Prejudice, is the urban and rural areas of the United Kingdom of the 18 th century and places such as Longbourn, Rosings, Pemberley, and Netherfield Park.
• Simile : The novel shows good use of various similes such as: i. …’they are all silly and ignorant like other girls. (Chapter-1) ii. There is nothing like dancing after all, (Chapter-6) iii. Yes, ma’am, that he was indeed; and his son will be just like him—just as affable to the poor. (Chapter-43) The first simile compares the girls to other girls, the second, no-skill to dance, and the third the son to his father.
• Irony : The novel shows irony not only of the situation but also in the language such as: i. It is truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. (Chapter-1) ii. ‘My dear, you flatter me. I certainly HAVE had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.’ ‘In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of. (Chapter-1) iii. ‘And we mean to treat you all,’ added Lydia, ‘but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there.’ Ten, showing her purchases—’Look here. (Chapter-19) The first example shows the irony of language as well as the situation, while the second shows Mr. Bennet using irony against his wife and third Lydia against others.

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Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This Pride and Prejudice essay summarizes the novel and discusses its main characters and themes.

Introduction

The summary of the novel, the main characters and theme of the novel, personal opinion.

Pride and Prejudice is a world-known novel written by an English author Jane Austen in 1813. The story revolves around the importance of education, marriage, financial viability, and traditions in the United Kingdom during the Regency era. Humor is used as the primary artistic means of the narrative, which attracted many readers and ensured the popularity of the book. This essay contains the analysis of the novel, including the summary, description of the main characters and themes, personal opinion about the narrative, and conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay.

The story begins with the conversation of two characters, Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet, who are talking about the visit of a young bachelor, Mr. Bingley, to their neighborhood. The Bennet family has five daughters, and Mrs. Bennet thinks that they should be friends with Mr. Bingley as he can marry one of her girls. Therefore, since the time of Mr. Bingley’s arrival, spouses Bennet try to use the opportunities to communicate with him.

One day the Bennet family meets Mr. Bingley at the ball, where his friend, Mr. Darcy, accompanies him. Even though initially Mr. Darcy made a positive impression on people, soon everyone found him to be arrogant, because he did not want to dance with anyone except for Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Mr. Bingley advises Mr. Darcy to pay his attention to Elizabeth, one of the daughters of the Bennet, but he did not express any interest to her. Elizabeth witnessed this conversation and felt antipathy toward Mr. Darcy.

Soon, Mr. Bingley realized that he felt in love with the sister of Elizabeth, Jane, while Mr. Darcy started having feelings for Elizabeth. Elizabeth talks to her new friend, Mr. Wickham, who tells her the story about the immoral behavior of Mr. Darcy. This only supports Elizabeth’s negative opinion about Mr. Darcy as she is sure that he despises her. Mr. Darcy, in his turn, thinks that the Bennets are out of his social circle because they demonstrate bad manners. He encourages Mr. Bingley to return to London and give up the idea to marry Elizabeth’s sister Jane.

Later, Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but she rejects him, saying that he is guilty of destroying the happiness of her sister. Months later, the younger sister of Elizabeth, Lydia, runs away with Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy, trying to save the Bennets from shame, forces Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia. Being thankful, Elizabeth realizes that she likes Mr. Darcy, and accepts his proposal when he asks her to marry him the second time. Thus, the story has a happy end, where the pride of Mr. Darcy and the prejudice of Ms. Bennet were overcome.

Jane Austin created personalities in a way that made them unforgettable for readers (Wilhelm 2014, 30). Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter of the Bennets, is one of the main protagonists of the story. She is young but intelligent and witty, well-educated and, in contrast to the other members of her family, has good manners. She is a strong woman with principles, who is not ready for a marriage on a financial basis, even though she understands that money is necessary for a respectable life (Awan and Ali Nasir 2018, 673). However, Elizabeth tends to have a prejudiced opinion about people even if she does not know them well. Unfortunately, it does not allow her to be objective in evaluating people’s actions.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is the second protagonist of the story. He is a tall, rich, and handsome man who is twenty -eight years old. At first sight, it seems that he does not have any drawbacks, but his pride spoils people’s impression of him. At the ball, where he meets Elizabeth first time, he proves his arrogance, saying that he does not see any beautiful women dance with. In his conversation with Mr. Bingley, he says: “Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with” (Austen 2017, 11). Thus, the prejudice of Elizabeth and pride of Mr. Darcy became a stumbling point for their relationships. Eventually, they could overcome these negative traits that ensured the happy end of the story.

Even though the personages of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy create the most exciting line of the story, the other characters contribute to the humorous narrative. Thus, Mrs. Bennet is shown as a woman whose primary goal of life is to marry her daughters to wealthy men, even if it happens against their will. She says: “If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the others equally well-married, I shall have nothing to wish for” (Austen 2017, 9). Also, sometimes, she can behave in an indelicate way that creates comic situations and makes her eldest daughters Elizabeth and Jane blush.

Another personage that is worth to pay attention to is the youngest daughter of Bennet, Lydia. She is shown as a silly little girl who tends to do foolish actions without taking responsibility for that. Even though the Bennets cannot serve as the best example of a well-mannered family of the Regency era, these characters help the author to use humor as the primary artistic means of the narrative.

The main idea of the novel conveyed by the author is the importance of being unbiased and modest. Also, Jane Austen unfolds the concepts of marriage, true love, and the role of fortune in people’s lives (Wan 2019, 349). It does not matter how many years have passed since the first publication of the novel because these ideas remain significant for people, even nowadays, in the modern world.

The novel Pride and Prejudice can be recommended to read for both youth and adults because it raises topical questions for people of all generations. It narrates love, morals, family relationships, and the social status of people. Moreover, it is especially interesting to read nowadays, because it tells the story about traditions, entertainments, and way of life of people who lived two hundred years ago.

Therefore, the novel can serve as an excellent educational tool that not only entertains readers but also provides historical information. In my point of view, the author skillfully shows the influence of the social environment on people’s personalities in her novel. The story teaches readers to always stay true to themselves. For instance, even though society encourages women to marry wealthy men, the character of Elizabeth shows that one can still act in accordance with his or her opinion.

