Pride and prejudice

By Jane Austen
Lipovanu Ionela
Iancu Madalina
 Pride and PrejudiceisanovelofmannersbyJaneAusten,firstpublished
in1813.ThestoryfollowsthemaincharacterElizabethBennetasshedeals
withissuesofmanners,upbringing,morality,education,andmarriageinthe
societyofthelandedgentryofearly19th-centuryEngland.Elizabethisthe
secondoffivedaughtersofacountrygentlemanlivingnearthefictional
townofMerytoninHertfordshire,nearLondon.
Thoughthestoryissetattheturnofthe19thcentury,itretainsafascination
formodernreaders,continuingnearthetopoflistsof"mostlovedbooks".It
hasbecomeoneofthemostpopularnovelsinEnglishliteratureand
receivesconsiderableattentionfromliteraryscholars.Moderninterestinthe
bookhasresultedinanumberofdramaticadaptationsandanabundance
ofnovelsandstoriesimitatingAusten'smemorablecharactersorthemes.To
date,thebookhassoldsome20millioncopiesworldwide.
 Summary
PrideandPrejudicebyJaneAustentellsustheheart-warmingstoryofgettingthe
manofyourdreamsandallthetroublesthatareconnectedwithit.
TheBennettfamilyarelivingacalmandquietlifeinLongbourn.Buttempersare
risinghighwhennewsentersthehousethatacertainMr.Bingley,ayoungmanof
goodfortune,isgoingtobecometheirneighbour.WhatachanceforsillyMrs.
Bennetttogetoneofherfivedaughtersmarried!Willitbehereldest,thebeautiful
andcharmingJane,whogetsallofMr.Bingleysattention?Orisitgoingtobeher
lessbeautiful,butverysensibleandwittysisterElizabeth,whowillmakethebig
match?
WiththearrivalofMr.Bingley,hisproudandmysteriousfriendMr.Darcy,and,laterin
thestory,clergymanMr.CollinsandOfficerMr.Wickham,Mrs.Bennettfindsherself
surroundedbypossiblematchesforherdaughters.Withembarrassingsimple-
mindednessandnotexactlysubtleadvancesshetriesherbesttogetthosemens
attentionforherdaughters.AndexceptMr.Collins,shesucceedsinhavingeachof
themmarriedtooneofherdaughtersbytheend
ofthestory:Mr.BingleyfindshimselfattachedtoJane,
whileMr.Darcyturnsouttobetheperfecthusbandfor
Elizabeth,andMr.Wickham,thevillainofthestory,
finallyhastosettleforLydia,theyoungestofthegirls.
 Mr.Collins,anunintentionallyfunnypastorandacousinofMr.Bennetts,whoisto
inherittheBennettestateafterthedeathofMr.Bennett,firstlyseesitashisdutyto
proposetooneoftheBennettgirls.ButafterbeingrejectedbyElizabeth,hefinally
turnshiseyesonhergoodfriendCharlotteLucas,andmarriesherinstead.
LookingatJane,itseemspredictablethatsheisgoingtohavetheleasttroublewith
herman,becauseMr.Bingleyimmediatelyfallsinlovewithher,andshe,too,isvery
fondofhim.Butduetohermotherssillinessandstupidity,andunfortunatelyalsoto
Janesreservation,Mr.Darcygetstheimpressionthathisdearfriendisonlybeing
likedforhismoney,andthatJanesonlyinterestistobemarriedtoawealthyman.
Forthisreason,hegiveshisfriendtheadvicetoleaveher.Mr.Bingleyfollowsthis
advice,andJaneremainsheartbroken.Butduetofortunatecircumstancesandthe
interventionofMr.Darcyhimself,theyfinallygettogether.
TalkingaboutMr.Darcy,thereseemstobenothingthatheandElizabethhavein
commonatthebeginningofthestory:Shehasanuncomplicated,funnyandwitty
nature;heisrathersnobbish,proudandreserved.Almosteachtimetheymeet,
thingsendupinaquarrel,andElizabethhatesandteaseshimfrankly.Buthereyes
openwhenMr.Wickham,theformercentreofheradmiration,turnsouttobealiar,
andshehastoadmitthatshehaddoneinjusticetoMr.Darcy,whoiswillingtoforgive
her.Theyfinallygetmarriedandlivehappilyeverafter.

