Pride and Prejudice

Analysis of the main characters found in Pride and Prejudice:

Elizabeth Bennet:

The protagonist of the novel, is portrayed as an independent and innovative woman of her time. She is the second eldest of the five Bennet sisters and shares a close relationship with her older sister Jane. Favored by her father, Elizabeth is seen as her mother’s least favorite. This comes as no surprise as Mrs. Bennet is extremely superficial and self-absorbed, the polar opposite of Elizabeth. Her younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, are equally repulsive, shamelessly flirtatious with men of the local military outpost. Though very dedicated to her family, Elizabeth is often humiliated by their personalities.

A central theme within the novel is Elizabeth’s limitation for marriage resulting from her family’s social status. Elizabeth’s mother throws a fit when her predetermined plans to wealthily wed each of her daughters clashes with Elizabeth’s personal creed to marry for love, regardless of material wealth. One such example is when Elizabeth is proposed to by her imbecilic cousin, Mr. Collins. According to inheritance mandates of nineteenth century England, Mr. Collins is entitled to the family’s entire estate upon Mr. Bennet’s death. Elizabeth, however, does not love him nor ever could. She is often regarded as being too stubborn, socially rebellious, and judgmental, viewing those who do not share her same beliefs concerning marriage in a condescending light. This proves true when Elizabeth’s dear friend, Charlotte Lucas, in turn marries the spurned Mr. Collins solely for financial security. Elizabeth disapproves of her friend’s shallow and conformist decision, causing her to so eagerly court and proceed to marry him.

Just as she possesses critical opinions about select others, so too do others reciprocate the criticism and judgment for her. When faced with opposition, Elizabeth’s quick and fiery tongue often gets the better of her.A key event in the novel that exemplifies Elizabeth’s spirit transforms her life drastically. While attending a social gathering, Elizabeth is introduced to Fitzwilliam Darcy, a tall, handsome, and wealthy landowner. Their meeting is spiteful and cruel.Mr. Darcy does not hesitate to insult and slight Elizabeth and her family.Somewhat uncharacteristically, Elizabeth’s musters the strength to internalize his words and remain silent; however, Mr. Darcy’s insults give her reason to be prejudiced against him and his seemingly unjustifiable pride.

The rollercoaster of affairs involving two men in Elizabeth’s life begin partially after her initial acquaintance with Mr. Darcy followed by that with a handsome and charming, yet impoverished soldier named George Wickham. Initially, Wickham captures Elizabeth’s interest, however, he is deceitful about his past, portraying Mr. Darcy as the primary source of his suffering and misery. Elizabeth trusts Wickham’s fabrication completely, only succeeding to fuel Elizabeth’s increasing distain for Mr. Darcy. In addition to Wickham’s malicious tales, Elizabeth discovers that Mr. Darcy is responsible for the cruel end to the romantic relations between her beloved older sister Jane and Mr. Darcy’s good friend, Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth loathes Mr. Darcy as Jane is overcome with depression from the abrupt ending of her relationship with Mr. Bingley.

The turning point of the novel is marked by Mr. Darcy’s shocking marriage proposal to Elizabeth. Naturally, she is stunned and even appalled at this, considering her preconceptions of his character. Elizabeth proceeds to charge Mr. Darcy with poor manners and ignoble character. Mr. Darcy eventually enables Elizabeth to see his true character as an honorable and respectable gentleman. Ironically, Elizabeth also comes to realize that all the characteristics she erroneously distained in Mr. Darcy truly belong to Mr. Wickham.

As time goes on, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet’s relationship only strengthens as they solidify a loving relationship. New obstacles arise between the two proud lovers, though, mainly stemming from social faux pas and class divides only true love can bond. Additionally, a dramatic scandal arises nearly eliminating any possibility of marriage between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth discovers that her impulsive sister Lydia has run away with George Wickham, without any intentions of marrying. Lydia’s actions are certain to bring shame and dishonor to the entire Bennet family, such that no respectable man would be able to consider marrying the remaining sisters thereafter. Mr. Darcy rescues the Bennet family name by providing the financial means for Lydia and Wickham to marry. It is only due to the audacious personalities of both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth that the two are able to overcome tribulations caused by nearly every character involved: Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mrs. Bennet, George Wickham, the younger Bennet sisters and Mr. Bingley’s sisters.

Elizabeth suffers the loss of hope after introspective reflection and painful confrontation of shallow social standards. She is devastated by the possibility that after reconsidering true nobility of Mr. Darcy’s character, she could have lost him forever. It will take redeeming the seemingly irreversible and shocking scandal of Lydia and George Wickham’s elopement for Mr. Darcy to prove his noble, selfless, and considerate character. He saves not only the Bennet family by making Lydia an honorable woman by offering Wickham enough money to entice him to wed the virtually penniless Lydia, despite his own personal grudge against the deceitful Wickham. The restoration of honor to the Bennet family provides for two more important marriages to take place: one between Jane and Mr. Bingley, and the other between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. In the end, Elizabeth has maintained her pride, yet is able to overcome her prejudice against Mr. Darcy, who initially sought to damage this pride upon meeting each other for the first time. Eventually, Elizabeth is forced to reconsider her prejudice attitudes, targeting the superfluous societal values as a whole, instead of the people who live by them.

Fitzwilliam Darcy:

Mr. Darcy is the second of the two protagonists in the novel. Over time as the story unfolds, the reader’s perception of Mr. Darcy’s transforms from maliciousto benevolent. His position as the ideal match for Elizabeth becomes obvious, though once an unimaginable possibility. In addition to being educated and worldly, he is rich and handsome, claiming the adoration of various women throughout the novel. It is clear from the onset, however, that he is only interested in the very woman who despises him most, Elizabeth Bennet. Nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s rank in society is just below that of nobility.

Mr. Darcy praises and holds dear many things in his life. Among the most important are his sister, Georgiana and his estate, Pemberly. Pemberly proves a fitting symbol for Mr. Darcy throughout the novel. From afar, Pemberly appears to be a proud and arrogant residence. Upon closer inspection, however, it radiates natural warmth, beauty, and a solid foundation.

Mr. Darcy’s family ties and relations, in addition to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, are strong and formidable. As the only son of a well-established family, he inherits of the Pemberly estate and becomes the master of the family, especially of his adoring younger sister Georgiana Darcy. As her legal guardian, Mr. Darcy adopts a paternalistic role in Georgiana’s life. Upon the death of Wickham’s father, Mr. Darcy’s father took the penniless Wickham under his wing and treats him like his own son. Wickham and Mr. Darcy mature together, both enjoying financial and social success at an early age. It soon became apparent, however, the conflicting characters of the two men. Where Mr. Darcy is honest, forthright, and hard working, Wickham is discovered to be surreptitious, especially in regards to money, Mr. Darcy’s father, Georgiana, and Elizabeth. In addition to being deceitful, Wickham is a philanderer and gambler.