Pride and Prejudice: Conclusion

Jane Austen created a romantic story that became popular because of the author’s sense of humor and skillful way of storytelling. She created strong, ambitious, intelligent, and independent characters that attracted readers around the world and made the story unforgettable. Moreover, the narrative contains a lot of historical information that shows people’s life in England in the 19th century. Therefore, it is highly recommended for reading to everyone who wants to have a good time and receive some historical knowledge about the society of Great Britain in an entertaining way.

Austen, Jane. 2017. Pride and Prejudiced. Seattle: Amazon Classics.

Awan, Abdul, and Ambreen Ali Nasir. 2018. “Matrimonial Issues and Marxist Approach in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.” Global Journal of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities 673 (4): 651-676.

Wan, Yongkun. 2019. “Study on Jane Austin’s Original Views toward Marriage in Pride and Prejudice .” Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Education and Social Science , Yunnan Province, China, Francis Academic Press, 349-351.

Wilhelm, Julia. 2014. The Austen Formula: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing.

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IvyPanda. (2019, December 3). Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen/

"Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." IvyPanda , 3 Dec. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen/.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." December 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen/.

1. IvyPanda . "Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." December 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Essay on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." December 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen/.

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Pride and Prejudice Introduction

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Want more deets? We've also got a complete  Online Course  about  Pride and Prejudice , with three weeks worth of readings and activities to make sure you know your stuff.

When Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice in 1813, people were still getting used to the idea that women would do something so totally immodest and exhibitionist as to actually have strangers reading something she wrote for money. Oh, how shocking and taboo! Just one step away from prostitution! (We're not even joking about that.) Because of all that, the novel came out anonymously, as had her book Sense and Sensibility only a year earlier. (Imagine how those people would feel about sex bloggers.)

Not only was it a big deal for women to be authors, but it was also kind of a foregone conclusion that everyone would think that their novels were automatically kind of silly and chick-lit —you know, not like man-novels, what with their deep thoughts and serious subjects. Especially when your novel, like Austen's, was essentially about marrying off a bunch of sisters. Austen made fun of those expectations in a letter she wrote to her sister:

[Pride and Prejudice] is rather too light & bright & sparkling; —it wants shade; —it wants to be stretched out here & there with a long Chapter […] about something unconnected with the story; an Essay on Writing, a critique on Walter Scott, or the history of Bonaparte —or anything that would form a contrast & bring the reader with increased delight to the playfulness & Epigrammatism of the general stile. (Letter to Cassandra Austen, February 4, 1813)

How do we know she's kidding around? Well, just imagine: you're flipping pages frantically during Mr. Darcy's proposal, trying to find out what Elizabeth Bennet says, and all of a sudden the narrator starts in on a long essay about contemporary literature. It kind of ruins the mood, right? But that's exactly what most people expected from books—a little non-fiction mixed in with your fiction, just enough so you can say, "Yeah, I know, it's a novel—but I'm reading it for the articles ."

In reality, the novel deals with plenty of its own deep thoughts and serious subjects. At the turn of the century, the old debate between rationality and emotions was heating up again. The 18th century had been the Age of Enlightenment , with Voltaire and David Hume and Adam Smith making sense of life in a super-scientific, man-centered, non-religious way. These Enlightenment ideas about the rights of men and the value of individuals got a bunch of people fired up in the American colonies, and pretty soon they were doing it up democracy-style across the Atlantic. And just across the English Channel? The French Revolution led to an overthrow of the entire monarchy. Kings all over Europe were making sure their heads were still attached to their necks.

Austen was no dummy, and it's no coincidence that characters spend a lot of time debating whether they're supposed to be making decisions based on reason and rationality or feelings and impressions. These were high-stakes questions for individuals as well as nations—particularly educated women, who suddenly looked around and said, "Hey, how come we don't get to own property? How come earning our own money is somehow disreputable? How come we have no rights or political power? How come we're supposed to be all quiet and not talk or think, even though we have brains?"

Pride and Prejudice may not be a dissertation about political independence or the relative merits of passion and reason—but it's definitely a reflection on what those ideas might mean for women's lives.

What is Pride and Prejudice About and Why Should I Care?

Ugh, parents are so embarrassing , right? (Not to mention your little sisters.)

Well, yeah. And they have been for at least two hundred years. Pride and Prejudice matters because, unlike a lot (okay, most) of novels published around the turn of the nineteenth century, it's about everyday people doing everyday things in everyday places. Like being humiliated by their parents, or having a hard time telling their crush how they feel, or finding themselves attracted to someone who's kind of embarrassing. Sound familiar?

Elizabeth Bennet thinks so, too.

Sure, Pride and Prejudice is full of $10 words and long sentences. But it's about real people living lives just (okay, almost) like yours—because Jane Austen just about invented English-language novels.

Sure, there was prose fiction before Austen, but it was mostly wild and crazy —people going on strange voyages, having lots of unbelievable and interminable adventures, and doing outrageous and totally impossible things (think adventures like Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels , and trashy Gothic novels, the 18th-century equivalent of Twilight ).

Austen was pretty much the first writer to say, hey, you know what else is interesting? Our actual, universal, lived experiences, how people interact with one another, and how relationships happen or don't. In other words, pretty much everything that isn't about vampires or zombies or desert islands comes straight from her. And that's worth caring about.

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Pride and Prejudice Essays

Introduction Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen which was first published in 1813. It is more than a story of love which revolves around the lives of the Bennett family and the wealthy male visitors of Hertfordshire. The wide variety of personalities in...

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Pride and Prejudice: Summary Mark Hines Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a complex novel that relates the events surrounding the relations, lives, and loves of a middle-upper class English family in the late nineteenth century. Because of the detailed descriptions of the events surrounding the...

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Essay on Pride and Prejudice: Theme In this novel, the title describes the underlying theme to the book. Pride and prejudice were both influences on the characters and their relationships. Darcy alienated himself from the others at first because of his intense pride. His prejudice against the...

Pride and Prejudice: Irony "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife". (pg. 1) The first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the most famous opening of all English comedies concerning social manners...

