JANE AUSTEN

“PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”

 INDEX

INTRODUCTION Page 3

HISTORICAL CONTEXT Page 4-8

BIOGRAPHY OF JANE AUSTEN Page 9-12

PLOT Page 13-24

SETTING OF PLACE AND TIME Page 24

CHARACTERS Page 25-35

THEMES

SYMBOLS Page 44-47

STYLE AND LANGUAGE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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 INTRODUCTION

Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 romantic novel by Jane Austen. It charts the emotional

development of the protagonist Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of making hasty

judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential.

The comedy of the writings lies in the depiction of manners, education, marriage and money

during the Regency era in Britain.

Pride and Prejudice has long fascinated readers, consistently appearing near the top of lists of

“most-loved books” among literary scholars and the general public. It has become one of the

most popular novels in English literature, with over 20 milion copies sold and paved the way

for many archetypes that abound in modern literature. Sir Walter Scott praised Pride and

Prejudice in his journal however Charlotte Bronte's thoughts were very different.

For more than a centuary, amateur and professional dramatic adaptations like the TV version

of Pride and Prejudice potrayed the memorable characters and themes in the novel, to reach

mass audiences. The 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Mac

fadyen, is the most recent Hollywood adaptation of the novel.

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 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

LATE 18th BRITAIN REGENCY PERIOD

Jane Austen’s brief life and writing career overlapped with one of the most transformative eras

in British history, marked by revolution abroad and unrest at home. The signing of the

Declaration of Independence in 1776, the year after Austen’s birth, signaled the start of the

American Revolution, followed in the next decade by the beginning of the French Revolution in

1789. For the next two decades, Britain was engaged almost without cease in the

Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793–1815, one of the most significant conflicts in

British history. Among the effects of England’s foreign wars during this period were great

financial instability and monetary volatility. The precariousness of the late eighteenth-century

was followed in the 1810s and 1820s by what is known as the Regency period. The Regency

officially began in 1811, when King George III went permanently insane and his son George,

Prince of Wales, was sanctioned to rule England in his place as Regent. The political Regency

lasted until 1820, when George IV was crowned. However, the Regency period has also come

to refer more generally to the early decades of the nineteenth century before the start of

Victoria’s reign in 1837, during which the Prince Regent provided a great deal of support for

the development of the arts and sciences that flourished during this period. Austen would

have witnessed, moreover, the beginning of industrialization in England, though the growth of

the factory system would not reach its peak until the middle of the nineteenth century. Outside

of the genteel world we see in Pride and Prejudice, a third of the country’s population lived on

the verge of starvation, spurring food riots across the countryside. This unrest was

compounded by Luddite protestors who attacked new industrial machinery (a practice called

“machine breaking”) in demonstrations that were a precursor to labor strikes. As these

demonstrations spread fear of a revolution in England, the government responded with

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repressive measures that sharply curtailed freedom of speech.

WAR WITH FRANCE

Stretching over twenty-two years, Britain’s war with France affected every level of British

society. While an estimated quarter of a million men were serving in the regular army, a militia

of officers and volunteers in the southeast coast of England (the region where Austen was

from) mobilized for what was thought to be an impending invasion by Napoleon. Austen had a

close connection to the militia, as her brother Henry joined the Oxfordshire militia in 1793.

Though the rural countryside in which Austen’s novels are set seems at a far remove from the

tumultuousness of the period, the world of Pride and Prejudice bears the traces of turmoil

abroad. As Gillian Russell writes, “The hum of wartime, if not the blast or cry of battle,

pervades [Austen’s] fiction.” The presence of the troops at Brighton and militia officers like

Wickham reflect wider concerns about the place of the military in English civil society.

THE LANDED GENTRY

The novel is also embedded within a set of domestic concerns over property, money and

status that highlight the changing social landscape of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-

century England. Austen’s novels portray the gentry, a broad social class that includes those

who owned land (the country or landed gentry) as well as the professional classes (lawyers,

doctors and clergy) who did not. Though industrialization and urbanization had begun to take

hold at the end of the eighteenth century, the most influential sector of society in Austen’s time

was the landed gentry. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ownership of

English land was concentrated in the hands of the relatively small landed classes, who

retained their hold over the land through a system that encouraged the consolidation and

extension of estates by enforcing strict inheritance laws. Entails of the kind referred to in the

novel were established during this period in order to concentrate wealth and enlarge estates

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by funneling property to male children or male relatives rather than breaking it up and

distributing it amongst family members. Thus, Mr. Bennett’s land is left not to his daughters

but to a (male) member of his extended family, Mr. Collins, ensuring that the property stays in

the family line, while disinheriting Elizabeth and her sisters. Large country estates, of the kind

Darcy owns and Mr. Bingley desires to purchase, served as a symbol of the wealth and power

of the landed gentry.

MARRIAGE AND GENDER ROLES

As we see in the novel, questions of land ownership and inheritance are closely interlinked

with courtship and marriage. In the late eighteenth century, English conceptions of family and

the role of women began to change, as British culture became increasingly focused on the

accumulation and concentration of wealth within the family. One way for families to rapidly

accumulate capital was through advantageous marriages. As a result, the position of daughters

within the family changed, as they became the means through which a family could attain

greater wealth. Familial aspirations, coupled with women’s increased dependence on

marriage for financial survival, made courtship a central focus of women’s lives.

At the same time, the late eighteenth century also witnessed a transformation in the

conception of women’s rights following the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication

of the Rights of Woman in 1792. In the Vindication, Wollstonecraft argues, in the language of

Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, that women should be treated as the rational equals

of men. Elizabeth Bennett serves as a paradigmatic example of the conflicting transformations

in women’s roles that occurred in the late eighteenth century. Disinherited of her father’s

property, Elizabeth is not financially independent, and in fact depends upon an advantageous

marriage for her future survival. Yet throughout the novel, she asserts an intellectual and

moral independence that reflects a Wollstoncraftian conception of gender politics.

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PRINT CULTURE AND THE NOVEL IN AUSTEN'S TIME

One particularly significant change that occurred during Austen’s lifetime was the expansion

of literacy and print culture in England. By 1800, almost everyone in the middle classes and

above could read, and literacy rates for the rest of the population rose steadily thereafter. At

the same time, from 1780 onwards there was a fairly steady rise in the number of new novels

being published, so that by the end of Austen’s life, the novel was the dominant form of

literature in England. In part, the rise of the novel was spurred on by new forms of printing

and marketing, which made books less expensive and expanded their readership. Smaller

format books—octavos and duodecimos, as opposed to quartos—were more portable, and

therefore easier to consume. Similarly, novels became more readily accessible through the

expansion of various modes of access, including circulating and subscription libraries as well

as periodicals, which made literature affordable in a time when books were often prohibitively

expensive. Nevertheless, novels of the kind Austen published would have been an unaffordable

luxury for a great deal of the population. This was particularly true in the earlier part of the

nineteenth century, when “taxes on knowledge” raised prices on paper, newspapers,

advertisements, and other texts. These taxes were in fact at their height during Austen’s

career. This was in part because of a desire to limit access to information for the lower classes

in response to revolution in France and upheaval at home. Though the late eighteenth and

early nineteenth centuries marked an explosion in novel reading and the production of the

novels themselves, the widely affordable novel would not become ubiquitous until the middle

of the nineteenth century.

The realist novel, defined by its putatively objective narrator, psychologically developed

characters, and minute description of the realities of domestic life, was in part inaugurated by

Austen in Pride and Prejudice, and would come to dominate the literary scene in England

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throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. The rise of the novel has historically been

linked to the rise of the middle class in England from the eighteenth century onwards, because

this expanding social class (and middle class women in particular) had both the income and

the leisure time available to consume them. Although novels were widely read, throughout the

late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, they were largely considered unserious,

frivolous, and even irrelevant—a merely “popular” genre.

THE NOVEL OF MANNERS

The changes in the social hierarchy of English society in the 19 th centuary provided the

background for the rise of the novel of manners. As industrial and business interests

characterized the middle classes, the aristocracy lost power, so the standard markers for

determining an individual's position in society proved increasingly unreliable. The novel of

manners dealt with how these classes behaved in everyday situations, and described their

codes of conduct. The undisputed master of the novel of manners was Jane Austen, whose

novels of manners are based on the promise that there is a vital relationship between

manners, social behaviour and character. They are usually set in the upper and middle levels

of society, usually in the country with few insights into town life. They deal with the codes and

conventions of daily behaviour through the description of visits, balls, teas as occasions for

joining up. They explore personal relationships, class distinctions and deal with the infuence

of money and property on the way people treat each other. Their main themes are marriage,

the complications of love and friendship within this elaborate social word. A third-person

narrator is employed and dialogue plays a central role especially as a vehicle for irony.

Passions and emotions are not expressed directly but more subtly and obliquely.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JANE AUSTEN

Jane Austen was born into a moderately wealthy family in 1775, during the reign of King

George III. Her family was typically large as was customary at the time in order to counter the

possibility of early death by producing many offspring. She had five older brothers, one older

sister and a younger brother. Austen was born in a small village in Hampshire, England,

named Steventon, where she lived until 1800. She would read out her early attempts at novels

to her family and refine and hone the words based on their response. In this way she

completed first draft manuscripts of “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice”,

although they were originally titled “Elinor and Marriane” and “First Impressions” respectively.