A riff between the two childhood friends develops and quickly grows to irreparable proportions once Wickham decides to earn his fortune by eloping with young Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana was an heiress in her own right. Fortunately, Darcy due to his undying commitment to family and virtue, he succeeds in preventing the dishonorable elopement. Fortunately for Wickham, he decides not to publicly ruin him; instead, but he buys Wickham off, and thus severing all connections between them.

Unfortunately, Wickham’s actions and an atrocious first impression form Elizabeth’s repulsive opinion of Mr. Darcy. Ironically, her response to his hostilities and the obvious interest she shows in George Wickham onlyintrigue Darcy further, igniting within him a passion for Elizabeth. It is only after a fruitless and shocking proposal to Elizabeth, signifying the turning point of the novel, that Mr. Darcy receives the opportunity to clear his good name with his beloved, in addition to his dark past with Wickham and his influences on the relationship between Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. Mr. Darcy does exactly this and slowly begins to win her affections. Despite humiliating himself by proposing and being rejected from one of inferior social class, he remains steadfast and determined to win Elizabeth’s heart. His prejudice is proven through both his initial insulting comments to Elizabeth upon introduction, and by the reasons he offers to Mr. Bingley for ending relations with Jane Bennet. It is not long, however, before Mr. Darcy realizes that Elizabeth is far different from any of the solicitous women enamored with him.

Although both are quick to judge and initially are often blinded to the truth behind their pride and prejudices. Love escapes him. He is desirous not to wed or doom his days to an ordinary girl, but he is intrigued not only for Elizabeth’s beauty, but her intellect, spirit, and wit as well. Elizabeth’s bitter feelings towards him, and his own haughtiness seem only to deny any romantic prospects between the two. While Darcy hails from the upper echelons of society and family, Longbourn, Mr. Bennet’s estate, is just barely profitable enough to admit the family into Mr. Darcy’s social realm. Undoubtedly, Elizabeth’s rejection of his proposal humbles Mr. Darcy tremendously.

Elizabeth’s beauty claims Darcy’s affections for her throughout the remainder novel, causing him to demonstrate his growing commitment to her, regardless of social standings and the family’s harsh criticisms of him. Mr. Darcy finds himself in a peculiar situation, faced with the potential ruin of the Bennet family that Elizabeth had prophesized. He knows that the only way to save the family, as well as his romantic prospects with Elizabeth, is to aid Lydia Bennet, and the deplorable George Wickham.

The decision serves as a great burden upon Mr. Darcy’s conscience as he is forced to choose between pride and charity. Darcy proves his benevolence as he proceeds to secretly funnel money to the Bennets through Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Mr. Gardiner. In the process, Mr. Darcy is able to overcome any previous judgments, and even accepting Wickham as a prospective brother-in-law. With a renewed outlook, he offers his consent and support of Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet’s marriage, which Darcy had also previously delayed due to his critical opinions of their relationship. Mr. Darcy’s patronage of the Bennet family as well as his romantic intentions are offered at a superficial cost to him, voiced by his disapproving aunt, Lady Catherine, a prude and narrow-minded woman. Lady Catherine is appalled at the alleged destruction of her family name that would result by admitting Elizabeth into her family. Instead, she considers her own sickly daughter, Heiress Anne de Bourgh, a far more fitting wife for Mr. Darcy.

In the end, however, Mr. Darcy is only too set on winning Elizabeth’s heart. She regrets her initial harsh judgments of Mr. Darcy, and begins to see him with new eyes, the man of her dreams. Darcy, being the impressionable man that he is, holds few people in high esteem, and Elizabeth is one of them. She joins Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s dear sister, as the two most influential and precious elements in his life. Pemberly becomes the home to his new wife, Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy overcomes various internal battles, such as his arrogance, prejudice, and social restraints. Finally, he reaches a state of harmony between all the elements of his life including fortune, family, friends, and the very dearest to his heart, his new wife, Elizabeth.

List of Characters and Relationships in Pride and Prejudice:

Mr. Bennet is a reasonably sensible man. He is father to the five Bennet girls. Although a seemingly aloof father figure at times, his deep love for his daughters and his desire for their happiness is purely evident. Mr. Bennet is a country gentleman whose estate, Longbourn, barely provides financially for the Bennet family.

Mrs. Bennet is the melodramatic mother of the Bennet girls. Her primary concern is for each to marry well (and without delay), ensuring her own financial comfort.

Jane is the eldest of the Bennet sisters, as well as the most beautiful. She is intelligent and desires to marry for love, which is evident in her marriage with Mr. Bingley. Jane shares an especially intimate bond with her sister Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is the second oldest of the Bennet sisters. She is beautiful, proud, outspoken, and quick-witted. Like her sister Jane, Elizabeth too desires above all to marry for love, which is proven when she refuses Mr. Collin’s proposal and fortune, to her mother’s utter dismay. Later, she is briefly charmed by George Wickham until she discovers his true character. It will take the rejection of her initial judgments and obstinance for Elizabeth to find her true love, Mr. Darcy.

Mary is the middle and least beautiful of the Bennet girls. She lacks social skills, and dedicates most of her time in efforts to become an “accomplished” woman through extensive reading and piano practice. Unfortunately for Mary, she does not have “natural taste” to display her accomplishments to her advantage.

Kitty is the second to youngest sister. Giddy and foolish, she is inseparable from her younger sister, Lydia. Elizabeth explains that Kitty “will follow wherever Lydia leads.”

Lydia,the youngest Bennet sister and spoiled as her mother’s favorite, is ditsy, self-absorbed and desirous of attention, above all from military men. Lydia is incapable of considering the future and how her actions might affect others. She impulsively runs away with Wickham, unconcerned with the disgrace she bestows upon her family. Thankfully, Mr. Darcy intervenes to rebuilt the Bennet family reputation and urges Wickham to make Lydia an honorable woman.

Mrs. Phillips is the kind-hearted, yet silly sister of Mrs. Bennet.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner aunt and uncle to the girls (Mr. Gardiner being Mrs. Bennet’s brother) are intelligent, fashionable, and worldly. The Gardiners invite Elizabeth to accompany them on vacation. While vacationing, Elizabeth encounters Mr. Darcy. Realizing the injustice she has done him. Mr. Darcy uses the Gardiners as the means by which he pays off Wickham in resolving his outlandish elopement with Lydia.

William Collins is Mr. Bennet’s cousin who will inherit the Longbourn estate upon Mr. Bennet’s death. A sycophant and a member of the clergy, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, but is rejected, and eventually marries Charlotte Lucas. Throughout the entire novel he seeks approval from his patron, Lady Catherine.