1 148 words

Austen's Marriages and the Age of Reason Jane Austen successfully portrays the Age of Reason through her characters in Pride and Prejudice. The story revolves around a mother of five daughters, Mrs. Bennet, whose sole purpose is to marry off her daughters to suitable men. Her eldest, Jane, is her...

2 100 words

Marry For Love The point of view of a novel usually decides which characters we sympathize with. In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennett is the focal character, which causes the reader to feel closest to her. The reader can relate more easily to her feelings and actions...

1 343 words

Pride and Prejudice THEME: Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is a tale of love and marriage in eighteenth-century England. PLOT: It centres on the elder sisters of the Bennet family, Jane and Elizabeth. Their personalities, misunderstandings and the roles of pride and prejudice play a large...

1 306 words

Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while...

1 132 words

The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was originally titled First Impressions. This is significant because it reflects the values and attitudes of 19th century England, and portrays the main themes of the novel. It is set in England during the 1800's and Austen focuses on a society whose...

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<b>Introduction</b> <br>For this essay, I chose to read the perhaps most famous book by the English author Jane Austen. During the reading I was thinking about which theme I should choose to write about and analyze, and eventually I felt that marriage was the central keyword in...

1 150 words

Jane Austen was a child of the enlightenment, an age when reason was valued while many romantic traditions still lingered on in society. [* By the way the romantic period follows the Enlightenment (a reaction)] As one of the educated and intelligent women emerging from this era, Austen has used...

1 230 words

Inrony in "Pride & Prejudice" By: Julia E-mail: specifics@hotmail. com Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen. This romantic novel, the story of which revolves around relationships and the difficulties of being in love, was not much of a success in...

2 382 words

Love in Relationships vs. Love for Oneself In a day where loving yourself first is not only accepted but often expected, it is a stretch for the 20th (or 21st) century mind to see marriage as a necessity, as it was for Jane Austen and some of the greatest of her heroines. Marriage for money and...

2 302 words

Relationship in Pride and Prejudice In the novel Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, several, if not all of her characters, can confirm the belief that in order to achieve happiness one must discard their pride and in turn, replace it with self-respect accompanied by some humility. In...

1 471 words

Most of the novels we read involve marriages . Discuss the dialectics involved in the marriage of Pride and Prejudice and another novel of your choice. Marriage in the 19th century has always been an important issue and thus, it is manifested in most of the novels of the 19th century. Pride and...

Discuss the features that make a novel you have studied this year seem realistic and explain why realism is appropriate to the main themes of the novel. Sara Perley Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a complex novel mixing romance with comedy with an unprecedented quality of realism. Austen's...

1 407 words

The Marriage of Pride and Prejudice "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife"(Austen 1). Jane Austen started her book Pride and Prejudice in this way clearly stating that one of her major themes would be marriage. The line...

2 651 words

Pride and Prejudice: The Importance of Marriage Pride and Prejudice is written by Jane Austen with the purpose of positioning us, as the readers, to share her attitudes on the importance of marriage. Austen had extremely radical views for her time. She believed that marriage should not occur on...

1 417 words

Marriage Ideas in Pride and Prejudice Marriage is supposed to be about money and a very small affection towards the person you are marrying. Marriage is a decision made by societies dictates as well. "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be...

1 598 words

Bridget Jones's Diary is a highly imaginative interpretation of the novel Pride and Prejudice, so different to be hardly recognizable. Discuss. Directed by Sharon Maguire in 2001, one hundred and eighty-eight years after Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813, with that, Bridget Jones's Diary...

1 843 words

One rather negative perspective on love is that the costs may outweigh the rewards The play, 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare and the novel, 'Pride and Prejudice',1 813, by Jane Austin, both have the same concepts of love and that a rather negative perspective on love Is that the costs...

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Good Parents, Good Children Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Mary Shelley's Frakenstein are two classic pieces of literature that are worth studying. This essay will discuss the ideas and concepts of parenting in both books. While some characteristics are shared between the two, there are...

1 178 words

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is frequently described as a novel about reading—reading novels and reading people—while Pride and Prejudice is said to be a story about love, about two people overcoming their own pride and prejudices to realize their feelings for each other. If Pride and Prejudice...

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The reading of other texts contributes to creating meaning for other texts. An example of this is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this novel is more easily understood when it is compared and contrasted to other literature works, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The aspects of the...

1 696 words

Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist, who first gave the novel its distinctly modern character through her treatment of ordinary people in everyday life and whose works have set her among the most widely read writes in English Literature. Daughter of...

Jack Borde 10 November 2014 English 342 Professor Goldberg Marxism in Pride and Prejudice In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the plot focuses on the Bennet family and their five unmarried daughters. In this novel, the main idea that Jane Austen presents is that societal hierarchies are...

1 453 words

Elizabeth's and Darcy's epithet (not literal but rather implied) of "Proud and Prejudiced" as the title of the book indicates, is clearly evident in the discourse and the use of pronouns found in extract "A" - chapter 10. Extract "B" - chapter 58, has an entirely different use of discourse and the...

1 402 words

Pride and Prejudice Introduction A person frequently discovers himself in a variance with the system of society. Infrequently, rebelling is the pathway to happiness. However, generally, the actual way to happiness is through settlement. This is the way of society of England in the early 19th...

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In two societies where social hierarchy rules over love in marriage, the tones of selfish progression in teh passage from Pride and Prejudice counter those of loving sercurity in the passage from Our Mutual Friend. The character of Mr. Collins uses marriage fro social gain, having it take...

1 103 words

Individuality refers to the character or qualities which distinguish one person from another. Ones uniqueness constitutes a strong distinctiveness in his/her character. Thus, when this sense of character is juxtaposed against the concept of individuality, the mutual association results in the...

1 691 words

Pride and Prejudice

By jane austen.

'Pride and Prejudice', a romantic novel of manners, is a story of the two protagonists, taken over by their pride and prejudice.

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Continue down for the complete review to Pride and Prejudice

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

Throughout, Austen describes the personalities of the Bennet sisters and how they contend with their contemporary world in different ways. It’s a novel that also deals with the issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry in the north of England in the early 19th-century.

