Pride and Prejudice

Setting – Primarily a fictional town in 19^th century England

Author – Jane Austen, who never married and was supported by her father and brother

Characters –

         Elizabeth…is the second oldest/prettiest of the Bennet sisters. She is confidant, especially in her ability to judge people (making her “prejudice”), and only wants to marry for love, which is honestly impractical for the time in which she lives. Her number one priority is the happiness of her sister, Jane.

Darcy…initially comes off as pompous and antisocial, but we learn that he is a dedicated older brother and kind on the inside. He faces the pressures of social class that initially make his attraction to Lizzy unacceptable.

         Jane…is reserved and very pure. She is not forward, and this loses her the company of Bingley temporarily. She believes in the best in people, though not in herself. She is the oldest/prettiest of the Bennets.

         Mr. and Mrs. Bennet…are essentially opposites of each other and the parents of Jane, Elizabeth, and the rest of the Bennet sisters.

         Mr. Bingley…is Darcy’s best friend and Jane’s love interest.

         Mr. Wickham…is an officer in the militia with a complicated past with the Darcys.

         Lydia Bennet…is the youngest of the Bennet sisters and the most selfish/like her mother.

         Mr. Collins…is a cousin to the Bennets, a clergyman, and the man set to inherit the Bennet estate.

Plot Summary –

The Bennet family hears news that a wealthy gentleman of the name Bingley is moving into a nearby manor. Mrs. Bennet, determined to get one of her five unmarried daughters married off to an affluent man, insists that Mr. Bennet meet with Bingley. Mr. Bennet feigns disinterest, visiting him nonetheless. Bingley returns the visit, and later brings his sisters and friend Mr. Darcy to the manor with him.

         The Bingley party and the Bennets attend a ball at which Bingley shows interest in the oldest Bennet daughter, Jane. At this ball, Darcy acts extremely unapproachable, earning the dislike of the public. Elizabeth, the second oldest Bennet daughter, overhears Darcy insult her.

Bingley’s sisters acquaint themselves with Jane and Elizabeth, and while Jane and Bingley grow closer, Darcy finds himself curiously attracted to Elizabeth, which does not suit Bingley’s sister’s desires.

The Bingleys invite Jane over to their manor. Mrs. Bennet hatches a scheme in which Jane will get sick, and therefore will have to stay with the Bingleys for more than a day. Her plan works, and Jane falls ill. Elizabeth walks the full three miles to the manor to take care of her sister. The Bingley sisters scoff at her action while Bingley and Darcy defend her.

During Jane’s and Elizabeth’s stay, Elizabeth witnesses Miss Bingley’s affinity for Darcy and learns of his close relationship with his little sister. Darcy grows more attracted to Elizabeth, to Miss Bingley’s dismay, as Elizabeth shows more independence, but he doesn’t like this because Elizabeth is not of his social class.

Elizabeth and Jane go home. The relative set to inherit the Bennet property after Mr. Bennet dies, Mr. Collins, comes to visit. He talks endlessly of his neighbor, Lady Catherine, and acts pompously. While visiting a nearby town with the Bennet sisters, they meet Mr. Wickham, a charming man there with the militia. Darcy and Bingley also pass by, and tension is obvious between Wickham and Darcy, which intrigues Elizabeth. Wickham is invited to dine with the Bennets, and he and Elizabeth talk and discuss Darcy. Elizabeth trusts Wickham and develops a crush on him while her dislike for Darcy grows.

Bingley throws a ball. Elizabeth was looking forward to dancing with Wickham, but he doesn’t show up. She instead dances with Mr. Collins twice and even with Darcy. Mr. Collins find out about Darcy’s relation to Lady Catherine and introduces/embarrasses himself, not noticing Darcy’s poor response.

Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth denies repeatedly, but Mr. Collins foolishly thinks that she’s following some sort of custom until Mrs. Bennet tells him that she’ll force Elizabeth to marry him. Mr. Bennet allows Elizabeth to make her own decision, upsetting Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Collins proposes to their neighbor/Elizabeth’s best, pragmatic friend, Charlotte, later that week. Elizabeth is shocked by the news and doesn’t want to accept that her friend would marry such a man.

Miss Bingley sends Jane a letter saying that they have all returned to London with no plans of returning and heavily implying that Bingley will marry Darcy’s sister. Elizabeth tells Jane that Miss Bingley is only creating this situation, but Jane doesn’t believe her.

         Jane is invited to stay in London with Mrs. Bennet’s brother and sister-in-law, the Gardiners, when they come to visit. Mrs. Gardiner observes Elizabeth, too, disapproving of Wickham. From London, Jane writes to Lizzy that she called upon Miss Bingley, but that Miss Bingley was distant and cold. Jane now believes Lizzy in her assessment of why the Bingley’s left.