Charlotte Lucas is Elizabeth’s best friend. She is a very sensible woman, except when it comes to marriage. To Elizabeth’s great disgust, Charlotte agrees to marry Mr. Collins, for financial security and to escape the lowly fate as an old maid. She values these more than a romantic connection.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, residing at the lavish Pemberly Estate, is an extraordinarily wealthy and proud gentleman. He holds his social and class status in high regard, which prejudices him against all others whom he conceives as of lower merit, which hurts his courtship of Elizabeth until he overcomes his preconceived attitudes. Women play a key role in his life, as his sister Georgiana and Elizabeth are the two most important things to him. He is willing to sacrifice anything to aid them, namely to save them from Wickham, his boyhood friend turned enemy. His true character wins Elizabeth’s heart aftermany hurdles and much turmoil, including an initially refused marriage proposal.

Charles Bingley is the wealthy friend of Mr. Darcy. He is congenial and sensible, yet lacks self-confidence. This allows him to be initially dissuaded by Darcy to not marry Jane, despite their deep love for one another. With Mr. Darcy’s attitude transformation, he offers his blessing, and Mr. Bingley eventually marries Jane.

Caroline Bingley is one of Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Determined to become Mr. Darcy’s wife, she befriends his sister Georgiana. She is critical of those outside of her social circle, namely Elizabeth. Miss Bingley loves Jane, but abhors her limited connections, and even aids Mr. Darcy in his attempt to separate Jane and Mr. Bingley.

Georgiana Darcy is Mr. Darcy’s much younger sister. She is sweet, innocent, and accomplished, possessing great fortune like her brother. She is deceived into eloping with Mr. Wickham, but her brother saves her at the last moment.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the sister of Mr. Darcy’s late mother. She is medaling, dim witted and vain. Lady Catherine is obsessed with social status, and thus, is enraged to discover her nephew desiring a woman with such attitude and standing as Elizabeth Bennet.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is the good-natured cousin of Mr. Darcy and nephew to Lady Catherine.

George Wickham is handsome and charming, yet cleverly deceitful. He manipulates the truth about his past, falsely portraying himself as the victim of Mr. Darcy’s allegedly malevolent ways. As Wickham is penniless, he seeks to gain fortune through marriage, and goes about pursuing a very eager Lydia Bennet. The two run off together without marrying. It is only after Mr. Darcy offers him a small fortune that Wickham agrees to marry Lydia, and thus save the Bennet family from social ruin.

Themes found in Pride and Prejudice:

Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice addresses two major conflicting themes: love and class status. In many ways it is impossible to talk about one without the other as Austin displays how these two themes are so interconnected in Victorian society. The only hope of improving one’s social and economic standing was through marriage. Throughout the novel, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's love for one another is challenged by the social hierarchy in England at that time. The Bingleys and the Darcys are from wealthy upper class families, viewing those of lower social status as being far inferior. This motif is played out throughout the novel. One such instance is when Mrs. Bennet pays a visit to the Bingleys and is blatantly ridiculed by Mr. Bingley’s sisters. Due to these conventionally pompous attitudes, Darcy too initially dismisses Elizabeth as too plain and unrefined for a man of his stature. This having been said, Elizabeth is equally guilty of judging Darcy too hastily, and using her initial impression to justify her distain for him. In the end, however, the unlikely pair marry, proving that love is the only force strong enough to break down age-old social prejudices.

Publication History and Critical Reception

Pride and Prejudice, probably the most popular of Austen's finished novels, was also, in a sense, the first to be composed. The original version, First Impressions, was completed by 1797, but was rejected for publication — no copy of the original has survived. The work was rewritten around 1812 and published in 1813 as Pride and Prejudice. The final form must have been a thorough rewriting of the original effort, for it is representative of the mature Austen. Moreover, the story clearly takes place in the early nineteenth century rather than in the late eighteenth century.

Austen's works, including Pride and Prejudice, were barely noticed by critics during her lifetime. Pride and Prejudice sold fairly well — the first edition sold out at about 1,500 copies. Critics who eventually reviewed it in the early part of the nineteenth century praised Austen's characterizations and portrayal of everyday life. After Austen's death in 1817, the book continued to be published and read with little attention from critics for the next fifty years. The few critical comments made during that time continued to focus on her skill at creating characters, as well as on her technical mastery. In 1870, probably the most significant nineteenth-century critical article on Austen was published by Richard Simpson; in the article, Simpson discussed the complexity of Austen's work, including her use of irony.

Modern Austen scholarship began in 1939 with the publication of Jane Austen and Her Art, by Mary Lascelle. The scope and vision of that book prompted other scholars to take a closer look at Austen's works. Pride and Prejudice began getting serious attention in the 1940s and has continued to be studied heavily since that time. Modern critics take a variety of approaches to the novel, including historical, economical, feminist, and linguistic.

Various critics have consistently noted that the plot development of Pride and Prejudice is determined by character — coincidence exerts a major influence, but turns of action are precipitated by character. Although human weakness is a prominent element, ranging from Miss Bingley's jealousy to Elizabeth's blind prejudices, outright evil is little in evidence. Austen maintains an attitude of good-humored irony toward her characters.

Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice

During Austen's career, Romanticism reached its zenith of acceptance and influence, but she rejected the tenets of that movement. The romantics extolled the power of feeling, whereas Austen upheld the supremacy of the rational faculty. Romanticism advocated the abandonment of restraint; Austen was a staunch exponent of the neo-classical belief in order and discipline. The romantics saw in nature a transcendental power to stimulate men to better the existing order of things, which they saw as essentially tragic in its existing state. Austen supported traditional values and the established norms, and viewed the human condition in the comic spirit. The romantics exuberantly celebrated natural beauty, but Austen's dramatic technique decreed sparse description of setting. The beauties of nature are seldom detailed in her work.

Just as Austen's works display little evidence of the Romantic movement, they also reveal no awareness of the international upheavals and consequent turmoil in England that took place during her lifetime. Keep in mind, however, that such forces were remote from the restricted world that she depicts. Tumultuous affairs, such as the Napoleonic wars, in her day did not significantly affect the daily lives of middle-class provincial families. The ranks of the military were recruited from the lower orders of the populace, leaving gentlemen to purchase a commission, the way Wickham does in the novel, and thereby become officers.

Additionally, the advancement of technology had not yet disrupted the stately eighteenth-century patterns of rural life. The effects of the industrial revolution, with its economic and social repercussions, were still most sharply felt by the underprivileged laboring classes. Unrest was widespread, but the great reforms that would launch a new era of English political life did not come until later. Consequently, newer technology that existed in England at the time of Pride and Prejudice's publication does not appear in the work.

General Critique of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice continues to be popular today not only because of its memorable characters and the general appeal of the story, but also because of the skill with which it is told. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen displays a masterful use of irony, dialogue, and realism that support the character development and heighten the experience of reading the novel.

Jane Austen's irony is devastating in its exposure of foolishness and hypocrisy. Self-delusion or the attempt to fool other people is almost always the object of her wit; note how she has Elizabeth say that she hopes she will never laugh at what is wise or good.