She also wrote the manuscript for “Northanger Abbey” in this way, which was initially given

the name “Susan”. In 1800 Austen's father, William George Austen, decided to move to the

City of Bath. At that time, it was normal for unmarried daughters to live with their parents, so

Austen found herself moving to a Georgian city, having previously known only a rural life.

Despite her association with Bath, it seems that urban society did not really suit Austen, and

her output as a writer fell away for the next few years, until she returned to the countryside.

Austen's father died in 1805, leaving the family financially insecure. Austen's mother,

Cassandra, took Jane and her sister, Elizabeth Cassandra, to Southampton in 1806, where they

were based with her brother Frank and his wife. Finally, in 1809, Austen's brother Edward

offered the three of them a cottage in his grounds at Chawton, another village in Hampshire.

With new found security and a more settled lifestyle, Austen found herself able to write once

more. By 1811 she had become a published novelist with “Sense and Sensibility”. There

followed, “Pride and Prejudice” in 1813, “Mansfield Park” in 1814 and “Emma” in 1815. At

about this time Austen began to feel unwell and suffered from a progressive disease, which

saw her health decline. She continued to write but became increasingly infirm until she

succumed in December 1817 at the age of

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41. Her final novel, “Persuasion”, was published posthumously along with “Northanger Abbey”

shortly after her death. There is also a seventh, incomplete, manuscript named “The Brothers”

or “Sanditon”, which she started to write in 1817, even though her health was deteriorating.

There has been considerable speculation about the nature of Austen's illness. The two most

likely culprits are Addison's disease and Hodgkin's lymphoma, both of which were described

and named later in the 19th centuary. It is known that she suffered bouts of fatigue and

difficulty in walking. She eventually died in the City of Winchester and was laid to rest in

Winchester Cathedral. The wind of change was so strong following Austen's short life that her

novels fell out of favour quickly with the onset of the Victorian era. Her books continued to

sell, but they were not considered fashionable, as people gravitated towards the gritty realism

portrayed by Dickens, Hardy and their contemporaries. The public wanted to read about

characters exposed to the harshness of life without privilege, as opposed to Austen's

characters whom were generally rather comfortable and concerned themselves with matters

of little real consequence. Austen was actually using elements of her own, relatively

comfortable life to weave her tales of fiction, so to her they were genuine situations and

circumstances worthy of analysis. She also never married, so her angst was focussed on

pondering matters of the heart. In many ways she lived vicariously through her characters,

allowing them to experience the intimacies that she craved, but that eluded her all of her life.

AUSTEN'S LITERARY GENRE

It is interesting to note that many contemporary authors choose to give their novels period

settings as their plots often rely on rules of formality and etiquette and characters must

behave in a certain way to ensure that a narrative will work. Jane Austen was living and

writing in a time when such rules were part of polite society and can be seen as the originator

of this plot devise. It is fair to say that societal rules reached their zenith of priggishness
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during Austen's lifetime. It was all about defining oneself in terms of class and wealth, so that

there were very clear guidelines about what one should and should not do and how one

should behave. Austen was herself born into a family at the lower end of the English

hierarchical stratum known as the gentry, which was situated beneath the nobility. In modern

terms she would have been considered well educated and privileged. This gave Austen a

certain vantage point as a writer, for she rubbed shoulders with people both above and below

her on the social scale. Austen was a humanist and made it abundantly clear that she thought

little of the notion that some people were better or worse that others simply throught accident

of birth. In essence, her literature is defined by her desire to express that it is what goes on

inside a person that matters above and beyond other concerns. Austen makes theatre of the

absurdities that she observes in polite society because she has an innate cynicism, but she

always avoids being vitriolic in her prose.

It is this delicate balancing acy between crafting an engaging narrative and passing comment

with subtle allegory that made her novels a success then and now. Austen expertly translates

her criticism of the human condition into witty and insightful prose. Through her satirical eye,

the characters become relevant to the reader as they recognise elements or traits of

themselves or others in the disparate personalities. Although such psychological connectives

were more pertinent in society at the time that Austen was writing, they still resonate today

because people frequently gravitate towards societal rules, albeit in a less formalized way.

Therefore, it is still easy to relate to Austen's stories through the experiences of her characters

and the situations and events that arise in her novels are timeless and emotive.

Austen was not, however a romanticist. She was at the cutting edge of English literary fiction,

just as the artist Joseph Turner was at the cutting edge of English painting. Both were born in

the same year, 1775, and both used their creativity to document the modern world they knew.
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Austen is often described as a sentimental novelist, because her themes are primarily about

the exploration of human feeling and emotion. This was a concept relatively new to society at

the time, not least because everyday life hadn't yet afforded people the luxury of the leisure

time necessary for such self-indulgences. Indeed, during Austen's lifetime it was still only the

wealthy with time on their hands. Most were far more concerned with the hardships and

realities of making a living and raising a family. That is largely why Austen's novels focus so

much on the upper echelons of society, as only the idle rich were not preoccupied by such

matters of survival.

Austen's life was short, but it spanned the turn of the 19 th centuary, when the Industrial

Revolution was in full spate. After her death, English literature made way for a new genre,

realism, which saw novelists using their prose to illustrate the lives of the common man,

woman and child who struggled to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, rife with disease,

poverty, injustice, criminality and urbanization. Had Austen lived longer perhaps she would

have responded and adapted to these new trends.

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PLOT

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must

be in want of a wife."

This is the first phrase of the Pride and Prejudice and it introduces in a few words the subject

of the entire novel. The news that a wealthy young gentleman named Charles Bingley has

rented the manor of Netherfield Park causes a great stir in the nearby village of Longbourn,

especially in the Bennet household. The Bennets have five unmarried daughters—from oldest

to youngest, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennet is desperate to see them

all married. After being informed about the arrival of Mr. Bingaly, Mrs. Bennet praises her

husband to go and see him. Afterwards, Mr. Bennet pays a social visit to Mr. Bingley and when

he turns back home, he informs his family that they are all invited to the ball organized by

Miss . Bingley and his brother, Mr. Bingey is really attracted by the enchanting Jane Bennet and

for this reason he spends much of the evening dancing with her. His close friend, Mr. Darcy, is

less pleased with the evening and even if Mr. Bingley tries to convince him that he could dance

with the pretty Elizabeth Bennet (Jane's sister), he refuses to dance with her saying that she is

tolerable but not beautiful enough to tempt him. Therefore, Mr. Darcy makes everyone view

him as arrogant and horrid.

Within a short walk of Longbourn lives a family with whom the Bennets are particularly

intimate: Sir Wiliam Lucas, who had been formerly in trade in Meryton, Lady Lucas, a very

good kind of woman, and their several children; The eldest of them, Charlotte, was Elizabeth's

intimate friend and after the ball, she consoles Elizabeth about Darcy's insult, but she adds

that Darcy's pride may be forgiven because of his high standing and fortune. Elizabeth

responds that she could forgive his pride if he hadn't insulted her own.

Bingley's sisters soon start exchanging visits with Jane and Elizabeth. Elizabeth suspects they
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are only nice to Jane because of Bingley, whose admiration for Jane seems to grow with every

meeting.

Suspecting that Jane is falling in love, Elizabeth admires her sister's composure. She privately

mentions it to Charlotte Lucas, who warns that women who don't show their affection risk

losing the objects of it. Besides, Jane can't know her true feelings yet. Charlotte replies that

happiness in marriage happens only by chance. Meanwhile, as he spends more time with her,

Darcy begins to notice Elizabeth's beauty and verve. At a party, Sir William Lucas tries to set

up Darcy and Elizabeth to dance, but she refuses. Later, Darcy tells Caroline that Elizabeth has

captured his admiration, though to Caroline's relief he seems to show no interest in marrying

Elizabeth and gaining Mrs. Bennet as a mother-in-law.

Soon after, Kitty and Lydia Bennet are thrilled to learn that a military regiment is being

stationed in Meryton. They make frequent visits to Mrs. Philips to learn all they can about the

officers and for this reason Mr. Bennet dismisses the girls as incredibly silly. A letter arrives to

Jane from Caroline Bingley inviting her to visit Netherfield.

Mrs. Bennet schemes to send Jane on horseback, even though it will rain, so that she will have

to spend the night at Netherfield. The next morning, Jane sends Elizabeth a letter explaining

that she caught a bad cold in the storm. Elizabeth walks the three miles to Netherfield to take

care of Jane. Caroline later mocks Elizabeth's appearance, who has arrived dirty and tired, but

Darcy is moved by the glow of exercise on Elizabeth's face. Jane's condition soon worsens and

Elizabeth is invited to stay at Netherfield too. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hurst and Caroline criticize

Elizabeth's looks, manners, and judgment. Mrs. Hurst says she is similar to Jane, but that her

family situation, having few connections and no money, will block her hopes of making a good

match and Darcy agrees. Caroline, who has been absorbed with Darcy, asks him about his

estate, Pemberley, and about his sister, who she deems a very accomplished woman. Darcy

says he knows few women who are really accomplished. Elizabeth asks his definition of the
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term and, stunned by the long list of qualifications, expresses witty surprise that Darcy could

know anyone who with all of those characteristics.