‘Spoiler-free’ Summary of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen set in the imaginary country village of Longbourn in Hertfordshire follows the story of Elizabeth Bennet.  She is the second of the five daughters of Mr. & Mrs. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet is worried about marrying her daughters into to wealthy family, especially the elder ones Jane, the beautiful, and Lizzy (Elizabeth), the smartest . On the contrary, Elizabeth wants to marry only for love. Thus, she had to deal with the issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England .

When Mr. Charles Bingley, a single man of a large fortune, moves into the neighborhood with his fashionable sisters, Mrs. Bennet finds him a good match for Jane. She hopes that Jane could make anyone fall in love with her beauty and good nature. Unfortunately, the three younger sisters Mary, Catherine, and Lydia, often prove to be the hindrance with their inappropriate and unguarded behavior.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a friend of Bingley too arrives on the scene, who is even richer with a great estate in Derbyshire. But, soon noticed by the people as proud and arrogant, and considered as the most disagreeable man, eaten up with pride. Whickam’s arrival and Mr. Bingly’s uninformed departure make the story complex. The story progress, as Elizabeth and Darcy continue to cross paths.  While he is intrigued, she seems indifferent. She challenges his contempt with impertinence.

Pride and Prejudice Summary

Spoiler alert: important details of the novel are revealed below.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen open in early 19th century rural England. Opening with the most popular saying, “a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The novel tells us the story of Mr. Bennet’s family of five unmarried daughters and their hope for a better marriage. Second of the five daughters Elizabeth (Lizzy) is the narrator and the protagonist of the novel.

The story opens with the arrival of Mr. Bingley, a wealthy, charming, and sociable young bachelor, into Netherfield Park in the neighborhood of the Bennet family. Upon his arrival, he brings with him his two sisters and a Mr. Darcy. While Mr. Bingley was well-received, Mr. Darcy becomes the object of contempt with his proud and arrogant nature. Soon, Mr. Bingley singles out Jane, and they form a visible attachment to each other.  

Yet, Jane does not alter her conduct for him, which turns out to be a mistake that leads to a heartbreaking separation on both sides. While Jane is and her family is overjoyed with Bigley’s preference, Elizabeth is mortified by the arrogance of Darcy, who finds her to tolerable than attractive to dance with.  Although she laughs at his attitude, a slight resentment formed in her heart is undeniable.

During her visit to Netherfield, Jane falls sick and is forced to stay there for several days. Elizabeth rushes to be with her. Being there, she often happens to be in the company of  Mr. Darcy. Observing her closely, he is intrigued and begins to act less coldly, while she acts indifferent.

In the meantime, Mr. Collins, a clergyman, who is also the legal heir to Mr. Bennet, pays a visit to the Bennets. Upon his arrival, it becomes evident that he has come to choose Ms. Bennet as his wife. But, Mrs.Bennet who was hoping for prospective marriage between Bingley and Jane, Suggests Elizabeth. Meanwhile,  Elizabeth forms an acquaintance with Mr. Wickham, a militia officer. He tells her of how he was mistreated by Mr. Darcy, despite him being treated as a son by Darcy’s father. Elizabeth’s prejudice over Darcy and her budding attraction to Mr. Wickham, further fuels her dislike of Mr. Darcy.

In due course, Mr. Bingley conducts a ball at Netherfield and Darcy becomes aware of a general expectation that Mr. Bingley and Jane will marry. Soon, to Mrs. Bennet’s distress, Elizabeth rejects Mr. Collin’s proposal and Mr. Bingley quits Netherfield and returns to London. Eventually, Mr. Collins marries poor Ms. Charlotte Lucas. 

During next spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins at Rosings Park, home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who turned out to be Darcy’s aunt. Elizabeth comes to know of Darcy’s influence in separating Bingley from Jane, through Colonel meets Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. This further increases her hatred for Darcy and makes her rejects his proposal when he comes to proposes to her. She accuses him of spoiling her sister’s happiness, treating Mr. Wickham disgracefully, and behaving in an arrogant, ungentlemanlike manner. Mr. Darcy is shocked to hear all these accusations, in the beginning, conducts himself and leaves her a letter of explanation.  In the letter, he explains how Wickham had exchanged his legacies for a cash payment and gambled away the money.

He explains his attempt to run away with Darcy’s young sister Georgiana, to inherit her share of the fortune. In Jane’s case, Darcy claims to have not found any reciprocation in Jane for Bingley, misled to think that she is interested only in his wealth, added with Mrs. Bennet’s ongoing excitement over Mr. Bingley’s financial prospects.  Elizabeth, who had observed it herself, now made clear of Darcy’s stand and starts to wonder if she has misjudged him.

A few months later, Elizabeth accompanies her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, where they visit Pemberley, Darcy’s estate. She hopes not to meet him, but he returns unexpectedly, yet to her surprise treats them with great civility. He also introduces Elizabeth to his sister. Elizabeth becomes aware of her attraction to Darcy. Unfortunately, their reacquaintance is cut short, by the news of Lydia eloping with Mr. Wickham. Back in Longbourn, she grieves that her renewed relationship with Mr. Darcy will end because of Lydia’s mindless act.

However, the family receives the news of Lydia and Wickham being found and married by the clergy. When they visit Longbourn, Lydia slips out that Mr. Darcy’s role in finding and negotiating their marriage, at great personal and monetary expense. In the following days, Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield and subsequently proposes to Jane, who immediately accepts.

The major twist in Austen’s novel happens with the arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh at Longbourn. She appears unwarned to stop Elizabeth from marrying him, taken over by the local rumors of the prospective connection between Darcy and Elizabeth. Shocked by her impertinence, Elizabeth refuses her demands. Disgusted, Lady Catherine informs Darcy of Elizabeth’s abominable behavior. Darcy, on the other hand, rendered with hope, travels to Longbourn, and proposes again. The narrative at this part makes it clear that they have been relieved of their pride and prejudice . Elizabeth accepts happily.

What is the main theme of Pride and Prejudice ?