The reader finds various forms of exquisite irony in Pride and Prejudice: Sometimes the characters are unconsciously ironic, as when Mrs. Bennet seriously asserts that she would never accept any entailed property, though Mr. Collins is willing to; other times, Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth serve to directly express the author's ironic opinion. When Mary Bennet is the only daughter at home and doesn't have to be compared to her prettier sisters, the author observes that "it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the change without much reluctance." Mr. Bennet turns his wit on himself during the crisis with Wickham and Lydia — "let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame. I am not afraid of being overpowered by the impression. It will pass away soon enough."

Elizabeth's irony is lighthearted when Jane asks when she began to love Mr. Darcy. "It has been coming on so gradually that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley." She can be bitterly cutting, however, in her remark on Darcy's role in separating Bingley and Jane. "Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley, and takes a prodigious deal of care of him."

The author, independent of any character, uses irony in the narrative parts for some of her sharpest — but often unnoticed — judgments. The Meryton community is glad that Lydia is marrying such a worthless man as Wickham: "and the good-natured wishes for her well-doing, which had proceeded before from all the spiteful old ladies in Meryton, lost but little of their spirit in this change of circumstances, because with such a husband, her misery was certain."

Austen uses irony to both provoke whimsical laughter and to make veiled, bitter observations. In her hands — and few others are more capable and discriminating — irony is an extremely effective device for moral evaluation.

Dialogue also plays an important role in Pride and Prejudice. The novel opens with a talk between Mrs. Bennet and her husband: "'My dear Mr. Bennet,' said his lady to him one day, 'have you heard that Netherfield is let at last?'" In the conversation that follows, we learn a great deal — about Mrs. Bennet's preoccupation with marrying off her daughters, Mr. Bennet's ironic and sarcastic attitude toward his wife, and her self-pitying nature. The stage is effortlessly set for the family's introduction to the Bingley group, and the dialogue has given us information on both incidents of plot and the attitudes which drive the characters.

The pieces of dialogue are consistently the most vivid and important parts of the novel. This is natural because novels were mostly read aloud in Austen's time, so good dialogue was extremely important. We learn of the major turning points through the dialogue, and even intense inner change like Elizabeth's famous self-recognition scene ("How despicably have I acted!") is related as a person talking to herself.

Each character's speeches are individually appropriate and the most telling way of revealing what each is like. Elizabeth's talk is forthright and sparkling, her father's is sarcastic, Mr. Collin's speeches are tedious and silly, and Lydia's fountain of words is all frivolity and no substance.

The things that happen in Pride and Prejudice happen to nearly all readers — embarrassment at the foolishness of relatives, the unsteady feelings of falling in love, and the chagrin of suddenly realizing a big mistake. The psychological realism of the novel is revealed in the quick recognition we have of how the key characters feel.

It is very natural for Elizabeth and Darcy to be angry at each other after she first turns him down, and it is very natural for them to feel twinges of regret, and then have a complete change of mind with the passage of time. Every step in their progress toward each other is described with a sensitivity to how people feel and act. In the subtle and beautiful description of Elizabeth's self-realization is a convincing view of how an intelligent, feeling person changes.

When considering Austen's realism, however, readers should recognize that her major weakness as a writer is related to her greatest strength. She writes about what she knows — and this means that great areas of human experience are never touched on. We never see that much of the male characters, and they are rough sketches compared with her heroines. Extreme passions are usually avoided in her writing, and this becomes noticeable when, for example, she moves to a very impersonal, abstract voice when Elizabeth accepts Darcy: Elizabeth "immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change . . . as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances." People who dislike Austen's works often cite this lack of extreme emotions as their main reason. Even so, no one can deny her ability to create unforgettable characters, build well-structured plots, or deliver assessments of society with a razor-sharp wit. Austen's works possess a timeless quality, which makes her stories and themes as relevant today as they were two hundred years ago.

MAJOR THEMES

PRIDE

 As said in the words of Mary at the beginning of the novel, “humannature is particularly prone to [pride]”. In the novel, pride prevents thecharacters from seeing the truth of a situation and from achieving happinessin life. Pride is one of the main barriers that create an obstacle to Elizabethand Darcy’s marriage. Darcy’s pride in his position in society leads himinitially to scorn anyone outside of his own social circle. Elizabeth’s vanityclouds her judgment, making her prone to think ill of Darcy and to think well of Wickham. In the end, Elizabeth’s rebukes of Darcy help him torealize his fault and to change accordingly, as demonstrated in his genuinelyfriendly treatment of the Gardiners, whom he previously would have scornedbecause of their low social class. Darcy’s letter shows Elizabeth that her judgments were wrong and she realizes that they were based on vanity, noton reason.

PREJUDICE

 Pride and prejudice are intimately related in the novel. As critic A.Walton Litz comments, “in Pride and Prejudice one cannot equate Darcywith Pride, or Elizabeth with Prejudice; Darcy’s pride of place is founded onsocial prejudice, while Elizabeth’s initial prejudice against him is rooted inpride of her own quick perceptions.” Darcy, having been brought up in sucha way that he began to scorn all those outside his own social circle, mustovercome his prejudice in order to see that Elizabeth would be a good wifefor him and to win Elizabeth’s heart. The overcoming of his prejudice isdemonstrated when he treats the Gardiners with great civility. The Gardiners are a much lower class than Darcy, because Mr. Darcy is a lawyer and mustpractice a trade to earn a living, rather than living off of the interest of anestate as gentlemen do. From the beginning of the novel Elizabeth pridesherself on her keen ability for perception. Yet this supposed ability is oftenlacking, as in Elizabeth's judgments of Darcy and Wickham.

FAMILY

 Austen portrays the family as primarily responsible for the intellectualand moral education of children. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s failure to providethis education for their daughters leads to the utter shamelessness,foolishness, frivolity, and immorality of Lydia. Elizabeth and Jane havemanaged to develop virtue and strong characters in spite of the negligence of their parents, perhaps through the help of their studies and the goodinfluence of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, who are the only relatives in the novelthat take a serious concern in the girls’ well-being and provide soundguidance. Elizabeth and Jane are constantly forced to put up with thefoolishness and poor judgment of their mother and the sarcastic indifferenceof their father. Even when Elizabeth advises her father not to allow Lydia togo to Brighton, he ignores the advice because he thinks it would too difficultto deal with Lydia’s complaining. The result is the scandal of Lydia'selopement with Wickham.

WOMEN AND MARRIAGE

 Austen is critical of the gender injustices present in 19th centuryEnglish society. The novel demonstrates how money such as Charlotte needto marry men they are not in love with simply in order to gain financialsecurity. The entailment of the Longbourn estate is an extreme hardship onthe Bennet family, and is quite obviously unjust. The entailment of Mr.Bennet's estate leaves his daughters in a poor financial situation which bothrequires them to marry and makes it more difficult to marry well. Clearly,Austen believes those women are at least as intelligent and capable as men,and considers their inferior status in society to be unjust. She herself wentagainst convention by remaining single and earning a living through hernovels. In her personal letters Austen advises friends only to marry for love.Through the plot of the novel it is clear that Austen wants to show howElizabeth is able to be happy by refusing to marry for financial purposes andonly marrying a man whom she truly loves and esteems.

