"Pride and Prejudice" is an 1813 novel by Jane Austen that explores themes of social manners, marriage, and personal growth through its protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. Set in Regency England, it humorously critiques societal pressures regarding marriage and wealth, ultimately advocating for love and genuine understanding over superficial connections.
"Pride and Prejudice" (1813) is a novel by Jane Austen that follows Elizabeth Bennet's journey of overcoming hasty judgments and learning the difference between superficial and true goodness. Set in Regency England, the story humorously depicts manners, education, and marriage, driven by the need for the five Bennet daughters to marry well due to their precarious financial situation. The novel emphasizes marrying for love over social status and has become a highly popular literary work.
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| Back | Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 romantic novel of manners written by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and eventually comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. A classic piece filled with comedy, its humour lies in its honest depiction of manners, education, marriage and money during the Regency era in Great Britain. Quick facts: Author, Working title … Mr Bennet of Longbourn estate has five daughters, but because his property is entailed it can only be passed from male heir to male heir. Since his wife also lacks an inheritance, Mr Bennet's family will be destitute upon his death. Thus it is imperative that at least one of the girls marry well to support the others, which is a motivation that drives the plot. Jane Austen's opening line--"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"—is a sentence filled with irony and sets the tone for the book. The novel revolves around the importance of marrying for love, not for money or social prestige, despite the communal pressure to make a good (i.e., wealthy) match. Pride and Prejudice has consistently appeared near the top of lists of "most-loved books" among literary scholars and the reading public. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature with over 20 million copies sold, and has inspired many derivatives that abound in modern literature. For more than a century, amateur and professional dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, films, and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice have portrayed the memorable characters and themes of the novel, reaching mass audiences. The 2005 film Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, is the most recent film adaptation that closely represents the book, with the 2016 action, comedy, and horror spin-off Pride and Prejudice and Zombies being the most recent Hollywood film adaptation. Plot summary The novel is set in rural England in the early 19th century. Mrs Bennet attempts to persuade Mr Bennet to visit Mr Bingley, a rich bachelor recently arrived in the neighbourhood. After some verbal sparring with her husband, Mrs Bennet believes he will not call on Mr Bingley. Shortly after, he visits Netherfield, Mr Bingley's rented residence, much to Mrs Bennet's delight. The visit is followed by an invitation to a ball at the local assembly rooms that the entire neighbourhood will attend. At the ball, Mr Bingley’s friendly and cheerful manner makes him popular with guests. He appears attracted to Jane Bennet (the Bennets' eldest daughter), with whom he dances twice. Bingley's friend, Mr Darcy, reputed to be twice as wealthy, is haughty and aloof, causing a decided dislike of him. He declines to dance with Elizabeth (the Bennets' second eldest daughter), stating she is not attractive enough to tempt him. Elizabeth finds this amusing and jokes about it with her sisters. Mr Bingley's sister, Caroline, later invites Jane to Netherfield for dinner. On her way there, Jane is caught in a rain shower and develops a bad cold, forcing her to stay at Netherfield to recuperate. When Elizabeth goes to see Jane, Mr Darcy finds himself becoming attracted to Elizabeth, while Miss Bingley grows jealous, as she herself has designs on Mr Darcy. |
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