The main themes are love and marriage. The achievement of these two things in life, and how they do and do not intersect, lasts throughout the novel as both Jane and Elizabeth look for love.

What is the message of Pride and Prejudice ?

The message is how pride and prejudice can disrupt one’s chances at happiness. These faults have to be put away in order to see the world as it is.

Does Pride and Prejudice have a happy ending?

Yes, Pride and Prejudice ends with both Bennet sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, getting married and finding love. Jane with Charles Bingley and Elizabeth with Fitzwilliam Darcy.

How old is Darcy in Pride and Prejudice ?

He is twenty-eight years old during the events of the novel while Elizabeth is twenty years old.

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About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Summary, Characters and Themes

Pride and Prejudice is the most famous work of Jane Austen and is definitely one of the most important novels in the world of literature. Austen’s writing talent was praised by Walter Scott, Virginia Woolf, Richard Arlington and many others. Her language is smart and beautiful, the rural England of the XVIII century that hosts the events of this novel is marvelously depicted, and the relationships of the characters develop like an intriguing and graceful dance. The love story of Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who managed to overcome their pride and prejudice, is the story with a happy ending so many people crave. Let's go deeper with our term paper writing services .

Shortly About the Jane Austen

Jane Austen, born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England, was the seventh of eight children in a close-knit family. Her father, Reverend George Austen, was a clergyman, and her mother, Cassandra Austen, nurtured her love for reading and writing from an early age.

Growing up in rural England, Austen's upbringing provided her with a rich tapestry of experiences that would later influence her writing. She received a formal education alongside her brothers, which was unusual for girls at the time.

In 1811, Austen's first novel, "Sense and Sensibility," was published anonymously. This was followed by "Pride and Prejudice" in 1813, which quickly became one of her most famous and enduring works. Despite being published anonymously, Austen's novels gained popularity for their vivid characters, intricate plots, and astute social commentary.

Throughout her life, Austen remained unmarried and lived with her family, relying on her writing as a source of income. Despite facing financial struggles and limited recognition during her lifetime, Austen continued to write prolifically, producing six completed novels before her untimely death at the age of 41 in 1817.

Although Austen's novels were initially praised for their realism and keen insight into the lives of the English gentry, it wasn't until the 20th century that her work began to receive widespread critical acclaim. Today, Austen is celebrated as one of the greatest English novelists, known for her timeless themes of love, marriage, social class, and morality. Her works continue to be studied, adapted, and cherished by readers around the world.

Pride and Prejudice Setting: Cultural and Historical Background of the Story

The author doesn’t specifically divulge the time at which the novel takes place. Historically, it’s a known fact that Jane Austen had written the book between 1796-1797, but it was only published in 1813. The writer edited the novel before it was published, which means that the book reflects the customs and traditions of the 1790s up until the 1810s. The events begin in September and unfold during one calendar year.

For the readers, it’s important to keep in mind the cultural background of those times: this was the period when wealth was measured in estate, status was both a privilege and a duty to upkeep, and women enjoyed much less freedom than they do today. Female children were considered to be a burden, unless they could marry someone who could take care of them—and preferably their family as well. The vicious cycle was manifested in the fact that, unless a girl is born into a rich family, her chances of finding a rich husband were pretty much non-existent. Men often took advantage of their position and made most of women’s decisions for them.

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Pride and Prejudice Book Characters

The story develops around the five Bennet daughters and their friends, who have several candidates for their husbands, but not all of them play an important role in the text.

Key Characters

Despite his wealth, Mr. Bingley is a quite simple man, who doesn’t like to brag about his status. He is described at the beginning of chapter 3 to be “good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners.” Bingley is an open-minded and positive man who enjoys talking to and meeting interesting people. He is sincere and follows his feelings. His friend is quite the opposite of him; Mr. Darcy carries a lot of pride and is convinced of his uniqueness and importance. He keeps to himself and likes to be around the chosen circles. The nature of the relationships of the two young men reflect their personalities. Jane Bennet and Bingley are both simple and trusting; they like each other from the start and are clear about their feelings. Jane is the eldest of her five sisters, and is probably the most trusting and naïve. She is beautiful and sweet.

Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship is different. They both have extraordinary personalities and chose to have a love/hate relationship. Elizabeth Bennet is a bright young woman; she is independent, smart, quick-witted and true to herself. She is stubborn and persisted:

Chapter 20 “Though her manner varied, however, her determination never did”

Her elegance and tenderness show up, even when covered by her pride. Darcy’s prejudice repels her and turns sympathy into dislike. Their dialogues, initiated through mutual interest towards each other, quickly turn into a verbal duel between their two strong personalities. The couple will have to work out their differences to finally be together in the end.

But character is not the only thing that gets in the way of the couples reuniting. Mr. Collins takes advantage of the situation in which he will inherit the Bennet's home, and wants to marry Elizabeth to “save” her. William Collins is a “tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty. His air was grave and stately, and his manners were very formal” (end of Chapter 13). He is a shallow and uninteresting man, who knows how to please, but doesn’t know how to be pleasant. Despite his downsides, he gets to marry Elizabeth’s best friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte was “a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven” (Chapter 5), and being single at that age put a lot of pressure on her. Mrs. Bennet even used to say that “Lucases are a very good sort of girls... It is a pity they are not handsome!” (Chapter 9).

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Secondary Characters

The head of the family, Mr. Bennet , is considered to be a man of noble origins. He is solid, apathetic, tends to have a somewhat fatalistic perception of life, and is sarcastic towards himself and those around him. He is especially sarcastic towards his wife, Mrs. Bennet , who really can’t boast of either high intelligence, nor family orientation or looks. The mother of five daughters is silly, blatantly tactless, and overly self-centered.

Looking at older Mrs. Bennet, it’s no wonder Miss Caroline Bingley strongly protested her brother’s marriage with Jane; she only cared about her status and didn’t want to be associated with a family of such poor manners and origins. Another selfish personage in the story is lady Catherine de Bourgh . She is Darcy’s aunt and Mr. Collins’ boss— she “has very lately given him (Collins) a living” (Chapter 16). This woman doesn’t care about people’s feelings and only sees things at the surface value.