CLASS

Considerations of class are omnipresent in the novel. The novel does notput forth an egalitarian ideology or call for the levelling of all social classes,yet it does criticize an over-emphasis on class. Darcy’s inordinate pride isbased on his extreme class-consciousness. Yet eventually he sees that factorsother than wealth determine who truly belongs in the aristocracy. Whilethose such as Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, who are born into thearistocracy, are idle, mean-spirited and annoying, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner arenot members of the aristocracy in terms of wealth or birth but are naturalaristocrats by virtue of their intelligence, good-breeding and virtue. Thecomic formality of Mr. Collins and his obsequious relationship with LadyCatherine serve as a satire class consciousness and social formalities. In theend, the verdict on class differences is moderate. As critic Samuel Kligernotes, “It the conclusion of the novel makes it clear that Elizabeth acceptsclass relationships as valid, it becomes equally clear that Darcy, throughElizabeth’s genius for treating all people with respect for their naturaldignity, is reminded that institutions are not an end in them but are intendedto serve the end of human happiness.”

INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY

 The novel portrays a world in which society takes an interest in theprivate virtue of its members. When Lydia elopes with Wickham, therefore,it is scandal to the whole society and an injury to entire Bennet family.Darcy considers his failure to expose the wickedness of Wickham’scharacter to be a breach of his social duty because if Wickham’s truecharacter had been known others would not have been so easily deceived byhim. While Austen is critical of society's ability to judge properly, asdemonstrated especially in their judgments of Wickham and Darcy, she doesbelieve that society has a crucial role in promoting virtue. Austen has aprofound sense that individuals are social beings and that their happiness isfound through relationships with others. According to critic RichardSimpson, Austen has a “thorough consciousness that man is a social being,and that apart from society there is not even the individual.”

VIRTUE

 Austen’s novels unite Aristotelian and Christian conceptions of virtue.She sees human life as purposeful and believes that human beings mustguide their appetites and desires through their use of reason. Elizabeth’sfolly in her misjudgements of Darcy and Wickham is that her vanity hasprevented her from reasoning objectively. Lydia seems almost completelydevoid of virtue because she has never trained herself to discipline her passions or formed her judgment such that she is capable of making soundmoral decisions. Human happiness is found by living a life in accordancewith human dignity, which is a life in accordance with virtue. Self-knowledge has a central place in the acquisition of virtue, as it is aprerequisite for moral improvement. Darcy and Elizabeth are only freed of their pride and prejudice when their dealings with one another help them tosee their faults and spur them to improve.

Examples of Literary Devices in Pride and Prejudice:

1. Characterization:

-In the introductions of many of the important characters, she uses characterization in order to slowly reveal the characters’ role in the plot and to add humor to her novels. Mrs. Bennet, the first character to be introduced in the novel, is described as “a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news” (Pride and Prejudice 5). Through this direct characterization, readers are given a preview of Mrs. Bennet’s personality and an explanation for the ridiculous behavior she exerts in order to get her daughters married.

-Mr. Bingley, the romantic interest of Jane, is described as, “good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners” (Pride and Prejudice 8).

-While Mr. Bingley is painted in a good light, Mr. Darcy, the eventual romantic interest of Elizabeth, is described as quite the opposite. “He was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend” (Pride and Prejudice 9).

These uses of direct characterization lends itself to readers as a good description of their contrasting behaviors. Although they are different, these two characters formed a good friendship. They show that it is possible for two people of differing mindsets to get along well with one another. Their descriptions and the main male characters’ friendship give a prelude to how the other relationships in the novel will be formed.

2. Irony:

-Irony can be found in this profound sentence: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Pride and Prejudice 3). Jane Austen opens Pride and Prejudice with this famous and ironic statement to set the tone for the rest of the novel and introduce readers to one of the central themes: marriage. It is an important ironic statement because it lays before readers a misconstrued image of marriage and its desired conventions. Readers see that it is not the rich man who wants a wife, but in fact, the mothers and ladies who want the rich husband and believe in this not-so-universal truth. Mrs. Bennet is a prime example of a mother who greatly values the appearances of rich men in order to render her daughters with a prospective husband. It is essentially her job and duty to acknowledge this “universal truth” much to the chagrin of characters such as Mr. Darcy.

-Austen also uses irony frequently to ridicule several characters and their narrow views. For example, she uses irony to paint Mrs. Bennet in an even more ridiculous light such as when she speaks to Elizabeth about her dashed hopes regarding Jane: “Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has done” (Pride and Prejudice 148). This ironic statement shows the misplaced values Mrs. Bennet possesses. Rather than despairing at a child’s death, Mrs. Bennet views Jane’s death as a potential comfort. Mrs. Bennet is thus more preoccupied with the prospect of marrying off her child rather than the actual well-being and health of that child.

-Another example of how Jane Austen uses irony to paint another character in a ludicrous way is Mr. Collins. When he speaks about Lydia’s transgression to Elizabeth, Mr. Collins says an extremely ironic line: “You ought certainly to forgive them as a Christian, but never to admit them in your sight, or allow their names to be mentioned in your hearing” (Pride and Prejudice 232). Mr. Collin’s notion of forgiveness is not forgiveness at all. He is subconsciously stating that rather than forgiving a person, he would rather ostracize and avoid them, the very opposite of forgiveness. Jane Austen’s use of irony in Pride and Prejudice showcase the flaws of her characters in a lighthearted manner and this humorous manner is consistent throughout the novel.

3. Conflict:

-In Pride and Prejudice, the most obvious conflict is between the two main characters. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy possess a strong sense of pride and prejudice which lead them to misunderstand one another. The two of them clash at social functions and they are determined to disagree with one another until this clash leads to a romantic tension. Their conflict started with misunderstandings and did not resolve until they were able to peel away their pride and prejudice to truly understand one another.

-Elizabeth’s internal conflict comes from choosing between either duty or heart. Elizabeth carries with her the burden of choosing between marrying for financial reasons or marrying for love. When deciding whether to marry Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet provided Elizabeth with an ultimatum to help her decide: “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day on you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do” (Pride and Prejudice 76). With this ultimatum, Elizabeth makes the difficult decision to keep rejecting Mr. Collins which is synonymous to rejecting an opportunity for financial security. This decision was revolutionary back in the 19th century where it was almost unthinkable to reject such a secure offer, but it also helps readers reflect back on Jane Austen’s decision to reject her own marriage proposal.

