Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen 1. Synopsis

Mr and Mrs Bennet lived at Longbourn house in Hertfordshire. They were an ill matched couple, he detached and ironic, she vulgar, gossipy and mainly engaged in seeking husbands for her five daughters. Jane, the eldest daughter was beautiful and good-natured. The second daughter Elizabeth was intelligent and high-spirited. Mrs Bennets hopes were aroused when a wealthy young man, Mr Bingley rented the house Netherfield in her neighborhood. The Bennet girls met Mr Bingley at a ball. Mr Bingley fell in love with Jane. Bingley had with him an Aristocratic friend named Darcy. Darcy offended Elizabeth by his arrogant manners and words. Mr Bingleys sister Caroline invited Jane to Netherfield. Jane got ill when she reached there, and so Elizabeth rushed there to take care of Jane. During Elizabeths short stay there Darcy was attracted towards her. But Elizabeth had a strong dislike for the proud Darcy Later Bingley and his group suddenly left for London. Caroline (Bingleys sister) and Darcy persuaded Bingley not to return to Netherfield. They thought it was beneath Mr Bingleys dignity to marry from Bennet family. They found Mrs Bennet and the younger Bennet sisters impossibly vulgar. Besides Caroline wanted to marry Darcy, and so wished to prevent him from meeting Elizabeth. Jane was disappointed as Mr Bingley did not return but she bore her disappointment calmly. Later she went to London and stayed with her uncle and aunt, the Gardiners. She hoped that she might meet Mr Bingley in London by chance. Meanwhile Mr Bennets cousin Mr Collins (Mr William Collins a rector under the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh who will inherit Mr Bennets entailed property on his death) had visited Longbourn and had proposed to Elizabeth. Rejected by Elizabeth (in spite of the financial convenience of such a marriage) he had transferred his attention to Elizabeths friend, Charlotte Lucas and had married her. Elizabeth visited the newly married couple at Hunsford and Mr Collins introduced Elizabeth to his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who was Darcys aunt. During this time Darcy came to meet his aunt. He felt deep love to the lively Elizabeth and proposed to her but he phrased his proposal in a condescending manner. Elizabeth rejected him for his pride and his role in separating Jane and Bingley. She also accused him of the unjust treatment of Mr George Wickham (an engaging young militia officer) who is the son of the steward of Darcys father. Darcy replied Elizabeth through a letter in which he explained everything to the satisfaction of Elizabeth. He thought that Jane did not love Bingley and moreover he was dissatisfied with the uncultured behaviour of Mrs Bennet and her younger daughters. Further he detailed in the letter that Mr Wickham was a selfish and unprincipled man who had actually tried to cheat him. Elizabeths misunderstandings about Darcy were now cleared and she began to blame herself for being prejudiced against him. Later Elizabeth accompanied the Gardiners on a tour to Derbyshire. It was in Derbyshire that Darcy had his estate and house (Pemberly estate). Believing that Darcy was not there Elizabeth visited his aristocratic house. But Darcy came there quite unexpectedly. His manners to Elizabeth and Gardiners were quite friendly and charming. Meanwhile news reached from Jane that Lydia, their youngest sister had run away with Mr Wickham. In her distress she told Darcy what had happened. Darcy rushed to London and found out Lydia and Wickham. He cleared the debts of Wickham and secured a job for him and arranged for his marriage with Lydia. But he kept his service as a secret. Elizabeth, however came to know about it from her aunt. Mr Bingley came back to Netherfield. He and Jane were again drawn to each other and they got engaged Darcys aunt Lady Catherine visited, Elizabeth and attempted to dissuade her from marrying Darcy. Elizabeth refused to promise that she would give up Darcy. Later

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from his own aunt Darcy learnt about Elizabeths regard for him. He met her and proposed to her a second time which she gratefully accepted Mrs Bennet was the happiest woman when Mr Bingley married Jane and Darcy married Elizabeth. Elizabeth moved to her husbands Pemberly estate. Jane and Bingley settled near the estate so that the two sisters could meet frequently.

