Pride and Prejudice

• Summary:

Pride and Prejudice follows main character Elizabeth Bennet, where she will encounter multiple issues found in the society of the landed gentry, during nineteenth-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five other daughters named Jane, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet wish to find Elizabeth and her four sisters a suitable husband to marry, one with a fair amount of wealth at that. The rich and single Mr. Bingley moves into the Bennet's neighborhood, and is immediately attracted to Jane Bennet. Through the relationship between Mr. Bingley and Jane, Elizabeth will be in frequent company with Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley's rich and prideful friend. Elizabeth will have to overcome her prejudice as Mr. Darcy overcomes his pride so that they both eventually get married and live happily ever after.

Landed gentry - British social class consisting of landowners; upper class. 

• Main Characters:

• Elizabeth Bennet - Protagonist of the novel, story is told from her perspective, judges others on first impression (origin of "Prejudice" in the title)

• Mr. Darcy - Male protagonist, very prideful due to his immense wealth (origin of "Pride" in the novel's title)

• Mr. and Mrs. Bennet - Both work to see that their daughters will receive wealth after they pass away.

• Mr. Bingley - Falls in love with Jane, without him Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy would never meet.

• Theme: 
• The theme that created even the title "Pride and Prejudice" and was certainly a great issue in nineteenth-century England is class. Darcy's first impressions of Elizabeth are molded by his upper class background as he acts snobbishly to her at first. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's love for each other is only achieved after they free themselves from the shackles of class and status.

• Symbols: 
• It is noted that Elizabeth finds great solace in the outdoors and enjoys rambling on by herself  in such places as Netherfield's Garden. Elizabeth is imposed upon when she finds that Mr. Darcy has discovered her favorite walking path. The sight of Elizabeth and Darcy walking together represents their marriage that is to come. The outdoors, to Elizabeth, symbolizes freedom and peace.

• Literary Techniques:
• Conflict - Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are conflicted due to their sense of pride and prejudice that causes them to misunderstand each other.

• Characterization - Austen uses direct characterization to illustrate the differences between characters in the novel.
• For Example - Mr. Bingley is described as,"good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners" whereas Darcy is described as, "Proud to be aboe his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared wit his friend"