-The third example of a conflict lies in Mr. Darcy’s internal conflict of rationality versus emotions. Mr. Darcy struggles with his feelings for Elizabeth and society’s expectations for him which also affect his pride. His internal struggles come to a climax when he confesses before Elizabeth. “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you… Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?” (Pride and Prejudice 125-127). In this confession, Mr. Darcy conveys to Elizabeth his internal struggles of how he loves her but does not look favorably upon her situation in life. Mr. Darcy comes upon a resolution for his own feelings but it is appalling to Elizabeth how blatantly Mr. Darcy disrespects her family. Mr. Darcy is rejected but the novel’s end has both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy marrying happily and ending their internal conflicts when they marry for love, rather than for financial reasons or pride.

4. Foreshadowing:

-The external troubles to Mr. Bingley’s relationship with Jane are foreshadowed by his attitude towards the beginning of the novel. “Miss Bingley was therefore established as a sweet girl, and their brother felt authorized by such commendation to think of her as he chose” (Pride and Prejudice 13) shows how necessary Mr. Bingley feels it is to have others’ approval; which later proves to be a wedge in his and Jane’s blooming romance. This ultimately foreshadows how easily influenced Mr. Bingley is and this is shown when Mr. Darcy drives a block between the two lovers when he forces them apart.

-Charlotte Lucas also acts a medium to foreshadow future events concerning her and the fates of other characters. Jane Austen uses irony and foreshadowing in Charlotte’s speech about how “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (Pride and Prejudice 17) and that it is better to marry a person when one only knows as little as possible about a their defects. Though readers know that happiness in a marriage is somewhat premeditated after truly knowing and loving a person, Charlotte does not think so. This speech foreshadows her decision to marry Mr. Collins out of duty and convenience rather than that of happiness and true love.

-Charlotte also speaks to Elizabeth of how she feels Jane will make out in her relationship with Mr. Bingley when she says, “if a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him… Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly, but he may never more than like her, if she does not help him on” (Pride and Prejudice 16). This speech foreshadows what will eventually happen to Jane. Mr. Darcy is able to persuade Mr. Bingley to leave for London and leave Jane behind because he believes Jane to be indifferent to Mr. Bingley. Though this is contrary to what Jane actually feels, Charlotte’s speech proves true since Jane unconsciously hid her feelings too much.

5. Theme:

-Jane Austen’s romance novels contain the typical theme of love and marriage. This theme is prevalent throughout Pride and Prejudice which centers around the two main couples as they undergo many hardships that challenge their potential romance; including their own prejudices towards each other. These couples must overcome the many social conflicts that come with the gentleman marrying beneath his social status. For example, even though Jane and Mr. Bingley do not have any internal challenges to their relationship, the outside forces tear them apart for a while. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy must first overcome their own misunderstandings before they realize their mutual love for one another. Even after overcoming this internal challenge, outside forces such as Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Miss Bingley, are consistently there to interfere in this couple’s relationship. Love and marriage in Pride and Prejudice also brings up the social aspects of 19th century England where women, such as Charlotte Lucas, often entered into marriages for convenience’s sake instead of for love. Marriage is conveyed in a romantic way by Elizabeth when she chooses to marry for love instead of for financial reasons.

-Another prominent theme in Pride and Prejudice lies in the title: the theme of pride. Pride resides in both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, which blinds them to the true characters of one another. Mr. Darcy possesses much pride due to his family, social status, and wealth, making him look down upon any who are not within his immediate social circle. On the other hand, Elizabeth also exhibits pride. As she professes her distaste for Mr. Darcy’s pride, Elizabeth states, “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine” (Pride and Prejudice 15). Even though Elizabeth claims that Mr. Darcy is undeserving of any pride, she herself confesses that she is also prideful. Elizabeth prides herself on her judgment of others and after making an opinion of Mr. Darcy, refuses to change this opinion. It is this pride in her abilities that make it difficult for Elizabeth to accept Mr. Darcy’s virtues along with his faults. It is not until Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy shed away their feelings of pride that they are able to understand and love each other.

-The other half of the title, prejudice, is another ubiquitous theme found in the novel. Many of the characters, besides the two main characters, have prejudices against those unlike themselves. Mr. Darcy is extremely prejudiced against those outside of his social status and feels he is lowering himself when he proposes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is prejudiced towards Mr. Darcy for her impressions of him during their first meeting. When Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy rid themselves of their prejudices, they must also try to overcome the prejudices of other characters. An opposing force that is determined to tear the couple apart is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine exhibits much pride and prejudice towards the status quo and refuses to accept Elizabeth due to her inferior family and wealth. Her prejudice is shown all the way up until the end of the novel and never once diminishes.

How does this apply to Pride and Prejudice?

“Central to the diverse aims and methods of feminist criticism is its focus on patriarchy, the rule of society and culture by men” (Bressler 167). The aforementioned quote from Charles Bressler's textbook, Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, highlights one fundamental aspect of feminist criticism: patriarchy. Patriarchy can be seen in Jane Austen’s novel in the form of the existing system of entailment. Entailment in Pride and Prejudice, the restriction of future ownership of real estate to particular descendants, is limited solely to male heirs. As Mr. Bennet has no male children, his estate will be entailed to Mr. Collins as opposed to his own daughters. Mrs. Bennet remarks in regard to the entailment to Mr. Collins: “Oh! My dear,” crie[s] his wife, “I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children...” (Austen 45). Entailment leaves no chance for the eldest daughter in the Bennet family to enjoy the success Mr. Bennet has attained, simply due to Jane Bennet’s status as a woman in her society. “Are not...women and men equal in all respects? Feminist studies, feminist theorists, and feminist critics all answer in one accord: No!” (Bressler 167). This question and vehement reply from Bressler’s text emphasizes a gender difference between men and women; one example of this can easily be seen in Pride and Prejudice through the manner of entailments in the novel.

With the imposition of entailment in Austen's novel comes a pressure for women to marry and search for a husband to attain a better life. Thus is the case with Charlotte Lucas who "accepted [Mr. Collins] solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained” (91 Austen). In writing that Charlotte Lucas married simply for sake of a future in a male-dominated society where a future would not be possible otherwise, Austen can be seen to be criticizing the role of the female in the setting of Pride and Prejudice. As Charlotte goes on to say to Elizabeth in regard to her marriage with Mr. Collins, “...I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only for a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’ character, connections, and situations in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state,” this further demonstrates the point that Charlotte, in a male-dominated society, felt compelled to marry in order to secure her own future. (Austen 93).

“Despite how frequently literature and society have fictionalized and stereotyped females as angels, bar maids, bitches whores, brainless housewives, or old maids, women must define themselves and articulate their roles, values, aspirations, and place in society. To do so, say feminist critics, women must...marshal a variety of resources to assert, clarify, and finally implement their beliefs and values” (Bressler 182). In regard to this quote, Elizabeth Bennet indeed clarifies and implements her own beliefs and values. The protagonist, in a final spat with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, asserts her position on marrying Mr. Darcy, free from societal restrictions: “I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected to me” (Austen 260). As such, Miss Bennet articulates her own role and place in society, although still only as a housewife, but a housewife that marries for love and her own values as opposed to the societally dictated "values" of wealth and a vast fortune.