Afterwards Elizabeth sends home a note requesting that her mother come and visit Jane.

Mrs. Bennet arrives with Lydia and, not wishing Jane to leave Bingley's company, declares that

Jane seems worse than ever. In conversation, Mrs. Bennet, seeking to raise Jane's status, tries

to impress Bingley about her family and their situation in the country. Darcy suggests that

there is more variety of character in town than in the country, but Mrs. Bennet loudly objects.

Everyone is surprised and Elizabeth is mortified also because Lydia jumps in to remind

Bingley of his promise to give a ball at Netherfield, therefore Bingley is forced to say that he

hasn't forgotten but he will wait until Jane recovers.

In the evening, Caroline, while Darcy is reading, suggests to Elizabeth that they walk around

the room together and then she invites Darcy to join them, but he says he doesn't want to

interfere: they must either be sharing secrets or showing off.

Elizabeth advises Caroline that the best response is to laugh at what is ridiculous, which leads

to a discussion of the aspects of Darcy's character that might be ridiculed. Darcy claims that

his main fault is that his good opinion once lost is lost forever.

Elizabeth and Jane write to Mrs. Bennet to send their carriage to take them home. Mrs. Bennet,

still scheming to have them stay, replies that it isn't available. So Elizabeth and Jane have to

borrow Bingley's carriage instead. Darcy is relieved: he is starting to worry that his attraction

to Elizabeth might show, so he remains distant for the short remainder of her stay. Though

Mrs. Bennet is disappointed that Jane and Elizabeth didn't stay, Mr. Bennet is glad to have

them back. The next morning, Mr. Bennet reveals to his family that they will have a surprise

guest: Mr. Collins, the relative who will inherit Mr. Bennet's estate. The news upsets Mrs.

Bennet because Mr. Collins can legally kick Mrs. Bennet and her daughters out of the house

when Mr. Bennet dies. But the tone of reconciliation in Mr. Collins' letter consoles her.
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When Mr. Collins arrives, he is heavy, pompous, and dull. His conversation is weighted with

overwrought compliments and vague hints about making amends to the Bennet daughters. He

privately tells Mrs. Bennet his intentions, and she redirects his target from Jane, whom she

hopes will marry Bingley, to Elizabeth. Mr. Collins agrees to shift his focus. Mr. Collins joins the

Bennet sisters in a walk to Meryton. There, everyone's attention is captured by a striking and

unfamiliar young man: Mr. Wickham, who just accepted a post in the regiment. Wickham's

conversation is friendly and lively. Just then, Bingley and Darcy come up the street and when

Darcy and Wickham see each other, each man recoils in shock.

Mr. Collins and the Bennet sisters then go to visit Mrs. Philips who invites them to dinner the

next night and the girls convince her to invite Wickham too. In that dinner, Elizabeth is

fascinated by Wickham's pleasant demeanor. The two of them easily fall into conversation and

Wickham soon asks about Darcy. Elizabeth says he is widely disliked for his pride. Wickham

reveals that Darcy's father was his godfather and dear friend, because he was the son of one of

Darcy's father's employees therefore he and Darcy grew up together. Darcy's father died and

left Wickham money to pursue a career in the ministry, but Darcy, who was jealous of his

father's love for Wickham, found a loophole and refused to give Wickham that money.

Wickham says that Georgiana, Darcy's sister is an accomplished young woman living in

London but she is, like her brother, proud. Wickham, hearing Mr. Collins go on about Lady

Catherine, informs Elizabeth that Lady Catherine is actually Darcy's aunt and she hopes to

marry Darcy to her daughter. Elizabeth is shocked and appalled because she believes

Wickham, saying "there was truth in his looks."

Bingley and his sisters organize another ball at Netherfield. Lydia and Kitty are overjoyed. Jane

is excited to see Bingley, while Elizabeth looks forward to dancing with Wickham, though Mr.

Collins requests that she give him the first two dances. Arriving at the ball at Netherfield,

Elizabeth is disappointed to realize that Wickham is not at the party and she blames Darcy for
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Wickham's absence but he then asks Elizabeth for a dance. Caught by surprise, she accepts,

but their conversation is short and abrupt. Afterwards, Caroline tells Elizabeth that Wickham

treated Darcy terribly and also Jane, who has been speaking to Bingley, tells Elizabeth the

same story. But Elizabeth refuses to believe it. The rest of the evening is a disaster, and

Elizabeth realizes that her family's reputation is falling lower than ever because of her mum

and her sisters. The next morning, Mr. Collins asks for a private meeting with Elizabeth and he

explains in detail his two main reasons for seeking marriage: all clergymen should marry, and

Lady Catherine told him to do it. Elizabeth interrupts him to decline, because this marriage

could not make each other happy. Mrs. Bennet is shocked to hear that Elizabeth refused him

but Mr. Bennet do not agree with her. Mr. Collins prolongs his stay, acting coldly to Elizabeth

and transferring his attention to Charlotte Lucas. One morning, the Bennet sisters walk to

Meryton and meet Wickham who confirms to Elizabeth that he was avoiding Darcy at the ball.

A letter from Caroline Bingley, where she explains that everyone at Netherfield has left for

London, not to return for at least six months, if ever. Caroline ends the letter by saying that she

will be delighted to see Georgiana Darcy again, who she hopes will become Bingley's wife.

Jane is despondent and refuses to believe that, as Elizabeth explains, Caroline is trying to

break her and Bingley up while also gaining better footing with Darcy for herself. Elizabeth

does manage to convince Jane that she shouldn't doubt Bingley's affections.

Meanwhile Charlotte Lucas informs the girls that she has accepted Collin's proposal of

marriage, hoping for more stability in her future; even if Elizabeth is a little bit shocked by

these news.

Wickham occasionally visits and his pleasant company helps to dispel the gloom.

While Mr. Collins is leaving, Mrs. Bennet's brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, arrive for a

visit. Mr. Gardiner is a tradesman in London. Mrs. Gardiner is intelligent and extremely loved

by Jane and Elizabeth. After their arrival, Mrs. Gardiner speaks with Elizabeth about Jane's
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situation and she decides to propose to Jane to come and stay with them in London and

Elizabeth secretly hopes that Jane's presence nearby will rekindle Bingley's affections. But

Jane writes a letter to Elizabeth, where she says that she wrote to Caroline but received no

reply, and then Caroline visited her, but she was really cold. Meanwhile, Having noticed the

warmth between Elizabeth and Wickham, Mrs. Gardiner warns Elizabeth not to make any

decision yet because Wickham has no fortune; Elizabeth can only promise that she won't rush

into anything, but Wickham's interest shifts from Elizabeth to a young woman who recently

inherited £10,000. Elizabeth finds she isn't affected much by losing Wickham's attention. She

realizes she was never in love with him and wishes him well. Sir William Lucas, his youngest

daughter, and Elizabeth go to visit Charlotte, stopping along the way in London to check up on

Jane. Speaking privately with Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner confirms that Jane feels dejected, but

she thinks that Jane has finally given up the illusion of Caroline's friendship.

Mrs. Gardiner also consoles Elizabeth about losing Wickham, but Elizabeth defends him.

Mrs. Gardiner later invites Elizabeth to join her and Mr. Gardiner on a summer tour of

Derbyshire and the Lake Country and she accepts. Then, Elizabeth, Sir William Lucas, and his

daughter arrive at the home of Mr. Collins and Charlotte. When Lizzy arives, she is taken by

Charlotte on a tour of her neatly arranged home. The next day, everyone is invited to dinner at

Rosings, Lady Catherine's house. At Rosings, they meet the haughty Lady Catherine, whose

conversation consists entirely of commands and strong opinions, she is uncommunicative and

dull, in fact she asks Elizabeth a series of invasive questions about her family, property, and

education. Completely satisfied with his daughter's situation, Sir William Lucas soon departs,

while Elizabeth remains with Charlotte. Lady Catherine has arranged a visit from her

nephews: Darcy (her favorite) and Colonel Fitzwilliam, his cousin. Upon their arrival, Mr.

Collins brings them home for a visit, and Elizabeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam get along very well.

During one visit to Rosings, he asks Elizabeth to play the piano and while playing she notices
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that Darcy is totally uninterested in Miss De Bourgh. The next morning, Elizabeth is surprised

by a visit from Darcy because he finds her alone in the Collins' house and they are not too

much able to make a normal conversation because the are too embarassed. After Darcy leaves,

Charlotte tells Elizabeth that the only explanation for Darcy's behavior is that he must be in

love with her but Elizabeth finds this idea hard to believe. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam

continue their visits, but Darcy is unreadable and Charlotte comes to think that maybe it's

Fitzwilliam who loves Elizabeth. When she goes on walks in the countryside near Rosings,

Elizabeth keeps running into Darcy by chance. On another day, Elizabeth meets Colonel

Fitzwilliam on a walk. As they talk, he tells her how Darcy intervened before one of his friends

made an "imprudent marriage." Elizabeth realizes that Fitzwilliam is unknowingly referencing

a story about Bingley and Jane, and is appalled to realize that Darcy ruined Jane's chances with

Bingley.