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner are relatives of the Bennet girls on the side of their father. They are successful and well-educated. Jane and Elizabeth find the support and advice they couldn’t find from their mother in Mrs. Gardiner. The sisters spend some time traveling around England with them — which allows the girls to reflect more on the relationships in their lives.

Mary Bennet is the middle sister of Jane and Elizabeth. She often likes to talk about morality, and lives mostly in her books. The younger Bennet sisters are given much less attention in the book and are portrayed as rather frivolous trouble-makers; Lydia Bennet and Kitty Bennet quickly fall for the uniform and arms of the officers, and Lydia even runs away with one of them — George Wickham . Mr. Wickham holds a grudge against Darcy and tells lies to shame her — when in fact he was the one who tried to make a move on Darcy’s shy underage sister, Georgiana Darcy . From Elizabeth’s example, Georgiana learns how to voice her mind and realizes that a woman can allow herself to talk to her husband in a way that no little sister can.

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Full Summary of How the Love Story in Pride and Prejudice Unfolds

The story begins with Mr. Bingley moving into the most luxurious Netherfield Park mansion in the area — together with his sisters and their friend Darcy. Bingley is young, rich and single. It seems like a perfect solution for the Bennet family, who have five single daughters and are preoccupied with getting them married to secure the financial wellbeing of their family. One day, Jane Bennet is invited over for dinner, but she becomes ill once she arrives. Elizabeth comes to Netherfield to take care of her sister. That’s how the two couples – Jane and Mr. Bingley, and Elizabeth and Darcy – meet and develop an interest in each other. Later, Mr. Bingley and his sisters visit Bennet’s mansion to invite them to the ball they are hosting.

At the same time Mr. Collins (Mr. Bennet’s cousin, and sole successor to the family estate—as there are no male heirs to the Bennet family) comes to visit the family. He wrote a letter sometime before announcing his visit with the intention to choose one of the Bennet girls as his wife. He selfishly expects that all of them will want to marry him to get to keep their family mansion and is surprised when Elizabeth turns down his proposal at the ball. After that, determined to find himself a wife, William Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas, who agrees, simply out of the social pressure, to get married.

The Bingley sisters realized that their brother might disgrace the whole family by marrying Jane, who is not of their class. They do everything they can to separate the couple, and eventually make him move away to London. After some time, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet also arrive in London. While visiting her friend Charlotte, Elizabeth meets Darcy again. They re-engage in sharp dialogues. Darcy confesses that he loves Elizabeth and proposes to her, but does it in such a snobbish manner that Elizabeth turns him down. However, his act did change the way she thinks about him, and the dislike she had for him changes into something more complex and deep.

The next day Darcy writes a long letter to Elizabeth in which he comes clean, sincerely explains why he interfered in the relationship between Jane and Mr. Bingley (which he sincerely regrets), and explains that the stories Mr. Wickham tells about him are lies. Elizabeth changes her attitude towards Darcy, but doesn’t initiate contact to tell him. The next time the lovebirds see each other is when Lizzy travels with her aunt and uncle to visit the Pemberley estate that belongs to Darcy. She hears people saying good things about him, and Darcy himself behaves quite gallantly around people. One day, Darcy sees Elizabeth in tears after she finds out that her younger sister Lydia had run away with officer Wickham. Luckily for all, uncle Gardiner was quickly able to find the lovers in London, and pretty easily managed to convince the young man to marry the girl he had seduced. Only later Elizabeth would realize that Wickham agreed to marry Lydia because Darcy had paid off all his debts.

The story finishes with a happy ending when Mr. Bingley, along with the sisters and Darcy, come to Netherfield Park again. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth for the second time and she agrees, and they move into the pompous Pemberley House. Mr. Bingley marries Jane and the two live happily ever after.

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Pride and Prejudice Analysis 

Jane Austen uses the book to show how social class influenced who people married back then. In those days, marriage was often about climbing the social ladder or securing financial stability. Characters like Mrs. Bennet, who were eager to marry off their daughters to wealthy suitors, highlight the pressure women faced to make advantageous matches for their families.

But in the mix, there's Elizabeth Bennet. She's not interested in marrying for money or status; she's after love and compatibility. When she turns down Mr. Collins's proposal, it's a significant moment. She's saying no to what society expects and yes to her own happiness. Her relationship with Darcy proves that love doesn't care about class or social norms.

Austen also adds some humor, poking fun at high society through characters like Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine. They're like exaggerated versions of snobby, fake people you'd find back then. Mr. Collins tries too hard to impress everyone, while Lady Catherine acts like she's better than everyone else. Austen uses them to show how silly and fake high society could be.

Gossip and rumors are a big deal, too. When Lydia Bennet runs off with Wickham, it's a scandal. It shows what happens when people don't follow society's rules and how everyone talks behind each other's backs. Austen uses these stories to criticize the shallow and hypocritical side of society.

One of the main messages is about personal growth. Both Elizabeth and Darcy change a lot throughout the story. Elizabeth learns to be less judgmental and more humble, while Darcy learns to be less arrogant and more understanding. Austen shows us that growing as a person is crucial for finding true happiness, even when society expects something different.

What Role Do Letters Play in the Novel?

In "Pride and Prejudice," letters play a vital role in advancing the plot and revealing character motivations. Austen uses letters to provide insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings, driving the story forward.

Take, for instance, the letter from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth after his disastrous proposal. Through this letter, we see Darcy's true feelings and motivations, which differ from Elizabeth's initial assumptions about him. It's a turning point in their relationship, as Elizabeth starts to reconsider her opinions of him.

Similarly, Lydia's elopement with Wickham is revealed through a letter, causing shock and scandal among the characters. The letter exposes Wickham's true nature and the consequences of his actions, leading to tension and drama within the story.

Letters also serve as a means of communication between characters who are physically separated. For example, Jane's letters to Elizabeth while she's staying at Netherfield provide updates on the situation there and help maintain their bond despite the distance.

Overall, letters are used as a crucial storytelling device in "Pride and Prejudice," offering insight into characters' emotions, driving the plot forward, and facilitating communication between characters. 