         Lizzy and Wickham lose interest in each other.

         Lizzy sets off to spend time with Charlotte and Mr. Collins. On her way there, she visits Jane and the Gardiners, who plan to take her on a tour later in the year. Charlotte, Mr. Collins, and Elizabeth dine with Lady Catherine, a very unpleasant and condescending woman. Her daughter is “sickly,” but Lady Catherine has already decided that she will be marrying Darcy. Darcy visits Lady Catherine with his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. The two also visit Elizabeth and Charlotte. Lizzy likes the colonel, and the three of them see each other often. In conversation, Fitzwilliam lets slip that Darcy prevented an imprudent marriage for Bingley, angering Lizzy. Later, to Lizzy surprise, Darcy proposes to Lizzy. In doing so, he ends up insulting her heritage. Lizzy refuses the offer and lets Darcy know exactly why she refuses.

         Darcy writes Lizzy a letter explaining, but not necessarily apologizing for, his actions concerning Jane, Bingley, and Wickham. Lizzy is conflicted after reading the letter, unsure of what she feels about Darcy. Both Lizzy and Jane return home. Lizzy tells Jane about Wickham, but they decide to keep it private. She sees Wickham one more time before the militia leaves for Brighton, but they do not act the same as they did before to each other; both have their guard up. Lydia accompanies the militia to Brighton while Elizabeth goes off with the Gardiners for the summer.

         Elizabeth agrees to tour Darcy’s estate, Pemberley, because she thinks he won’t be home. There, Darcy’s housekeeper raves about him extensively, and Mrs. Gardiner cannot see why Lizzy felt any ill will towards him. Darcy does show up, and he acts charming and polite to the Gardiners, further confusing Lizzy. He even wishes for Lizzy to meet his little sister, Georgiana. Georgiana and Lizzy get along well, but Miss Bingley is also present and openly cold to Lizzy.

         Jane sends Lizzy two letters. They are rushed and say that Lydia has run off with Wickham. Distressed, Lizzy calls for her aunt and uncle, but Darcy finds her and cannot comfort her. They both blame themselves for the situation. Lizzy and the Gardiners leave at once.

         The family waits while Mr. Gardiner meets Mr. Bennet in London to help search for Lydia and Wickham, but Mr. Bennet returns home after being unsuccessful. Mr. Gardiner writes the Bennet’s, telling them that the two were found and an arrangement made. Everyone believes that the Gardiners are paying Wickham off, but Lizzy learns that it was Darcy who saved the family’s reputation. Her opinion of him has now reversed entirely.

         Lydia is completely oblivious to the consequences of her actions, and everyone but her mother and Kitty is happy to see her leave. Mr. Bennet forbids Kitty from visiting her.

         Bingley returns from London with Darcy. Bingley returns his attentions on Jane, and the two become engaged.

Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth. She accuses Elizabeth of a relationship with Darcy, and orders her not to accept an offer of marriage from him if she has not already done so. Elizabeth, surprised that Lady Catherine has heard that Darcy still intends to marry her, does not promise her anything, and Lady Catherine is forced to leave dissatisfied.

Mr. Collins sends a letter to Mr. Bennet also warning of Lizzy’s and Darcy’s engagement, and Mr. Bennet, who still thinks Lizzy loathes Darcy, brushes the idea off with a laugh. But Darcy does return and asks Mr. Bennet for permission to marry Lizzy. Mr. Bennet only requires that Lizzy is sure that she loves Darcy. She is, and the two become engaged.

Lizzy and Darcy and Jane and Bingley marry. Bingley buys an estate near Darcy’s. And they live happily ever after, etc.

Theme –Societal pressures and expectations create potentially damaging/blinding pride and prejudice and should not be put before/motivate the individual's sense of self.
Narrative Voice/Author’s Style – P&P is written in the third person, limited point of view. We see and experience most things as Elizabeth does, often with direct access to her thoughts, and therefore we tend to share her opinions, too. The tone is comedic, often mocking the attitudes of Mrs. Bennet and the pompousness of Mr. Collins. Both characters are very focused on social class and connections.

Quotes –

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

“Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune.”

         These two quotes establish the society’s expectations

Elizabeth, to Mr. Collins: You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world to make you so. 
This quote demonstrates Elizabeth's priorities and strong sense of self as well as her prejudice, though if there's one character who's earned her prejudice, it's Mr. Collins.

Elizabeth: I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.
Elizabeth has reached her moment of self-knowledge, realizing that she had been closed-minded, blinded by her own faults.