One day, while Charlotte and Mr. Collins go to visit Rosings, Elizabeth goes to see the doorbell

rings and she is surprised to find Mr. Darcy. Her surprise becomes shock when he passionately

confesses his love for her and asks her to marry him. Darcy then explains how his affection

outgrew his concerns about Elizabeth and her family's inferiority. Elizabeth grows angry, and

firmly refuses his offer of marriage. Darcy is astonished and demands an explanation.

Elizabeth blasts him for insulting her, for ruining Jane's happiness forever, and for robbing

Wickham of his chances in life. Darcy leaves angrily and Elizabeth breaks down crying. The

next day, Elizabeth takes a walk. She finds Darcy waiting for her and he gives her a letter of

explanation. In the letter, Darcy answers Elizabeth's charges of misconduct toward Jane and

Wickham. He knew that Bingley was in love with Jane, but he detected no affection on her

part, therefore in London, he joined with Caroline in convincing Bingley to give up the

attachment. Darcy also confesses, with regret, that he hasn't told Bingley that Jane was in

London, too. Regarding Wickham, Darcy says that after Darcy's father died, Wickham resigned
 19

his opportunity with the church in exchange for money and he spent it on partying. When the

money ran out, he asked Darcy for more money, and he was furious when Darcy refused. After

years, Wickham saw an opportunity with Darcy's sister Georgiana, who was rich and he

charmed her into eloping with him, but Darcy discovered their plans and sent Wickham away.

To protect his sister's reputation, Darcy has kept everything a secret.

Elizabeth is stunned. At first, she doesn't believe any of this information, but, upon rereading

the letter, she starts to see things in a different light. Elizabeth realizes Wickham was

inconsistent and that his history was never verified. She realizes that Wickham tricked her.

Elizabeth is utterly ashamed. She had considered herself to be a discerning judge of character,

but now she sees that she was blind and prejudiced. Elizabeth also rereads the part of the

letter about Jane, and realizes that she can't blame Darcy for intervening: Jane was reserved,

as Charlotte had pointed out. On returning to the parsonage house, Elizabeth learns that Darcy

and Colonel Fitzwilliam had both visited to say good-bye.

Elizabeth keeps thinking about Darcy's letter when she is leaving Rosings. She arrives in

London to visit the Gardiners before returning to Longbourn with Jane. Though desperate to

share her news about Darcy, she is apprehensive that the news about Bingley will hurt Jane.

When they arrive home, Kitty and Lydia want to walk to Meryton to see the officers while

Elizabeth tells Jane how Darcy proposed to her and also shares the part of Darcy's letter about

Wickham. They agree not to publicize Wickham's faults, for the sake of Darcy and his sister.

As the regiment prepares to depart Meryton, Lydia receives an invitation from the wife of

Colonel Forster to come with the regiment to Brighton.

In July, Elizabeth leaves on her summer holiday with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. They tour

Derbyshire, which takes them near Pemberley and Mrs. Gardiner suggests they visit the estate.

At Pemberley, Elizabeth admires the estate's beauty. The house is lavish but tasteful, and

Elizabeth imagines what it would have been like to be mistress of the place as Darcy's wife.
 20

Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are escorted around the rooms by a housekeeper who

praises Mr. Darcy as a kind and generous man: good to his servants, his tenants, and especially

his sister. As they walk, Darcy suddenly appears, because he had to come home a day earlier

than expected. Elizabeth is stunned and embarrassed, but Darcy is extremely polite to them

all. He asks Elizabeth if he can introduce his sister to her and she accepts. The next day,

Elizabeth and the Gardiners are again surprised when Darcy shows up with Georgiana and

Bingley for a visit. Georgiana turns out to be shy rather than proud. Bingley, meanwhile, is

delighted to see Elizabeth, and asks questions that lead Elizabeth to suspect he might still love

Jane. Darcy and Georgiana invite Elizabeth and the Gardiners to Pemberley for dinner the next

evening.

Elizabeth is amazed at the change in Darcy because his pride has turned into tenderness.

Above all, Elizabeth feels incredibly grateful that Darcy has forgiven her misjudgments and

harsh rejection, and now treats her with affectionate respect.

When Caroline arrives, she tries to embarrass Elizabeth by bringing up her connection with

Wickham, but Darcy says he ranks her among the most beautiful women he knows. At her inn,

Elizabeth receives two awful letters from Jane. The first contains the shocking news that Lydia

had run off with Wickham to get married in Scotland. The second letter has much worse news:

that Colonel Forster learned that Wickham had no plans to marry Lydia at all, and that the two

of them were now in London, therefore Jane asks Elizabeth to come home immediately.

Elizabeth meets Darcy as she is running out the door and tells him the story. Elizabeth blames

herself for not revealing Wickham's character to everyone, which would have prevented this.

Soon, Elizabeth and the Gardiners are on the road for Longbourn. At Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet

is holed up in her room, frantic with nervousness, and blames Colonel Foster for not watching

over Lydia.

Two days later, a letter arrives from Mr. Gardiner: Lydia and Wickham have been found! They
 21

are not yet married, but will be, provided that Mr. Bennet pay Wickham a small amount every

year. Mr. Bennet says he strongly suspects that Mr. Gardiner has already paid Wickham much

more because Wickham would be a fool to take less for Lydia. The Bennets all agree that Lydia

and Wickham must marry, but Jane and Elizabeth wonder how they can ever repay Mr.

Gardiner.

Mr. Bennet has no choice. Since Lydia and Wickham are already living together, Lydia's

reputation is already tarnished. Marriage to Wickham will salvage enough of it to save the

other Bennet girls from the stain. Elizabeth and Jane convince Mr. Bennet, who wants nothing

to do with Lydia or Wickham, to let the new couple come home. When Lydia and Wickham

arrive at Longbourn, Lydia is giddy over her marriage, mocking her older sisters for failing to

get married before she did, besides Wickham acts as if he did nothing wrong. While gloating

about the details of her wedding, Lydia reveals to Elizabeth that Darcy attended the ceremony.

But Lydia quickly apologizes because it was supposed to be a secret. Elizabeth burns with

curiosity and writes to Mrs. Gardiner for more details, who answers with a letter detailing

how Darcy went to London, tracked down Wickham and stopped him from abandoning Lydia

and escaping to Europe, and then negotiated a deal with Wickham and presented it to Mr.

Gardiner. Darcy would pay and Mr. Gardiner would take all the credit. Soon after Wickham and

Lydia leave, Mrs. Bennet hears rumors that Bingley is returning to Netherfield.

Not long after, in fact, Bingley and Darcy visit the Bennets. Mrs. Bennet gives a warm welcome

to Bingley and almost none to Darcy. Mrs. Bennet reminds Bingley about having left the

neighborhood so suddenly, and reinvites Bingley and Darcy to dinner. The next morning,

Bingley comes again, and after Mrs. Bennet has emptied the room, Elizabeth sees Bingley and

Jane together by the fireside noticing that he has just proposed marriage.

Bingley tells Jane that he didn't know she was in London, and finally Jane realizes that Caroline

and Mrs. Hurst had worked against her, but she hopes they can repair their friendship.
 22

About a week later, Lady Catherine De Bourgh makes a surprise visit to Longbourn. She says

almost nothing to Mrs. Bennet and then asks Elizabeth to take a walk. Lady Catherine gets to

the point: she demands that she promise never to accept a proposal of marriage from Darcy.

Elizabeth unconditionally refuses and then Lady Catherine says that Darcy was always

intended for her daughter, Miss De Bourgh. And that Darcy's connection to the Bennets would

bring shame, dishonor, and alienation from his family. Elizabeth, deeply insulted, denies that

Lady Catherine's arguments have relevance for herself or Darcy, because they will make their

own choices.

Only days later, Darcy comes to Longbourn with Bingley. They all go for a walk and Elizabeth

and Darcy soon find themselves alone. Elizabeth cannot contain her gratitude any longer for

all that Darcy suffered and sacrificed for Lydia and he tells Elizabeth that he did everything for

her. Darcy says his feelings for her have not changed since his rejected proposal, and asks

about her feelings. Elizabeth confesses that her feelings have significantly changed therefore

Darcy is overwhelmed with happiness and he thanks Elizabeth for teaching him a lesson about

humility, while Elizabeth apologizes for treating him so roughly.

Later Darcy visits Mr. Bennet in private to ask his consent to marry Elizabeth, who is stunned

at the proposal, and wonders why Elizabeth would marry a man she hates. Elizabeth explains

everything, and Mr. Bennet happily gives his blessing.

Elizabeth writes to tell Mrs. Gardiner of her engagement, as does Darcy to Lady Catherine.

A year later, Jane and Bingley move into an estate near Elizabeth and Darcy at Pemberley. Mrs.

Bennet, extremely proud, visits them often together with Mr. Bennet, who misses his

daughters a lot. Kitty improves in character from spending time with her two older sisters.