Symbols in Pride and Prejudice 

In the novel, symbols are closely tied to the story, adding depth and revealing more about the characters and themes. 

One important symbol is Pemberley , Mr. Darcy's grand estate. It represents wealth, stability, and social status, showing what Darcy values. When Elizabeth visits Pemberley, she sees it not just as a fancy house, but as a reflection of Darcy's virtues and the potential for their relationship to overcome social barriers.

The novel's title, "Pride and Prejudice," sums up two main ideas explored in the story. Characters like Elizabeth and Darcy struggle with their own pride and prejudices, which often get in the way of their understanding and relationships with others. Austen shows how humility, self-awareness, and empathy are crucial in breaking free from societal expectations and finding true connection and happiness.

Dancing is a recurring theme, representing the structured social norms of Regency society. Ballroom scenes illustrate the complexities of courtship and social hierarchy, where characters navigate etiquette and proper behavior. Through dance, characters reveal their values and social status, showing how appearances shape relationships.

Clothing and fashion also carry symbolic meaning, reflecting characters' social status, personalities, and values. Characters like Lady Catherine de Bourgh use extravagant attire to assert dominance, while others like Elizabeth prefer simplicity and authenticity. Austen uses clothing to comment on social tensions between appearances and truth.

Pride and Prejudice Themes

Pride is the key theme that keeps the protagonists of the story from developing intimate connections. When Darcy proposes to Elizabeth for the first time, he is not shy to throw in a couple of comments to demonstrate his superiority, compared to Elizabeth’s family. The girl’s pride wasn’t able to handle it, despite the connection the two had. Anyhow, the story also demonstrates that it’s possible to overcome one’s pride. It took Elizabeth a while to start seeing the positive traits of Darcy’s character, but, eventually, she saw his true heart.

Prejudice is another obstacle in building loving relationships in the story. At that time, it was more important to marry someone within your status than to marry someone you love. That’s why Miss Bingley insists that her brother shouldn’t marry Jane, despite the fact that the two really like each other. That’s also why Darcy keeps demonstrating his superiority to the woman he loves. The right and honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the absolute depiction of the opposite of prejudice in her willingness to appreciate people for their hearts.

The story centers upon the theme of family. First of all, the Bennet girls are in desperate need to make families of their own (at least so their mother thinks). Secondly, the characters are often connected by family relations, like Mr. Collin’s boss being the aunt of Mr. Darcy. At the same time, we see how much society undervalues the unity of family: British law at that time did not allow females to inherit property, thus, the wife and daughters of Mr. Bennet face homelessness—as only their father’s closest male relative can inherit their home.

The role of women in society and family in this story deserves special attention. At that time it was difficult to be a woman, whether you were rich or poor. You could be from a noble family, but you weren’t protected from one day hearing that “my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.” (Chapter 13). Women also had little power over their future. It was more of an exception for Elisabeth’s father to support her decision not to marry Mr. Collins:

Chapter 20 “From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

It didn’t matter that the mother wanted the marriage to happen. Only if the father insisted, would Elizabeth be obliged to spend the rest of her life with the man she neither respected nor liked.

Love and Marriage

While Pride and Prejudice is often called a love story, and there is a great deal of love in it, there was little love in marriages in the 18th century. For example, Charlotte marries Mr. Collins just because she is 27 years old and at that time it was considered to be too old to hope for any better options. Lydia has to marry the wicked Wickham to save her family’s reputation, despite the fact that Wickham only marries Lydia because Darcy paid off his debts (they consider Darcy to be a hero as he coerces the drunk, lying man to marry Elizabeth’s sister!). Marriage was a must, but it wasn’t a must to be happily married. As Charlotte rightfully mentioned:

Chapter 6 “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life”

Class was at the core of everything people did and said around the time this book was written. The two sisters, Darcy and Bingley, resisted the possibility of tying their names to the Bennet family, specifically due to class issues: Elizabeth and Jane had no rich estate or inheritance to offer their potential husbands. Families did everything they could to be around people of high status and origin, or at least not to destroy their existing reputation for the future. The fact that Lydia ran away with some officer could have put irreparable damage on Bennet’s family name. The troubled sister could have ruined the lives of all her unmarried siblings: such shame meant that Elizabeth would never have been able to marry Darcy, or any decent man, because their family name would have become tarnished.

Also, don't forget to read about Lord of the Flies summary .

Movie and Quotes

Directed by Joe Wright in 2005, the movie adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" brings Jane Austen's beloved story to life. This cinematic rendition offers a visually stunning interpretation of the novel, showcasing the picturesque English countryside and the opulent estates of the landed gentry.

One of the most memorable quotes from the movie is Mr. Darcy's iconic declaration to Elizabeth Bennet: "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you." This heartfelt confession encapsulates Darcy's profound feelings for Elizabeth, transcending societal barriers and expressing the depth of his love.

Another notable quote is Elizabeth's spirited retort to Lady Catherine de Bourgh's attempts to dissuade her from marrying Darcy: "I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me." This defiant statement reflects Elizabeth's independence and determination to follow her heart, regardless of external pressures or expectations.

Another iconic quote comes from Mr. Darcy during his first proposal to Elizabeth: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." This passionate declaration reveals Darcy's inner turmoil and his overwhelming affection for Elizabeth, setting the stage for their tumultuous relationship.

Another memorable quote is Elizabeth's witty response to Darcy's proposal: "You are the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry." This sharp retort showcases Elizabeth's intelligence and independence, as she refuses to succumb to societal pressures or marry for anything other than genuine affection.

Additionally, Mrs. Bennet provides comic relief with her famous line: "A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!" This humorous remark reflects Mrs. Bennet's obsession with marrying off her daughters to wealthy suitors, highlighting the societal emphasis on financial security and social status.

Furthermore, Mr. Collins delivers memorable lines throughout the film, such as his awkward proposal to Elizabeth: "My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish." This absurd declaration exemplifies Mr. Collins's pompous nature and his adherence to social conventions.