“As one of the most significant developments in literary studies in the second half of the twentieth century, feminist literary criticism advocates equal rights for all women (indeed, all peoples) in all areas of life: socially, politically, professionally, personally, economically, aesthetically, and psychologically” (Bressler 167). Feminist literary criticism champions equal rights for women, so it would be apt to pay attention to an occasion in which Elizabeth Bennet claims equality with another upper-class man, Mr. Darcy. Again, in the same quarrel with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Miss Bennet claims, “In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere [in which I have been brought up]. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal” (Austen 258). In this instance, Miss Bennet claims equality with Mr. Darcy as she opposes Darcy's controlling aunt. To be equal to and have equal opportunity and rights with a man of such social ranking as Mr. Darcy is to epitomize the very cause of feminist literary criticism—to chiefly advocate for the rights and equality of women.

Pride and Prejudice Summary

Pride and Prejudice is set primarily in the county of Hertfordshire, about 50 miles outside of London. It mostly follows the Bennet family, particularly the second oldest daughter Elizabeth.

The novel opens at with a conversation at Longbourn, the Bennet's estate, about Mr. Bingley, "a single man of large fortune" who is soon to arrive at the nearby estate of Netherfield Park. Mrs. Bennet, who is obsessed with finding husbands for her daughters, sees Mr. Bingley as a potential suitor. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five children: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia.

The Bennets first meet Mr. Bingley and his companions is at the Meryton Ball. Mr. Bingley takes an immediate liking to Jane, and is judged by the townspeople as perfectly amiable and agreeable. Mr. Bingley's friend Mr. Darcy, however, snubs Elizabeth and is considered to be proud and disagreeable because of his reserve and his refusal to dance. Bingley's sisters - Charlotte and Mrs. Hurst - are judged as amiable by Jane, but as arrogant by Elizabeth.

After further interactions, it becomes evident that Jane and Bingley have a preference for one another, although Bingley's partiality is more obvious than Jane's because she is universally cheerful and amiable. Charlotte Lucas, a close friend of Elizabeth with more pragmatic views on marriage, recommends that Jane make her regard for Bingley more obvious. At the same time, Mr. Darcy begins to admire Elizabeth, captivated by her fine eyes and lively wit. She, however, remains contemptuous of him.

When Jane is invited for dinner at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet refuses to provide her with a carriage, hoping that an impending rainstorm will force her to spend the night there. However, because Jane gets caught in the rain, she falls ill and has to recover at Netherfield. Upon hearing that Jane is ill, Elizabeth walks to Bingley's estate, despite the muddy fields left behind by the rain. Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are scandalized by her appearance when she arrives, but join Bingley in welcoming her nevertheless.

During her time nursing Jane at Netherfield, Elizabeth increasingly impresses Darcy. She remains blind to his partiality, however, and continues to judge him a most proud and haughty man. Caroline, who hopes to attract Mr. Darcy herself, grows extremely jealous of Elizabeth, and mocks her and her relations to Darcy.

When Mrs. Bennet and her younger daughters come to visit Jane, Elizabeth is mortified by their foolishness and complete lack of manners. Bingley's admiration for Jane continues unabated, and is evident in his genuine solicitude for her recovery. After Jane recovers, she returns home with Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, a militia regiment is stationed at the nearby town of Meryton, where Mrs. Bennet's sister Mrs. Phillips lives. Mrs. Phillips is just as foolish as Mrs. Bennet is. Lydia and Kitty love to go to Meryton, to visit with their aunt and socialize with the militia's officers.

Mr. Collins, a cousin of Mr. Bennet who is in line to inherit Longbourn because the estate has been entailed away from the female line, writes a letter stating his intention to visit. When he arrives, he makes it clear that he hopes to find a suitable wife among the Miss Bennets. Mr. Collins is a clergyman, and his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh (who is also Darcy's aunt), has suggested that he find a wife, so he hopes to make amends for the entailment by marrying one of Mr. Bennet's daughters. Mr. Collins is a silly man who speaks in long, pompous speeches, always with an air of solemn formality.

When the Miss Bennets and Mr. Collins go for a walk to Meryton, they are introduced to an officer in the regiment named Mr. Wickham. They also run into Mr. Darcy. When Darcy and Wickham meet, both seem to be extremely uncomfortable.

Wickham shows an immediate partiality for Elizabeth, and they speak at length over the following days. In one of these conversations, Wickham explains his past with Darcy. Darcy's father had promised that Wickham, who had been raised as his godson, would be given a good living after the elder man's death, but Darcy failed to fulfill his father's dying wishes. Instead, he left Wickham to support himself. Elizabeth, already predisposed to think badly of Darcy, does not question Wickham's account. When Elizabeth tells Wickham's story to Jane, however, Jane refuses think badly of either Wickham or Darcy, assuming there must simply be some misunderstanding.

As he promised, Bingley hosts a ball at Netherfield. He and Jane stay together the whole evening, and their mutual attachment becomes increasingly obvious. Aloud and without discernment, Mrs. Bennet speaks of their marriage as imminent, and Elizabeth notes that Darcy overhears. Later that evening, Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance, and she inadvertently accepts. She does not enjoy, it and cannot understand why he asked her. Mr. Collins pays particularly close attention to Elizabeth at the ball, and even reserves the first two dances with her.

The next day, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. She refuses him, but it takes him a while to accept her sincerity; he assumes she is simply playing coy (as he assumes females do). Mrs. Bennet is extremely angry at Elizabeth for refusing him, but Mr. Bennet is glad. Mr. Collins quickly shifts his attentions to Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas. He proposes to Charlotte, and she accepts. Elizabeth is disappointed in her friend for agreeing to marry such a silly man simply for the sake of financial security.

Bingley travels to London for business, planning to return. His sisters and Darcy soon follow him, and Caroline writes to Jane that Bingley has changed his plans and will not return to Netherfield for at least six months. Caroline also tells Jane that the family hopes Bingley will marry Darcy's younger sister Georgiana, and unite the fortunes of the two families. Jane is heartbroken. Elizabeth thinks that Darcy and Bingley's sisters somehow managed to dissuade Bingley from proposing to Jane.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth's aunt and uncle, come to Longbourn to visit. Noting Jane's sadness, they invite her to stay with them in London for a while. Elizabeth also hopes that Jane will run into Bingley while in London. Mrs. Gardiner, after observing Elizabeth and Wickham together, warns Elizabeth against marrying Wickham because of his poor financial situation.

While in London, Jane is treated very rudely by Caroline Bingley, leading her to realize the woman's insincerity. She assumes that Mr. Bingley knows she is in London, and decides that he must no longer care for her since he does not call.