Mary lives with her parents. Lydia writes to Elizabeth with congratulations and asks if Darcy

could pitch in some money for them. Elizabeth is annoyed, but sends them the money from her

own savings. Georgiana and Elizabeth get along wonderfully, just as Darcy had hoped. Lady
 23

Catherine eventually accepts the marriage and occasionally visits.

Elizabeth and Darcy remain on close terms with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, grateful for the

Gardiner's role in bringing them together.

SETTING OF PLACE AND TIME

Jane Austen does not tend to spend much time describing the setting or what the setting looks

like in Pride and Prejudice. Typically, her writing focuses more on conversation than

description. The settings act as more of a backdrop to the witty conversations, developing

romances, and social conventions on display in the novel. The exception to this is Mr. Darcy's

home, Pemberley. Austen spends more time describing the grounds, rooms, and decorations at

Pemberley than any other location.

The main settings in Pride and Prejudice are a series of homes and estates, including:

Longbourn, Netherfield Park, Rosings, and Pemberley. Longbourn is the Bennets' home,

Netherfield Park is the residence of Mr. Bingley, Rosings is Lady Catherine's estate, and

Pemberley is Mr. Darcy's estate.

 24

CHARACTERS

MISS ELIZABETH BENNET

Elizabeth is a talented and exceptionally intelligent young woman. Like Mary, she was able to

play the pianoforte and to sing.

Early in the novel, Elizabeth was depicted as being personally proud of her intelligence and

her ability to judge the true nature of others. Like her father, she delighted in the ridiculous,

but not to the same extreme extent that he did. As the novel progressed, she gradually came to

understand that first impressions were not always reliable, and that she herself was just as

vulnerable to being prideful and prejudiced as anyone else - after thoroughly reflecting over

Mr. Darcy's letter to her, she realised that her pride was subconsciously wounded by his slight

during their first meeting, which led her to be prejudiced against him, and that prejudice was

only strengthened by Mr. Wickham's so-called preference for her. Subsequently, Elizabeth

grew to be less judgmental and decisive of her initial opinions of others, and also tried to curb

her family's impropriety, which demonstrated her to be a woman who could admit her own

errors and attempt to rectify them. She often presents a playful, good-natured impertinence

that does not offend, but rather endears. In the novel, Elizabeth was described to be the

second most beautiful of the five Bennet sisters, with an attractive figure, intelligent features,

and beautiful expressive dark eyes that caught even Mr. Darcy's admiration

MR FITZWILIAM DARCY

Mr. Darcy is a wealthy gentleman with an income exceeding £10,000 a year, and the proprietor

of Pemberley, a large estate in Derbyshire, England. His manners drew the contempt of many

in Meryton as they perceived him as proud, sanctimonious and inconsiderate due to his status.

He is shown to be cold and aloof, with such a temperament being misconstrued as sheer
 25

arrogance. The narrator describes him as clever but also as "haughty, reserved, and fastidious,"

with manners that, "though well bred, were not inviting." This is shown to be only natural

reserve and a discomfort in company that makes him uneasy and defensive. Darcy struggles to

make new friends, which suggests that he is shy. He tells Elizabeth on their walk that he was

brought up to do the right thing, but not taught to humble. Due to his status and the fact that

he spent much of his childhood as an only child, his parents never taught him to control his

temper or his pride. This proves true, as his distant manner and apparent contempt for those

around him earned the disdain of Elizabeth and many others, particularly in light of the claims

of the charming George Wickham—that he was wronged by Darcy, however, it is eventually

revealed that these first impressions were erroneous: Darcy's seemingly arrogant character

masked a sincerely generous and upright nature, and it was Darcy, in fact, who was wronged

by Wickham, whose own character is revealed to be untrustworthy and duplicitous. As the

novel progresses, Darcy is eventually revealed to be generous, kind and unselfish, a caring

brother, a good friend - his impulsive interference between Jane and Bingley was motivated by

genuine concern for his friend rather than malice - and a scrupulous and extremely

honourable man who is protective of and self-sacrificing for those he cares about. Despite his

pride, he is willing, to an extent, to admit wrongdoing. And while he possesses ingenious

judgement, he is shown to not completely doubt the heart, especially his own. Darcy is

Austen's ideal upper class man, balancing power and compassion, community involvement

and dedication to family.

MISS JANE BENNET

Jane is close to her sister, Elizabeth, and the two sisters are each other's confidantes very

often. While manners and decorum keep Jane from revealing her true feelings in public, she

often reveals them to Lizzy while the two are alone. Lizzy, likewise, does the same, although
 26

she's not as reserved in her manner to society as Jane. Lizzy's fondness and loyalty to Jane is

what makes her reject Mr. Darcy when he first proposes to her, as she finds out Mr. Darcy

talked his friend, Mr. Bingley, out of a marriage with Jane. However, she chooses not to disclose

this to Jane later, as her opinion of Mr. Darcy has begun to change. When Elizabeth finds out

Mr. Darcy was responsible for finding Wickham and Lydia, and making them marry, she does

not initially confide to Jane, showing how her feelings are starting to change for Mr. Darcy. Jane

and Bingley's relationship, though also based on love, is different from that of Darcy and

Elizabeth. Their romance is a more traditional one, where the two develop an attraction

immediately, as opposed to Elizabeth initially disliking Darcy, while both couples also face

obstacles. The two different paths of the couples' romances show the society decorum, as well

as the challenges a love can face.

Through Jane Bennet, Jane Austen is able to satirise the role of women in courtship. During the

early 19th century, late 18th century Regency England, women were expected to employ

certain tactics cunningly in order to capture the eyes of rich, eligible men and as Charlotte

Lucas says 'in nine cases out of ten, a women better shew more affection than she feels to a

young man whom she has her eyes on'. Unfortunately for Jane, she is not able to achieve this

ideal, her shyness and generally docile nature leads Darcy to think her as indifferent to

Bingley and therefore, he advises Bingley not to marry her. Luckily for Jane, later on in the

novel, Darcy corrects his mistakes after being severely reprimanded by Elizabeth during his

“snobbish” proposal to her. Perhaps, Jane's successful marriage to Bingley by the end of the

novel may be Austen's way of suggesting that only those who do not behave overly superficial

and do not have utilitarian motives in mind when searching for marriage partners, but rather

only marry a person with the pure desire of leading a content and loving marriage with them,

will truly be able to achieve any happiness at all.

 27

Jane Bennet can also be seen as a character foil in this novel, next to her, Elizabeth's

headstrong and critical nature seems to be all the more apparent, Jane serves to highlight her

sister's admirable and unique qualities which are the reason for which Elizabeth is the heroine

of the novel. Jane is the most beautiful of the Bennet sisters, though she is never given a

physical description in the text.

In 1813, Jane Austen reported in a letter to her sister Cassandra that she had seen a portrait

very like Jane Bennet, writing "Mrs. Bingley’s is exactly herself-size, shaped face, features, and

sweetness; there never was a greater likeness. She is dressed in a white gown, with green

ornaments, which convinces me of what I had always supposed, that green was a favourite

colour with her." Many have identified the portrait of Mrs. Quentin by Jean François-Marie Huet-

Villiers as that painting. Jane is described by many as a "sweet girl."

The Portrait of Mrs. Quentin, Jean Francois-Marie Heut-Villiers

In contrast to her sister Lizzy, she is docile, soft-spoken and in every way lovely. She is

considered the perfect woman by her society, and when her separation from Bingley begins,

no one blames her in the least. She is unknowingly popular, and she is every bit as sensible as

her sister Elizabeth. She is kind, considerate, intelligent, beautiful, good with children. Jane
 28

sees the world through “rose-coloured” glasses. She sees the best in everybody and assumes

that everyone is acting out of the best motives. Even after Wickham elopes with her youngest

sister, she assumes that it was done out of love and with every intention of getting married.

She does change before the end of the novel, as she no longer considers Caroline Bingley a

friend for trying to separate Jane and Charles, and though she continues to treat Caroline

respectfully, she is not fooled by her behaviour. Although she feels things deeply, her manners

are described as reserved.

MISS LYDIA BENNET

Lydia is described as a strong, healthy, well-grown female, with a fine complexion and a good-

humored countenance. She also claims to be the tallest of the five sisters, though she is the

youngest. Lydia is bold, brash, reckless, and spoiled. She is also silly, flirtatious and girlish past

propriety, as Darcy points out to her sister. She runs off with Wickham while not caring about

the possible repercussions; social ruin of the entire family and destitution. Because she is just

like her mother in her manners, Lydia was over-indulged from infancy, as she was Mrs.

Bennet's favorite child, and her father neglected her. Mr. Bennet never taught her to restrain

herself as he should have, having retreated by then into his books, leaving his wife to the

management of their daughters. Even Elizabeth, her own second-oldest sister, views her as

"vain, ignorant, idle, and absolutely uncontrolled", as well as a 'determined flirt', which made

her, and even her family, an object of ridicule at times. In fact, Elizabeth believes that because

of her multitude of flaws, all Lydia has to recommend herself are her youth, her health, and her

good humor. Jane Austen, the author of the novel, also wrote that Lydia has "high animal

spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence" which has been strengthened into self-

assurance. It has been speculated that this is Jane Austen's way of pointing out the
characteristics of some of the naive debutantes in her era, and satirizing them.