2. Satire on social life and manners of her time.

Jane Austens novels present a truthful picture of the social life and manners of her time. Pride and Prejudice is a social comedy, which reveals her delightful sense of humour and psychological insight. In this novel Jane Austen has dealt with the life of a few families-the Bennets, the Lucases, the Bingleys and the Darcys. But these families present a microcosm of the English society of Jane Austens time. The Bennets represent the landed gentry or the middle class and the Bingleys represent the wealthy class associated with the trading community. Darcy and his aunt are aristocrats. The position of the Lucas family is that of the lower class. Mr Collins represents the clergy of that time. In Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen has created an amusing comedy of manners out of the life of these social classes.

3. Significance of the Title

Pride and Prejudice is the revised version of Jane Austens novel First Impressions. Jane Austen probably took this phrase from Fanny Burneys novel Cecilia (1782). The title reflects the theme of Jane Austens novel much better than the earlier title First Impressions. Darcy the hero of the novel represents pride and Elizabeth the heroine represents prejudice. Darcys pride and Elizabeths prejudice are the sources of the main conflicts in the novel. Darcy is portrayed as a proud aristocrat. His pride, as he himself admits, is the result of his upbringing. Elizabeth believes that Darcy is fully responsible for separating Jane and Bingley. This makes her prejudice against Darcy all the more violent. Finally when she hears of Darcys generosity towards Lydia, her prejudice is turned into love. Darcy has given up his pride chiefly because of the influence of Elizabeth. Freed from pride

and prejudice they understand the true worth of each other. 4. Character Sketches Fitz William Darcy

Darcy is the hero of the novel. Jane Austen has portrayed him as an antiromantic hero. He is insufferably proud. Although he is handsome and wealthy he displeases most people by his pride. Darcys reserved nature easily makes him unpopular. At the ball at Meryton most of the ladies think that he is the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world. Darcy is portrayed as a proud aristocrat. His pride, as he himself admits, is the result of his upbringing. He has been taught to view with contempt everyone outside his family circle. When Elizabeth rejected him he was shocked. He had realized that wealth and social superiority couldnt win the love of a worthy woman. He had humbled himself and had decided to give up his aristocratic pride. Darcy is finally rewarded for his integrity and nobility of heart. She is the intelligent and high-spirited heroine of the novel. Jane Austen herself has said that Elizabeth is as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print. Most of the events in the novel are presented through the consciousness of Elizabeth. Her wit and charm give a quality of liveliness to the entire novel. Elizabeth observes men and women and studies and analyses their character. Her judgments are almost always correct except in the case of Darcy. She is in a way proud of her own good sense and power of understanding. Darcys long letter is an eye opener to her. She realizes that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd in her estimate of Darcy. Moreover Elizabeth has a critical mind. Her love springs from mutual understanding and mutual recognition. Many critics have identified Elizabeth with her creator Jane Austen.

Elizabeth Bennet

Mr Bingley is one of the principal characters appearing in the novel. His character is drawn with less finish and subtlety. Bingley is much more sociable than Darcy or his own sisters. His manners are attractive, elegant and charming. Probably one chief weakness of Bingley is his extreme trust in Darcy. Their friendship is deep and intimate. Darcy is superior in intelligence. But Bingley is by no means deficient in intelligence. Bingley is easily pleased but Darcy is hard to please. Darcy has greater judgment too. Bingley is portrayed in the novel as somewhat ideal character. There is little change or development in his character. His faults are few and his virtues are many. But he achieves his virtues without any mental or moral struggle .

3 Mr Bingley

Compare and contrast Mrs Bennet and Mr Bennet Mr Bennet is a disillusioned husband who finds his wife to be silly and foolish. He develops an attitude of detachment and contempt towards his wife. Mrs.Bennet, on her part does not try to understand her husband. She lives in ignorance having neither noble feelings nor sensible manners. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet represent opposite temperaments. For all his indifference to his family Mr Bennet is a man of learning and taste. He has the powers of understanding and judgment. His manners are quite cultivated when he is with Darcy or Bingley.