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Pride and Prejudice

Jane austen, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The arrival of the wealthy Mr. Bingley to the estate of Netherfield Park causes a commotion in the nearby village of Longbourn. In the Bennet household, Mrs. Bennet is desperate to marry Bingley to one of her five daughters— Jane , Elizabeth , Mary , Kitty , or Lydia . When Bingley meets Jane at a ball, he seems immediately smitten with her. Yet Bingley's snobby friend Darcy is rude to Elizabeth. Through the next few social gatherings, Jane and Bingley grow closer, while Darcy, despite himself, finds himself becoming attracted to Elizabeth's beauty and intelligence.

When Jane is caught in the rain while traveling to visit Bingley, she falls ill and must stay at Netherfield. Elizabeth comes to Netherfield to care for Jane, and though Bingley's sisters are rude and condescending to her ( Caroline Bingley wants Darcy for herself), Darcy's attraction to her deepens. Elizabeth, however, continues to consider him a snob. Meanwhile, Mr. Collins , a pompous clergyman and Mr. Bennet's cousin and heir, visits the Bennets in search of a marriageable daughter. At about the same time, the Bennet sisters also meet Wickham , an army officer Elizabeth finds charming, and who claims Darcy wronged him in the past. Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy hardens. Soon after, at a ball at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet, much to Darcy's annoyance, comments that a wedding between Jane and Bingley is likely to soon take place. Collins, in the meantime, proposes to Elizabeth, who declines, angering her mother, but pleasing her father. Collins then proposes to Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas , who accepts out of a desire for security rather than a need for love.

Bingley suddenly departs for London on business, and Caroline informs Jane by letter that not only will they not be returning, but moreover her brother is planning to wed Georgiana , Darcy's sister. Jane is crushed. Elizabeth is sure Darcy and Caroline are deliberately separating Bingley and Jane. The sisters' aunt and uncle, Mr. Gardiner and Mrs. Gardiner , invite Jane to London hoping that she will get over her disappointment, but after she arrives Caroline snubs her and she regrets letting herself fall in love with Bingley. Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins, where she encounters Collins' patron and Darcy's relative, the wealthy and formidable Lady Catherine . Darcy arrives and surprises Elizabeth by joining her for long intimate walks. She grows angry, however, when she learns that Darcy advised Bingley against marrying Jane. Oblivious, Darcy announces his love for her and proposes marriage. Elizabeth refuses his proposal, accusing him of ruining Jane's marriage and mistreating Wickham. In a letter Darcy explains that he intervened because he felt Jane did not truly love Bingley. Wickham, he writes, is a liar and a scoundrel. Elizabeth begins to feel she has misjudged Darcy and may have been rash in turning him down. Returning home, Elizabeth finds that Lydia has become smitten with Wickham. She urges her father to intervene, but he chooses to do nothing. Elizabeth soon accompanies the Gardiners on a trip. During the trip, Elizabeth visits Pemberley, Darcy's magnificent estate. She fantasizes about being his wife there and is further impressed when he unexpectedly shows up and introduces her to his charming sister, Georgiana. Bingley also arrives and reveals that he is still in love with Jane.

Elizabeth's trip is cut short by a letter from Jane announcing that Lydia has eloped with Wickham. Fearing a scandal that will ruin all the daughters' futures, the Bennets search for Lydia in London. When Mr. Gardiner tracks them down, Wickham demands his debts be paid off in return for marrying Lydia. The Bennets assume that Gardiner gives in to the demand, since Lydia and Wickham soon return, playing the happy newlyweds. (Mrs. Bennet is happy that at least one of her daughters is married.) Elizabeth soon discovers that Darcy, not Gardiner, paid off Wickham's debts, out of love for her. Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield and Bingley finally proposes to an overjoyed Jane. While Darcy goes to London on business, Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth, warning her not to marry Darcy. Elizabeth refuses to promise. On his return, Darcy asks Elizabeth again to marry him. This time she accepts, telling him her prejudice against him had made her blind. Darcy acknowledges that his pride made him act rudely. Both couples are married and the Bennet family rejoices in their daughters' happiness.

Literary English

Introduction and Background to Pride and Prejudice

The novel, “Pride and prejudice” was one of the most popular published novels by Jane Austen. It was her first composed novel with title “First Impression” in1997 but unluckily it was rejected by publishers. The main reason for the rejection was her feminine gender, and moreover her first work. The work was rewritten in 1812 that is representative of the mature Austen and published in 1813 with another title “Pride and Prejudice”. In its first publication, 1500 copies were published and became famous among readers.    

Pride and Prejudice and other Austen’s works could not get attention of critics during her lifetime. Few critics went through her works and they did not produce any written critical comments on her works.

Jane Austen died in 1817, after her death, the novel Pride and Prejudice continued to be published and read but could not get attention from critics for the next 50 years but few appreciated her skill at creating characters and her technical mystery.

In 1939, Austen’s work were appreciated and analyzed by critics when a critical article on Austen was published by Richard Simpson in which he discussed the complexity of Austen’s work, including her use of irony. Then Mary Lascelle’s publication, Jane Austen and Her Art, started new Austen scholarship. This publication prompted other scholars and critics to take a keen interest in Austen’s work.

Roughly in 1940, Pride and Prejudice started getting favorable attention of critics and has continued to be read and analyzed heavily since that time. Modern scholars and critics take various approaches to Pride and Prejudice, including historical, feminist, economical, and linguistic.

Still Pride and Prejudice is a popular novel not only because of its superb characters and the general appeal of the plot of story, but also because of the artistic skills and use of paradoxical and ironic language.

Jane Austen, In Pride and Prejudice, displays a perfect use of irony, witty dialogue, and realism of 18 th century that supports gradual development of characters and heighten the experience of reading the novel.

Plot of the story is based on various themes depicting Elite and upper modern class of England and marriage trends in 18 th century. This Novel is famous for full of marriages based on individualistic choices. This novel does not include heroic deeds or bloodshed but a romantic and happy plot with an inner change in characters themselves. Because of a feminist author, this novel revolves around females and their concerns for their future. This novel also highlights inheritance rules of England where females cannot inherit paternal property (home of land): if they there is no male in family, nearest relative will inherit that property. In such case, what will be the concerns of a mother with only five teenage daughters?