29

MISS GEORGIANA DARCY

Despite a couple film portrayals which depict Georgiana with an almost Elizabeth-like

personality, the final chapter of Pride and Prejudice says that she is quite shocked by the way

Elizabeth speaks to Mr. Darcy, perhaps pointing towards a meeker personality; it was stated in

the novel itself that she was rather shy. Jane Austen claims that she was quite astonished to

learn that a wife may take liberties with her husband that a sister cannot always take with her

brother. All who meet her describe her as a "sweet girl" (except for George Wickham, who

claims she is as proud as her brother. It is safe to say that he is lying when he makes this

statement).

Miss Bingley writes in a letter to Jane Bennet that she doesn't think that Georgiana has "her

equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments". Miss Bingley also wants her brother to

marry Georgiana, stating that he already "admires her greatly". Lady Catherine, Georgiana's

aunt, praises her education and skill, specifically her ability to play the piano and Mr. Darcy

assures her that Georgiana doesn't need any encouragement to practice to more often,

because she already does so. He also seems quite proud of her, pointing to her being a studious

and charming girl.

Georgiana serves little purpose to the main plot of Pride and Prejudice, except to be an

example of George Wickham's bad character. In the letter Mr. Darcy writes to Elizabeth

Bennet after she refuses his offer of marriage is the revelation that Wickham attempted to

seduce his sister and cheat him out of a sum of money. Later on, Elizabeth and Georgiana meet

in Lambton, have a few scenes together at Pemberley, and Georgiana (for the most part) fades

out of the story.

 30

MISS CHARLOTTE LUCAS

Charlotte is Elizabeth's best friend, she has never been handsome, and is described as being

sensible and intelligent. She does not consider herself a romantic, marrying a man (Mr.

Collins), whom she does not love or respect because she does not wish to become an old maid,

and because he is the first man to show an interest in marrying her. After her marriage, she

makes the best of things, arranging her household to avoid spending much time with her

husband, and pretending not to hear his more cringe-worthy comments.

LADY CATHRINE DE BROUGHT

Lady Catherine is haughty, pompous, domineering, and condescending. Her wealth and station

allow her to be rude to people she considers beneath her, with little consequences, especially

seen in her interrogation of Elizabeth Bennet while at Rosings Park. Because of her social

class, she expects people to follow her like sycophants, which is presumably why she enjoys

the company of William Collins so much. Mr. Collins encourages these characteristics by

deferring to her in every aspect. Elizabeth treats her with respect but is not intimidated. To

Lady Catherine's shock, Elizabeth chooses not to answer one of her ruder questions. It's also

important to note that her behavior is not necessarily exemplary of the aristocracy, and she

was intentionally made to be uncouth and rude.

She also believes her advice to be most exceptional, and that anyone and everyone should be

obliged, and grateful, to take it.

Lady Catherine is a tall, large woman whose strong features suggested that she had been a

beauty in her youth. Lady Catherine has more pride than anyone in the book. She is also

friendless and can only interact by commanding people.

MISS CAROLINE BINGLAY

Caroline was described to be a rather handsome young woman, with an elegant figure and an

31

easy gait. Caroline and her sister, Louisa, shared numerous similarities in terms of personality:

both were proud, conceited, and had a habit of spending more money than they ought to. They

also love to associate with people of rank, and were particularly selective about whom they

displayed their agreeable and humorous side to. Caroline, in particular, is selfish, hypocritical,

and two-faced, all negative qualities of which was fueled by her desire to win Mr. Darcy as her

husband. She starts off professing a great friendliness for Jane Bennet, but later conspired

with Louisa and Darcy to separate Jane and Charles when it became increasingly evident that

her brother was truly in love with Jane and desired to marry her (she wanted her brother to

marry Georgiana, Darcy's sister, instead, hoping that a match between Charles and Georgiana

will make a match between herself and Darcy more likely). One of the reasons why she looked

down on the Bennets was their connections to trade, which was, ironically, also the very

source of her own family's wealth. However, Caroline was still somewhat of a realist: though

she was deeply mortified by Darcy's and Elizabeth's marriage, she was intelligent enough to

accept that her initial cause was irrevocably lost, and she subsequently made amends for her

previous rudeness towards Elizabeth (the new mistress of Pemberley) in order to retain what

social benefits she could profit from an amiable association with the Darcy family. When

Elizabeth leaves again, Caroline accuses her of using mean tactics to raise her own status.

Ironic, because that's actually what Caroline is doing. Caroline wants Darcy, and puts down

others to elevate herself in his eyes.

MRS BENNET

Mrs. Bennet's age is unknown, but at the beginning of the novel, she has been married for
twenty-three years and her excitement at having her youngest married at sixteen indicates

that she was probably older than sixteen when she married. She cannot have been too much

older than sixteen at the time, however, because her youth and high spirits were what

32

attracted Mr. Bennet to her.

She was quite beautiful in her youth and possibly still is. Mrs. Bennet is described as "a woman

of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper" who fancies herself nervous

when she is discontented. She openly favors Jane and Lydia over her other daughters because

of their beauty and Lydia's high spirits. Her sole purpose in life is marry off her daughters to

wealthy men, and when unsuccessful, she consoles herself with visiting their neighbors and

gossiping. Mrs. Bennet's attitude toward Darcy and Bingley is already fixed, showing how

strong prejudices can be once formed. Mrs. Bennet doesn't really care about Elizabeth's

happiness. She treats her daughters like chess pieces in a match-making game.

MISS CATHERINE BENNET

During the course of the novel, Kitty was confirmed to be one of the sources of embarrassment

for the Bennet family. Though she is two years older than Lydia, she was completely under her

youngest sister's guidance, and was considered weak-spirited and irritable. Together, Kitty

and Lydia were described to be "ignorant, idle, and vain".

Kitty was not considered as wild and ungovernable as Lydia. Her eldest sisters, Elizabeth and

Jane, tried to advise her, but she protested and stopped listening. However, after Lydia's

elopement, and both Jane and Elizabeth's marriages, Kitty's personality improved drastically.

No longer under Lydia's influence, and with the proper attention and management of her

oldest sisters, Kitty was said to become "less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid.”

MRS GARDINER
Mrs. Gardiner is an intelligent, amiable, sensible, elegant, and generous woman. She is also a

33

good listener whose discretion can typically be counted on and an excellent source of good

advice. Mrs. Gardiner takes the place of Mrs. Bennet in soothing and restoring the family. She

represents a stronger, sympathetic, and more sensible mother figure for the girls. Her age is

never stated, but she is several years younger than her sisters-in-law Mrs. Bennet and Mrs.

Phillips.

MR BENNET

Mr. Bennet is best known for his sarcastic wit, often sharpened on his family members

(particularly his wife). He appears happiest when left alone and will typically choose the path

of least resistance, without consideration of the consequences. While his love of independence

has kept his family out of debt, he has not bothered to make any plans or provisions for them

after his death, at first this was because he intended to have a son who would take

responsibility for Mrs. Bennet and any other children and later this was due to habit. Mr.

Bennet deeply respects his daughter's intelligence. They share an ability to perceive the

absurdity in the world.

MR COLLINS

Mr. Collins is best described by Elizabeth, as "conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly".

Mr Collins is man of the church, yet he seems more concerned with his patron, Lady Catherine

de Bourgh, than God. Mr. Collins is ridiculous and insensible. The narrator describes him as "a

mixture or pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility." He tends to be very

impressed with himself and his own ideas and rather obtuse or inconsiderate of the feelings of
others, with the exception of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh of course. To most

people of rank or title he is a fawning toady, to speak bluntly, behaving been taught that

connections are everything in his childhood.

34

He is obviously a social climber, easily impressed by a title. This leads him to be easily

manipulated by Lady Catherine.

Jane Austen weaves a humorous and cringe-worthy character in Mr. Collins. His marriage is

used to contrast against the marriages of Darcy and Elizabeth and Bingley and Jane, which

were done for love. Mr. Collins is an important character in the story. He represents the

eventual loss of Longbourn for the Bennet family, and the need for the Bennet sisters to marry

as high up as they can, so they will be able to care for their unmarried sisters and widowed

mother.

MR WICKHAM

Wickham is a handsome man with "a fine countenance, a good figure, and very pleasing

address." Wickham is a very charming man, an excellent conversationalist and possesses a gift

for making friends. Unfortunately, he is also an immoral, extravagant liar who has no problem

with using (or ruining) other people in order accomplish his own ends. He tends to live in the

moment without giving much thought to the future and has by so doing thrown away many of

the advantages that he was given due to old Mr. Darcy's patronage. Until his marriage to Lydia,

his overall plan in life was to marry an heiress. He is not happy with his marriage. Wickham is

a master of first impressions. As such, he tests Elizabeth's belief that she can see through lies

and falseness to uncover the truth in things. Wickham turns out to be a classic example of a

corrupt, directionless opportunist.

