Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennet is fascinated with and repelled by Mr. Darcy, whose condescension and coldness have alienated her family and hometown. Their spirited banter is conducted in assembly-ball flirtations and drawing-room intrigues against the backdrop of 18th century English concerns of marriage, class, and reputation.

Romance and glee

After this third reading of Austen’s most popular book, I have concluded that the only things that improve the experience of reading Pride and Prejudice are sweet wine and fine chocolate. As I have these in my possession at present, this was the most delightful re-read.

In all seriousness, Pride and Prejudice does get better with re-reading. I think this is true of all Austen’s books. Modern readers often struggle to keep track of who’s whom and recall the societal significance of behaviors that today mean nothing (like Mr. Collins introducing himself to Mr. Darcy — the horror!) If you’ve finished an Austen novel once, it’s easier to keep track of characters, their relationships, the various settings, story timeline, etc. and simply enjoy the story the second (or third) time through.

Pride and Prejudice being Austen’s most famous and popular novel, it is also the book with the most adaptations and references throughout pop culture. It is impossible for me to read the book without hearing certain lines in the voice of the 1995 Alison Steadman’s Mrs. Bennet or picturing Jennifer Ehle’s face during certain moments of that miniseries. Whether that has influenced my opinions or review, I’ll leave for you to decide.

Austen’s famous wit shines in this story. There’s a reason Miss Elizabeth Bennet is so popular among readers throughout history and the world, and she is surrounded by silly, ridiculous, and absurd characters, like her parents, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine. Elizabeth dearly loves to laugh at anyone and anything she can; this book gives the reader plenty of opportunities to laugh with her.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: the archetypal hero

Mr. Darcy, one of the most famous figures from classic literature and certainly the best known character from this story, is actually (in my opinion) given the least accurate treatment in adaptations. The original Mr. Darcy is a rich character (metaphorically… though also literally). Austen’s proud hero is indeed cold, rude, and arrogant at the start of the story, but his awkwardness fades as he gets to know Elizabeth. He smiles frequently throughout the book. His behavior improves significantly after Elizabeth’s initial reproofs, so he spends about half the story as a truly amiable and friendly gentleman. His kindness and gentleness at the end is not so sudden or surprising to readers of the book as it is to the people around Lizzie (and in many adaptations).

Darcy has been cast as an almost two-dimensional “stuck up and brooding rich hero” in some of general pop culture, a paper-thin idea of a character usually portrayed with Colin Firth’s RBF. Many on-screen Mr. Darcys find their greatest moments in delivering romantic speeches, which owe their appeal to the traditional eloquence of every gentleman in Austen’s time period. These screen figures sometimes pale in comparison to the responsible, caring man in the original pages of Austen’s nuanced, complicated world. (If you want an example of a true “brooding hero,” try Jane Eyre‘s Mr. Rochester. He’s a piece of work.)

World famous love story

While we share plenty of similarities, I am very different from Elizabeth Bennet; I do not want my own Mr. Darcy. (I’d go for Jane or Lizzie, personally, but queer adaptations of Jane Austen are sadly not on this summer’s blog schedule.) But the beauty of the couple’s love story, and the fun romance of spirited banter which society views with surprise and disapproval, is undeniable.

The roles and expectations of society within Austen’s lifetime are major thematic and driving elements of her work. I’d argue this is especially true for Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy’s family and money are the primary source of his pride and place in societal hierarchy, and directly influence his initial opinions and treatment of Elizabeth and her family. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is born a gentleman’s daughter, but in a man’s world to a family destined to poverty.

These themes and the way relationships developed in 18th century England are directly relatable to many Eastern cultures today, leading Pride and Prejudice to be especially popular with modern Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and other Asian audiences. Meanwhile, modern European and American audiences still resonate with a heroine seeking to find love, happiness, and equality in a world that values the opinions and decisions of men and money more than her own.

Mr. Darcy breaks from societal expectations to be with the one he loves, but only after recognizing the value and worth of her world. Elizabeth finds love against all odds when a man she once scorned and humiliated becomes the dearest person in the world to her, as he befriends her relatives, rescues her family’s honor, and restores her sister’s happiness.

Conclusion

I feel I haven’t given much in the way of opinions or critique of this book. But what is there to say? Academics, filmmakers, reviewers, musicians, writers have all covered Pride and Prejudice hundreds of times over. The characters, writing, themes, pacing, and plot have all been dissected and critiqued and admired for centuries. I have nothing to add but the declarations of my own enjoyment I’ve shared here today.

If you only ever read one Austen novel, you can’t go wrong with Pride and Prejudice. It’s available in 35 languages and touches on themes that have resonated with readers from nearly every country in the world. I wish you happy reading.