Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 1813

     Pride and Prejudice is considered one of English literature's greatest works. Elizabeth is a woman beyond her time. While her mother and four sisters are each absorbed in finding a man to care for them, Elizabeth Bennett wants her sisters to marry for love, or at least someone they can respect. When Elizabeth's goals for her sisters intersect with her mother's goals the five girls attend a ball and Elizabeth Bennett meets Fitzwilliam Darcy.
     Elizabeth's older sister, Jane, falls in love with Darcy's friend Bingley. But Bingley is discouraged from pursuing their relationship by Darcy, who cites Mrs. Bennett and her youngest daughters' behavior as unfitting for relations of a man of Bingley's standing. When she discovers Darcy's intervention in the relationship between Jane and Bingley, Elizabeth confronts him and he confesses his love--against his better judgement--which Elizabeth then rejects.
     Darcy's pride prevents Elizabeth from realizing the potential for a successful romance. When he overcomes it, she must battle her own pride to accept an opportunity her younger sisters fight for. She does manage to accept Darcy's suit, as the heroine in any marriage plot does, but Darcy must work for her affections.
     After Lydia, the youngest of Elizabeth's sisters, runs away to marry Wickham and much family trauma, Elizabeth finds herself pining for the man who pines for her. They marry and live happily to the end of their days.
     Austen's marriage plot is more than simply a story about weddings: it illustrates the nuances of class interaction during the Regency Era. This "Novel of Manners" displays the values of the society of the Bennett girls and its feature of a strong female character is somewhat unusual for an eighteenth century novel. However, this independent woman resonates with modern readers. Elizabeth Bennett is a woman written for modern times, making this a class for readers young and old.