 35

THEMES

PRIDE

As Mary says in Chapter 5, "human nature is particularly prone to pride”. Pride prevents the

characters from seeing the truth of a situation. Most notably, it is one of the two primary

barriers in the way of a union between Elizabeth and Darcy. Darcy's pride in his social position

leads him to scorn anyone outside of his own social circle. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's pride in her

powers of discernment cloud her judgment. Outside of Elizabeth and Darcy, however, Austen

seems pessimistic about the human ability to conquer this character flaw. A slew of secondary

characters, like Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, and Caroline Bingley, remain deluded

by personal pride throughout the novel. Pride is a constant presence in the characters'

attitudes and treatment of each other, coloring their judgments and leading them to make rash

mistakes. Pride blinds Elizabeth and Darcy to their true feelings about each other. Darcy's

pride about his social rank makes him look down on anyone not in his immediate circle.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she

refuses to revise her opinion even in the face of clearly contradictory evidence. This is why she

despises the good-hearted Darcy for so long, but initially admires the lying Wickham. Yet while

Pride and Prejudice implies that no one is ever completely free of pride, it makes it clear that

with the proper moral upbringing one may overcome it to lead a life of decency and kindness.

In the end, the two lovers are able to overcome their pride by helping each other to see their
respective blind spots. Darcy sheds his snobbery, while Elizabeth learns not to place too much

weight on her own judgments. When Pride gets out of hand, it gets in the way of the

characters’ happiness. Thus, the novel suggests that an excess of pride is costly.

“His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and

36

everybody hoped that he would never come there again. “ Chapter 3, Pride and Prejudice

PREJUDICE

In Pride and Prejudice one cannot equate Darcy with Pride, or Elizabeth with Prejudice;

Darcy's pride of place is founded on social prejudice, while Elizabeth's initial prejudice against

him is rooted in pride of her own quick perceptions. Because Elizabeth is set in her own

prejudice, she interprets everything against Darcy and blames him for everything. Surely, both

characters' egos drive them towards personal prejudice. Darcy has been taught to scorn

anyone outside his own social circle and must overcome his prejudice in order to endear

himself to Elizabeth. Similarly, Elizabeth's excessive pride in her discernment leads her write

Darcy off too quickly. Ultimately, they find happiness by recognizing the barriers that prejudice

creates.

Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another

based on preconceptions, rather than on who they really are and what they actually do. As the

book's title implies, prejudice goes hand in hand with pride, often leading its heroine and hero

into making wrong assumptions about motives and behavior. Austen's gentle way of mocking

Elizabeth's and Darcy's biases gives the impression that such mistakes could, and indeed do,

happen to anyone; that faulting someone else for prejudice is easy while recognizing it in

yourself is hard. Prejudice in the novel is presented as a stage in a person's moral

development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion. Austen only
condemns those people who refuse to set aside their prejudices, like the class-obsessed Lady

Catherine and the scheming social climber Caroline. Though Pride and Prejudice is a social

novel, it offers a powerful illustration of the damaging effects to people and to society that

prejudice can inflict.

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“When Mr. Wickham walked into the room, Elizabeth felt that she had neither been seeing him

before, nor thinking of him since, with the smallest degree of unreasonable admiration. The

officers of the —shire were in general a very creditable, gentlemanlike set, and the best of them

were of the present party; but Mr. Wickham was as far beyond them all in person, countenance,

air, and walk.” Chapter 16, Pride and Prejudice

LOVE

As one might expect from a romantic novel, love is a central theme to Pride and Prejudice. In

particular, the novel focuses on the different ways love may grow or disappear, and whether or

not society has room for romantic love and marriage to go together. We see love at first sight

(Jane and Bingley), love that grows (Elizabeth and Darcy), and infatuation that fades (Lydia

and Wickham) or has faded (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet). Throughout the story, it becomes apparent

that the novel is arguing that love based on genuine compatibility is the ideal. Marriages of

convenience are presented in a negative light: Charlotte marries the obnoxious Mr. Collins out

of economic pragmatism and admits as much, while Lady Catherine’s imperious attempts at

forcing her nephew Darcy to marry her daughter to consolidate estates are presented as

outdated, unfair, and, ultimately, an unsuccessful power grab. Ultimately, the novel is a strong

recommendation of love as a basis for marriage, something that was not always the case in its

era.

It is really important to underline that there are many forms of love in this novel; in fact, for
Elizabeth, there is also the familiar love which is as important as Darcy's love. Elizabeth has a

strong and touching relationship with her father and her sister Jane; they are, in fact, the most

important people in her life because they always support her and they seem to share her

feelings and thoughts everytime she asks them their opinion.

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FAMILY

Austen portrays the family unit as primarily responsible for the intellectual and moral

education of children. Throughout the novel, the younger characters either benefit from or

suffer from their family values. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's failure to provide their daughters with a

proper education leads to Lydia's utter foolishness and immorality. Elizabeth and Jane manage

to develop virtue and discernment in spite of their parents' negligence, though it is notable

that they have other role models (like the Gardiners). Darcy shares his father's aristocratic

nature and tendency towards generosity, while Lady Catherine's formidable parenting style

has rendered her daughter too frightened to speak.

“Compared with some families, I believe we were neglected; but such of us as wished to

learn, never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had all the

masters that were necessary.” Chapter 29, Pride and Prejudice

ROLE OF WOMAN IN SOCIETY

Austen is certainly critical of the gender injustices present in 19th century English society,

particularly as perpetrated by the institution of marriage. In Pride and Prejudice, many

women (such as Charlotte) must marry solely for the sake of financial security. However, in

her portrayal of Elizabeth, Austen shows that women are just as intelligent and capable as

their male counterparts. Jane Austen herself went against convention by remaining single and

earning a living through her novels. In her personal letters, Austen advised friends only to
marry for love. In the novel, Elizabeth's happy ending reveals Austen's beliefs that woman has

the right to remain independent even if she meets the right man.

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CLASS

Class issues are everywhere in Pride and Prejudice. While the novel never posits an egalitarian

ideology nor supports the leveling of all social classes, it does criticize an over-emphasis on

class, especially in terms of judging a person's character. In fact, the novel accepts Elizabeth's

view that the trappings of wealth are not a virtue in and of themselves. Darcy's initial pride is

based on his extreme class-consciousness, but he eventually comes to accept Elizabeth's

perspective, most notably evidenced through his admiration of the Gardiners. Likewise, he

joins Elizabeth in rejecting the upper-class characters who are idle, mean-spirited, closed-

minded, like Lady Catherine and Bingley's sisters. To contrast them, Austen offers more

positive examples in Bingley and the Gardiners. Bingley is someone from the upper class who

wears his position lightly and gallantly. The Gardiners represent the honest, generous, and

industrious middle class and are examples of how to be wealthy without being pretentious.

The marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth shows that class restrictions, while rigid, do not

determine one's character, and that love can overcome all obstacles, including class.

INDIVIDUALITY AND SOCIETY: the importance of Reputation

In Pride and Prejudice, Austen portrays a world in which society is actively involved in the

private lives of individuals. Characters often face questions about their responsibility to the

world around them. A prime example is Darcy's guilt for not having publicly shamed Wickham

before he was able to elope with Lydia. After all, Lydia's sin threatens to besmirch not only her
family, but the community at large. And yet Austen seems quite well aware of how easily

public opinion can change, as evidenced by the town's easily shifting opinions on Wickham. In

a social world that so values reputations, Jane and Elizabeth make the same choice that Darcy

did to keep quiet about Wickham. It's ironic that their silence about past scandal will only

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create more scandal in the future.

While Lydia's running off to marry without permission is a scandal, the major threat is to

Lydia herself: society placed a huge importance on a woman's chastity before marriage. An

unmarried couple living together for any length of time was considered immoral. Lydia's

reputation would be ruined and would taint the rest of her family's reputation as well.

Elizabeth knows from Darcy's story that Wickham has no morals and is therefore capable of

anything. Only marrying him can save Lydia's reputation, and that of her entire family.

Another important concept which well-describes the society is the fact that Dancing is the

closest thing to intimate physical contact allowed between unmarried people Balls are among

the few socially acceptable venues for mingling between the sexes. There the locals make

character judgments based on appearances and first impressions.

MARRIAGE

Pride and Prejudice is a love story, but its author is also concerned with pointing out the

inequality that governs the relationships between men and women and how it affects

women's choices and options regarding marriage. Austen portrays a world in which choices

for individuals are very limited, based almost exclusively on a family's social rank and

connections. To be born a woman into such a world means having even less choice about

whom to marry. The way that society controls and weakens women helps to explain in part

Mrs. Bennet's hysteria about marrying off her daughters, and why such marriages must
always involve practical, financial considerations. As members of the upper class, the Bennet

sisters are not expected to work or make a career for themselves. Yet as women they are not

allowed to inherit anything. As a result, marriage is basically their only option for attaining

wealth and social standing. Austen is also critical of women who marry solely for security, like

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Charlotte. The ideal for her is represented by Elizabeth, who refuses to trade her

independence for financial comfort and in the end marries for love.

