Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice.

CreateSpace; 2010 (originally published in 1813),

ISBN: 1453837736.

Reader’s Annotation

Mr. Darcy is too proud to admit that he loves Elizabeth, and Elizabeth biased to realize that she doesn’t really know the truth.

Plot Summary

When Mr. Bingley, a wealthy and single man, moves in, Mrs. Bennet can’t wait for him to meet her five daughters.  As Austen writes, “A single man of large fortune must be in want of a wife.”  Mr. Bingley did not come alone.  Besides his two sisters and his brother-in-law, his brought his good friend, Mr. Darcy.  The village quickly finds out that Mr. Darcy is an extremely rich man, but unfortunately, his taciturn personality turns people off and he is quite unpopular.  Though Mr. Bingley immediately is attracted to the eldest daughter, Jane, Mr. Darcy refuses to dance and inadvertently insults the protagonist Elizabeth.  Lizzie, as her family calls her is quick-witted and lively, and after insulting her, Mr. Darcy begins to pay more attention to her.  As the story goes on, Elizabeth and Darcy have alternating conflicts and heated debates.  When Mr. Wickham comes to town, everything changes.  After Elizabeth sees Darcy freeze and then turn his back on Mr. Wickham, Wickham tell her a story about how he and Darcy grew up as friends together, and eventually Darcy cheated him out of an inheritance.  Elizabeth, who’s attracted to Wickham, despises Darcy for the incident, and also the fact that Darcy helped breakup Bingley and Jane.  Sometime later when Darcy confesses that he loves Elizabeth, she coldly refuses him.  Before she leaves the area the next day, Darcy gives her a letter explaining the true story of him and Mr. Wickham.  Elizabeth feels terrible at misjudging Darcy, and when they encounter each other sometime later, they seem to get a fresh start.  Until a huge scandal hits Elizabeth’s family, it involves none other than Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth’s youngest sister Lydia.

Critical Evaluation

Jane Austen is acclaimed at being one of the finest authors, and she captures the life of the middle class gentry of her day.  She manages to describe her characters in such a way that you are certain that you are reading about someone you know.  The fact that Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813, and is wildly popular today indicates exactly how accurately Austen portrays human nature.  The relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy remains one of the most celebrated love stories in literary history.  The character of Elizabeth is amazingly smart, strong and funny—quite remarkable for its time.

Information about the Author

Jane Austen was born in December 1775 to Rev. George Austen and his wife Cassandra.  Austen, the sixth of seven children, had only one older sister, to whom she was very close.  Jane and her sister were sent to boarding school at an early age for their education which consisted mainly of French, music and dancing.  Back at home jane was free to continue her education through reading and learning whatever her brothers and father could teach her. Although Austen never married, she did have several liaisons.  Her writing career culminated in six highly successful novels that have been the measuring stick for romances stories since the 1800s.  All of Austen’s works were published anonymously, and it was not 1814, after Pride and Prejudice  Austen had an especially close relationship to her brother Henry, and he served as her literary agent until her death in 1817. that Austen’s identity became known.

Genre

Classic Fiction

Romance

Curriculum Tie-ins

English Literature

               

Booktalk Ideas

1. Why do you think that Elizabeth was so quick to believe Mr. Wickham when he told his story about Darcy?
2. Do you think that Wickham loved Lydia?
3. Discuss Charlotte Lucas--what do you think of her decision to marry Mr. Collins?

 Reading level/Interest age

Ages 12-Adult

 Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

This novel has been made into countless movies and adaptations.  And a hilarious version of it was made, called Pride and Prejudice and Vampires.

Great Quote from the Book:

“Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.”