In Meryton, Wickham suddenly transfers his attentions from Elizabeth to Miss King, a woman who has recently acquired 10,000 pounds from an inheritance.

Along with Sir William Lucas and Maria Lucas (Charlotte's father and younger sister), Elizabeth visits Charlotte (now Mrs. Collins) at her new home in Kent. On their way, the travelers stop to visit Jane and the Gardiners. Mrs. Gardiner criticizes Wickham's change of affections, but Elizabeth defends him.

While staying with the Collinses, Elizabeth and the others are often invited to dine at Rosings, the large estate where Lady Catherine lives. Lady Catherine is completely arrogant and domineering. After Elizabeth has been at the parsonage for two weeks, Mr. Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam visit Rosings. Elizabeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam get along very well. Darcy also pays a lot of attention to Elizabeth, and often visits her and Charlotte at the parsonage. He also purposely meets her during her daily walks through the nearby gardens.

While walking one day with Elizabeth, Colonel Fitzwilliam mentions how Darcy recently saved a close friend from an imprudent marriage. Concluding this comment concerns her sister, Elizabeth riles herself up about Darcy until she gets a headache, which keeps her from visiting Rosings that night.

While she is alone at the parsonage, Darcy pays a visit, and confesses that he wants to marry her despite her low family connections. Shocked at his arrogant address, she rudely refuses and rebukes him for acting in such an ungentlemanlike manner. She also accuses him of ruining Jane's future happiness, and of betraying Wickham. Shocked that she declined his proposal, Darcy leaves.

The next day, Darcy finds Elizabeth walking, and hands her a letter. After he quickly leaves, she reads it several times. The letter explains many things. First, he defends himself for dissuading Bingley from proposing to Jane. Not only were Jane's family connections low, but she also seemed to show no particular preference for Bingley. He then tells his side of the Wickham story. Before his death, Darcy's father asked Darcy to provide Wickham with a living, provided Wickham enter the clergy. Wickham, however, did not want to enter the clergy, and asked Darcy for 3,000 pounds with which to study law. He agreed he would ask for no more, but he soon squandered that money on a dissolute lifestyle and then asked Darcy for another stipend, promising this time to enter the clergy. When Darcy refused, Wickham seduced Darcy's young sister Georgiana. Before they could elope, Darcy intervened and saved Georgiana's honor.

Elizabeth initially refuses to believe Darcy's claims, but comes to consider the likelihood of truth as she reflects on the events he details. She realizes she was inclined to believe Wickham both because she was prejudiced against Darcy, and because she was flattered by his attention.

Soon afterwards, Elizabeth returns home, stopping to collect Jane on the way. Their mother and sisters are upset because the regiment is soon to leave Meryton for Brighton, depriving them of most of their amusement. Lydia, however, plans to join Colonel Forster and Mrs. Forster in Brighton, at their invitation. Elizabeth advises her father to refuse Lydia's request, believing that her frivolous nature will get her in trouble there. However, Mr. Bennet does not heed Elizabeth's advice.

Soon afterwards, Elizabeth goes on vacation with the Gardiners. Their first stop is in the area of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's estate. The Gardiners want to take a tour, and Elizabeth is pleased to learn that Darcy is currently away. During their tour of the estate, the Pemberley housekeeper praises Darcy in a way that impresses Elizabeth. She also thinks constantly about the happiness she would feel at being mistress of this estate.

While in the Pemberley gardens, the travelers suddenly run into Darcy, who has arrived early. Surprisingly, Darcy is extremely cordial to both Elizabeth and the Gardiners, and tells Elizabeth that he wants her to meet his sister Georgiana as soon as she arrives the next day.

The next morning, Darcy and Georgiana visit Elizabeth and the Gardiners at their inn. Bingley soon joins them, and Elizabeth can discern that he still thinks fondly of Jane. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner soon return the courtesy by visiting Pemberley, where Bingley's sisters treat them quite rudely.

One morning, Elizabeth receives a letter from Jane, announcing that Lydia has eloped with Wickham. Worse, the family fears that Wickham does not actually intend to marry her. Jane asks Elizabeth to return home immediately. Right as Elizabeth reads the letter, Darcy arrives at the inn, and she in a flurry tells him what has happened. He feels partially to blame, since he never publicly exposed Wickham's wickedness.

Elizabeth and the Gardiners depart for Longbourn almost immediately. There, a hysterical Mrs. Bennet has locked herself in her room, leaving all household matters to Jane. They learn from Colonel Forster that Wickham has amassed over 1,000 pounds of gambling debts. The next day, Mr. Gardiner leaves for London to join Mr. Bennet, who is already in the city searching for Lydia. After many days of fruitless searches, Mr. Bennet returns home, leaving the search in Mr. Gardiner's hands.

Soon, a letter arrives from Mr. Gardiner announcing that Lydia and Wickham have been found, and that Wickham will marry Lydia if Mr. Bennet provides her with her equal share of his wealth. Knowing that, with his debts, Wickham would never have agreed to marry Lydia for so little money, Mr. Bennet thinks that Mr. Gardiner must have paid off Wickham's debts for him.

After their marriage, Lydia and Wickham visit Longbourn. Lydia is completely shameless, and not the least bit remorseful for her conduct. Nevertheless, Mrs. Bennet is very happy to have one of her daughters married.

Elizabeth hears from Lydia that Darcy was present at the wedding. Curious, she writes for details to Mrs. Gardiner, who explains that it was Darcy who found Lydia and Wickham, and who paid Wickham to marry her. Mrs. Gardiner believes that Darcy did this out of love for Elizabeth.

Bingley and Mr. Darcy soon return to Netherfield Park, and they call at Longbourn frequently. After several days, Bingley proposes to Jane. She accepts, and all are very happy.

In the meantime, Darcy leaves on a short business trip to London. While he is gone, Lady Catherine comes to Longbourn, and repeats a rumor she has heard that Elizabeth is to marry Darcy. She forbids Elizabeth to accept the proposal, but an offended Elizabeth refuses to promise her anything. Lady Catherine leaves in a huff.

After returning from his trip, Darcy one day tells Elizabeth that his affection has not changed. She then reveals that her feelings have changed, and that she would be happy to marry him. They then discuss how and why their sentiments changed since the first proposal. Darcy realized he had been wrong to act so proudly and place so much emphasis on class differences. Elizabeth realized that she had been wrong to judge Darcy prematurely, and to allow her judgment to be so affected by her vanity.

Both couples marry. Elizabeth and Darcy live at Pemberley. Jane and Bingley, after living in Netherfield for a year, decide to move to an estate near Pemberley. Kitty begins to spend most of her time with her two elder sisters, and her education and character begin to improve. Mary remains at home to keep her mother company. Mr. Bennet is very happy that his two oldest daughters have married so happily, Mrs. Bennet is glad that her daughters have married so prosperously.