Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Fiction/Satire
Written in: 1813
Setting: 19th Century Rural England
Summary :
In the novel Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the story, learns about the consequences of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the distinction between superficial and actual goodness.
Mr. Bennet, the owner of the Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire, has five daughters, but his estate is entailed and can only be inherited by a male heir. Therefore, his family faces dire conditions upon his death; and at least one of the daughters must be engaged in a good marriage in order to support the others, which is a motivation that drives the plot.
Characters:
ELIZABETH
"Is not general incivility the very essence of love?"
The second daughter in the Bennet family, Elizabeth is lovely, clever, and converses as brilliantly as anyone. Her honesty, virtue, and lively wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society.
Elizabeth's sharp tongue and tendency to make hasty judgments often lead her astray. Nevertheless, as the story progresses, she overcomes her own mistaken impressions of Darcy.
MR. DARCY
“Nothing is more deceitful...than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.”
The son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley, Darcy is Elizabeth’s male counterpart. Intelligent and forthright, Darcy has a tendency to judge too hastily and harshly, and his high birth and wealth make him overly proud and overly conscious of his social status.
However, Elizabeth's rejection of his advances builds a kind of humility in Darcy. Darcy demonstrates his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her low connections. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth, and she ends up repenting her earlier, overly harsh judgment of him.
Themes:
MARRIAGE
Men and women’s obligation and social status tied with marriage: Must a “single man in possession of a good fortune” always be in want of a wife?
CLASS
Class consciousness between the middle and upper class determines marriage, interaction, and reputation between characters.
Key Points
:
Austen adeptly pokes fun at people chasing social recognition and obsessing about marriage with her intricate and witty writing.