 Themes
Love
Pride and PrejudicecontainsoneofthemostcherishedlovestoriesinEnglish
literature:thecourtshipbetweenDarcyandElizabeth.Asinanygoodlove
story,theloversmusteludeandovercomenumerousstumblingblocks,
beginningwiththetensionscausedbytheloversownpersonalqualities.
Elizabethspridemakesher
misjudgeDarcyonthebasisofapoor
firstimpression,whileDarcysprejudice
againstElizabethspoorsocialstanding
blindshim,foratime,tohermanyvirtues.
(Ofcourse,onecouldalsosaythatElizabeth
isguiltyofprejudiceandDarcyofpride
thetitlecutsbothways.)
 Reputation
Pride and Prejudicedepictsasocietyinwhicha
womansreputationisoftheutmostimportance.
Awomanisexpectedtobehaveincertainways.
Steppingoutsidethesocialnormsmakesher
vulnerabletoostracism.Thisthemeappearsin
thenovel,whenElizabethwalkstoNetherfield
andarriveswithmuddyskirts,totheshockofthe
reputation-consciousMissBingleyandher
friends.Atotherpoints,theill-mannered,
ridiculousbehaviorofMrs.Bennetgiveshera
badreputationwiththemorerefined(and
snobbish)DarcysandBingleys.
 Itisthissubtletythatmakesthebookhighlyenjoyable,althoughonecantreallyimaginehowit
musthavebeentoliveinasocietywhichwassostrictlybasedonrulesandbehaviourpatterns.
Itisobvious,thatsocialprestigewasaveryimportantvalueatthetimewhenthestoryissetand
thereadergetsafascinatinginsightintoawayofbehavingandlivingthatissomuchruledby
conventions.Beingaverycriticalobserver,JaneAusten,too,iswellawareofthosenegative
aspects,andhasfoundawaytoshowthemthroughcharacterslikeclergymanMr.Collinsorhis
patronessLadyCatherinedeBourgh.Interestingly,Austen,astheomniscientnarrator,never
judgesthem,butwouldalwaysletthemunmaskthemselvesbyself-exposure.Wecangenerally
saythatMissAustenhascreatedcharacterswithaneyefordetails.Theyarebelievable,withall
ofthemhavingdifferenttraitsofcharacterandideals,butseldompredictable.
WhatalsoarguesinfavourreadingPrideandPrejudiceisthefactthattheproblemsthe
charactershavetofacehaventquitechangedoverthecenturies.Loveandfriendship,
misunderstandingandintrigues,dreammenandvillains:Thesearetheeverlastingimmortal
topicsthatoneisalwayswillingtoreadabout.Forthisreason,thebookwillnevergetboring,
althoughthereisntalotofactioninit:Noexplosions,fights,deathsoranythingofthatkind
interruptthe
calmnessofthestory.Therefore,itisevenmore
astonishing,thatAustensucceedsinkeepingthe
readersattentionandanxietyoverwhetherElizabeth
andMr.Darcywillfinallyfindtogetherornot.

 Nowadays
Lookingatmarriagewithapresent-dayeye,mostlywhen
consideringdivorcestatistics(everysecondmarriagegets
divorced),itishardtosaywhethermarryingisstillthebestwayfor
peopleofoppositegendertospendtheirlivestogether.Butwhatis
itinstead?Isitidealismforsometraditionallythinkingpeople,who
dreamofalittlehousewithawhitefence,twochildren,adoganda
lovelywife,whowouldbakeacakeeveryonceinawhile?Orisit
ratheranofficialstatementforbrideandgroomthattheytaketheir
relationseriously?Canwesaythatitisahypedandmagnified
ceremonythatlostitsmeaninglongago,orisitstilltheavowalin
frontofGodandthecommunitythatitusedtobe?Hasthereligious
meaningofmarriagebecomeaminorpoint?And,lastbutnotleast,
ismarriagefashionableordated?