SUMMARY

Set in the early 1800s, in the fictional town of Merton, live the Bennett family, who are
comfortably well off with a family of five daughters. Mrs Bennett, their silly empty-headed
mother, is obsessed with marrying them off, especially as the modest family estate is to be
inherited by William Collins when Mr. Bennet dies. At a ball, the newly arrived Charles
Bingley takes an immediate interest in the beautiful and shy Jane. The encounter between his
friend Darcy and Elizabeth is less friendly. Although Austen shows them intrigued by each
other, she reverses the convention of first impressions: pride of rank and fortune and prejudice
against the social inferiority of Elizabeth’s family hold Darcy aloof, while Elizabeth is equally
fired both by the pride of self-respect and by prejudice against Darcy’s arrogance.
Collins subsequently arrives, hoping to marry one of the Bennet sisters. Elizabeth, however,
refuses his offer of marriage, and he instead becomes engaged to her friend Charlotte Lucas.
During this time, Elizabeth encounters George Wickham. There is a mutual attraction between
the two, and he informs her that Darcy has denied him his inheritance.
After Bingley abruptly departs for London, Elizabeth’s dislike of Darcy increases as she
becomes convinced that he is discouraging Bingley’s relationship with Jane. Darcy, however,
has grown increasingly fond of Elizabeth, admiring her intelligence and vitality. While visiting
the now-married Charlotte, Elizabeth sees Darcy, who professes his love for her and proposes.
A surprised Elizabeth refuses his offer, and, when Darcy demands an explanation, she accuses
him of breaking up Jane and Bingley. Darcy subsequently writes Elizabeth a letter in which
he explains that he separated the couple largely because he did not believe Jane returned
Bingley’s affection. He also discloses that Wickham, after squandering his inheritance, tried
to marry Darcy’s then 15-year-old sister in an attempt to gain possession of her fortune. With
these revelations, Elizabeth begins to see Darcy in a new light.
Shortly thereafter, the youngest Bennet sister, Lydia, elopes with Wickham. The news is met
with great alarm by Elizabeth, since the scandalous affair—which is unlikely to end in
marriage—could ruin the reputation of the other Bennet sisters. When she tells Darcy, he
persuades Wickham to marry Lydia, offering him money. Despite Darcy’s attempt to keep his
intervention a secret, Elizabeth learns of his actions. At the encouragement of Darcy, Bingley
subsequently returns, and he and Jane become engaged. Finally, Darcy proposes again to
Elizabeth, who this time accepts.

I. MAIN PARAGRAPHS
1. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable
fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his
mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to
his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting them both, he had
removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period
Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled
by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. For, though elated by his
rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody.

The introduction of the Lucases allows Austen to comment on the pretensions that
accompany social rank. Sir William remains a sympathetic figure despite his
snobbery, but the same cannot be said of Bingley’s sister, whose class-consciousness
becomes increasingly evident. Awareness of class difference is a crucial reality in
Pride and Prejudice. This awareness colors the attitudes that characters of different
social status feel toward one another. This awareness cuts both ways: as Darcy and
Elizabeth demonstrate, the well-born and the socially inferior prove equally likely to
harbor prejudices that blind them to others’ true natures.

2. “Oh! certainly,” cried his faithful assistant, “no one can be really esteemed accomplished
who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough
knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the
word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of
walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-
 deserved.” “All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add
something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” “I am
no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at
your knowing any.” “Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all
this?” “I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application,
and elegance, as you describe united.”

Language proves of central importance to relationships in Pride and Prejudice, as

Austen uses conversation to reveal character. The interactions between Darcy and
Elizabeth primarily take the forms of joke and argument, and Elizabeth’s words
provide Darcy access to a deeper aspect of her character, one that appeals to him and
allows him to begin to move past his initial prejudice. While their disagreement over
the possibility of a “perfect” woman reinforces his apparent egoism, it also gives
Elizabeth a chance to shine in debate. Whereas she does not live up to Darcy’s physical
and social requirements for a perfect woman, she exceeds those concerning the
“liveliness” of the perfect woman’s mind.

3. “She did, indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at
all! Why must she be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold? Her hair,
so untidy, so blowsy!” “Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep
in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing
its office.”“Your picture may be very exact, Louisa,” said Bingley; “but this was all lost upon
me. I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well when she came into the room
this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice.”“You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I am
sure,” said Miss Bingley; “and I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your
sister make such an exhibition.”“Certainly not.” “To walk three miles, or four miles, or five
miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she
mean by it? It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most
country-town indifference to decorum.” “It shows an affection for her sister that is very
pleasing,” said Bingley.“I am afraid, Mr. Darcy,” observed Miss Bingley in a half
whisper,“that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes.”“Not at
all,” he replied; “they were brightened by the exercise.”

In these chapters, the narrator portrays Miss Bingley as Elizabeth’s opposite—foolish

where the heroine is ingenious, desperate for Darcy’s attention while Elizabeth
disdains him. Bingley’s sister spends her energy attempting to conform to what she
perceives to be Darcy’s idea of a perfect woman. Her embarrassingly obvious flirtation
makes her a figure of a parody of the upper-class woman. By toadying up to Darcy,
she ends up losing him to Elizabeth, despite the fact that Elizabeth does not make any
attempt to appeal to him. By showing Miss Bingley as a scheming rival for Darcy’s
love whose tactics are uninspired, the novel highlights Elizabeth’s originality and
independence of spirit, and suggests that these, not the laundry list of accomplishments
that Darcy gives, are the qualities that Darcy truly desires in a woman. His rejection
of Miss Bingley’s advances, then, serves to improve the reader’s opinion of Darcy, as
his ability to admire a social inferior separates him from ultra-elitist snobs such as
Miss Bingley.

II. CRITICAL APPRECIATION

From the opening lines of “any man in possession of a large fortune must be in want
of a wife” comes one of the most memorable of novels in the history of the world. I
think the plot is very witty and amusing, and it is an interesting insight into what
women’s life was like at the time. Equally, I love the wonderful and spirited Lizzie
Bennett, with her wit and humor. Also, I like the way the Bennett’s are portrayed, and
the way Mrs Bennett is obsessed with marrying the daughters off, and how Mr Bennett
and the daughters put up with it. I also like the way Jane Austen makes fun of people.
She pokes fun at Lady Catherine, who is Mr Darcy’s aunt, and she ridicules the upper
class all the time.