VIRTUE

Austen's novels unite Aristotelian and Christian conceptions of virtue. She sees human life as

purposeful and believes that human beings must guide their appetites and desires through

their use of reason. For instance, Elizabeth almost loses her chance at happiness because her

vanity overcomes her pragmatism. Lydia's lack of virtue is linked with her inability to control

her passion and desire

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SYMBOLS

THE HOUSES

The houses and estates in Pride and Prejudice symbolize social classes. The bigger the house

is , the higher the social status of the occupants is. More significantly, however, the houses

come to represent their owners. Since readers learn more in Pride and Prejudice through

dialogue than description, the parallels between characters and their houses are revealed as

other characters react to the homes. For example, the grandeur of Rosings leads visitors to

become awestruck; it induces a sense of inferiority in the viewer. The owner of Rosings, Lady

Catherine de Bourgh, elicits the same emotions with her haughty and untouchable attitude.

NATURE

For the heroine of Pride and Prejudice, nature is a clear symbol of freedom. Elizabeth Bennet

is never happier than when she can enjoy the outdoors, especially when she is alone. Elizabeth

treasures her walks in nature, away from the constraints of society. The garden paths of the

great estates she visits is where she finds peace.

LETTERS

Letters are an important motif in the novel. Not only are they the sole method of long-distance

communication for the main characters, but they also serve to advance the novel's plot and

characterizations. For example, Mr. Collins's letter announcing his planned visit to the Bennets
shows his pomposity. Mr. Darcy's letter to Elizabeth explains why he separated Jane and Mr.

Bingley and illuminates the reasons for his past behavior toward Wickham; this knowledge

greatly improves Elizabeth's and the reader's understanding of his character.

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JOURNEYS

The idea of a journey implies change and a seeking of something new. As characters in the

novel venture out of their familiar settings, they reveal more about themselves and move the

plot forward. For example, the novel opens with Charles Bingley's move into the

neighborhood. His arrival in a new place sets the stage for the action to come.

SOCIAL CLASS

Social constraints imposed by the class structure are evident throughout the novel. People

know their place in society. The Bennets are members of the gentry, or landowning class, but

they are not very wealthy and have "low" relatives engaged in trade. They may socialize with

the wealthy Bingleys and the aristocratic Darcy family, but class distinctions still govern every

interaction with those characters. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a good example of a character

who puts people in their places. At the end of the novel, she calls on Elizabeth and self-

assuredly expresses her expectation that Elizabeth will keep to her class and not marry Darcy.

"If you were sensible of your own good," Lady Catherine says, "you would not wish to quit the

sphere, in which you have been brought up”. Darcy, acutely conscious of the "distinctions of

rank," is well aware of the implied prohibition on marrying below his social class. Yet the

power of his love for Elizabeth, and his recognition of her value as an intellectual and

emotional equal, overcomes his initial adherence to class distinctions.

REPUTATION
In Pride and Prejudice, the importance of reputation, especially a woman's reputation, is

woven through the novel. Early in the story, Elizabeth makes her way to Netherfield, where

her sister Jane has taken ill while visiting the Bingleys. The three-mile walk takes her through

muddy terrain. Upon her arrival, Caroline Bingley views Elizabeth's muddy skirts with disdain,

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expressing no empathy or admiration for Elizabeth's sisterly devotion. When Lydia and George

Wickham elope, the Bennets are nearly hysterical about Lydia's potential disgrace and how it

may damage the family's reputation and the other daughters' marriage prospects. Mr. Collins

writes to recommend that they disown Lydia and consider her dead. Even after the problem is

remedied and the couple has been legitimized through marriage, Mr. Bennet has to be

convinced to admit the couple to his home. The marriage will always be tainted by scandal

because it is generally known that Lydia and Wickham lived together for two weeks before

marrying. Darcy orchestrates George Wickham's marriage to Lydia, providing him with an

income and setting him up in a new military posting to ensure that Lydia's reputation is saved.

It is an act that proves his love for Elizabeth, as it shields the Bennets from further social

ostracism. His drastic steps to save Lydia's reputation emphasizes the importance society

places on a woman's reputation. If Elizabeth's family is ruined by her sister's actions, Darcy

can never hope to marry Elizabeth.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

At the center of Pride and Prejudice is the love story between Elizabeth and Darcy. But this is

not a "love at first sight" romance. Their initial encounter produces mutually negative

impressions. The tension that builds as their relationship evolves creates the energy that fuels

the plot, building suspense toward what readers hope will be a happy ending.

The road to love is littered with misunderstandings and complications. Darcy, first finding

Elizabeth's looks only "barely tolerable," becomes increasingly drawn to her liveliness and wit,
even as his pride makes him feel that the attraction is beneath him. His cringe-worthy

proposal only hardens Elizabeth's initial impression of his snobbery and coldness, an

impression she mistakenly allows Wickham to foster. Darcy overcomes his pride, accepting

Elizabeth as she is, despite the fact that her family is not wealthy and often not even

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respectable. Elizabeth, for her part, must also swallow the pride she takes in her judgment of

people's characters, for she eventually realizes that Darcy's pride is based more on honor than

class, his reserve is more natural seriousness than snobbery, and what he lacks in charm he

makes up for in sincerity. Ultimately, the two realize that their complementary parts create a

perfect whole. Three couples in the novel have the luxury of marrying for love. In addition to

Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley and the Gardiners make or have love-based marriages.

Other couples present a different view of love and marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's marriage

was brought about by an initial attraction that soon faded. Lydia and Wickham's marriage,

founded on sexual attraction, is surely destined for the same fate. Charlotte's marriage to

Collins is based on convenience she needs a husband, and he, a wife. Austen does show in both

characters that such a marriage may have some consolations, however. Charlotte has the

satisfaction of running her own household, something that would not have been possible if

she had stayed in her family's home, unmarried. Mr. Collins's goal in marriage seems to have

been finding a respectable mate to please Lady Catherine, and he has achieved that goal.
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STYLE

The undisputed master of the novel of manners, Jane Austen owes much to the 18 th centuary

novelists from whom she learnt the insight into the psycology of the characters and the

subtleties of the ordinary events of life. From Fielding in particular, she derived the omniscient

narrator and the technique of bringing the character into existence through dialogue. Her style

was also characterised by the use of irony rather than open interpretations or comments on

the actions. Unlike the Augustan writers, she restricted her view to the world of the country

gentry which she knew best. Pride and prejudice comes alive for the reader in the vividness of

character and the brightness of dialogue, two dramatic features which have made the novel

easily adaptable for stage and screen. Besides,all the major characters in the novel grow and

change; for example, after her experiences in London, even Jane starts to admit that people

can have cruel and deceitful intentions. The narration of events is balanced by passages of

reflection and by letters. The epistolary technique is used more frequently in the later

chapters when the characters have been fully outlined and the scope of the novel has

expanded beyond the small world of Longbourn.

A large proportion of nouns in Austen's prose deal with abstractions and generalities, with

ideas and feelings. Open any page and abstract nouns are almost everywhere: astonishment,

pride, sense, judgement, hope, etc...

Moreover, the style is very realistic and traces characters' personalities and their social class.

In addition what is totally not present are abbreviations, but on the other hand the book is
composed of a lot of accurate descriptions, letters to explain the story and monologues that

are able to show the psychology of characters.

Irony is much employed as a technique in relation to the characters, who are trapped in a

double perspective: they do not know that things are not the way they seem, while the reader

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does. Jane Austen uses third-person narration and positions herself close to the mind and

consciousness of one character, mainly elizabeth, and presents the action from her point of

view. The first-person narrative also plays a part in the novel by means of the many letters.

Furthermore, there are passages of dialogue, often quoted directly, without the mediation of

the narrator.

In conclusion, we have noticed the presence of references to classics, for example there is a

reference to Horace and his idea of “metriotes” in chapter 47, when Mr. Gardiner tries to

support his sister Mrs. Bennet, who was stressed because of the elopment of her daughter

Lydia:

“But Mr. Gardiner, though he assured her again of his earnest endeavours in the cause, could not

avoid recommending moderation to her, as well in her hopes as her fears...” Chapter 47

This concept is present also in the Carmina written by Horace, where he suggests that people

should live with metriotes (the just mean) and autarkeia (the wise man's self-sufficiency); this

ideal of the just mean allows Horace to explain the epicurean philophy. To explain this concept

Horace uses a metaphor, in which he links the behaviour of people to the sea: in fact he says

that when a person is in danger, he shouldn't search for the shore immediately, but he has to

maintain his temperance, and also when a person is not in danger, he shouldn't plunge into the

deepest sea, but he should always pay attention in every situation.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Collins Classics, London, 2010

Jane Austen, Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, Crescere Edizioni, Milano, 2018

Diotti e Signoracci, Narrant, SeiEditrice, Torino, 2016

Letters written to Cassandra Austen

A Companion to Jane Austen. Claudia L. Johnson. and Clara Tuite (eds)

https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Pride-and-Prejudice/symbols/ Elizabeth Bennet | The Jane

Austen Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia SparkNotes: Pride and Prejudice: Plot Overview

Category:Female characters (Pride and Prejudice) | The Jane Austen Wiki | FANDOM powered

by Wikia

https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/node/1765
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