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113 Pride And Prejudice Essay Topics For Students

Picking out a good enough ENL essay topic can be daunting, especially if you’re a university student who is unfamiliar with the book. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has diverse themes and topics to pick from, each one as interesting as the next.

From controversial relationships to societal restraints and so on, diversity makes it easy to pick the best topic for your paper. If you still have problems picking the right topics for your Pride and Prejudice research papers, there are countless professional US writers online, who can help you write your custom essays at cheap rates.

Suggested Essay Topics for Pride and Prejudice

• Explain the importance of first impressions.
• Highlight the different social issues represented in the book.
• Describe the limitations female characters are faced with in Pride and Prejudice.
• Explain how influential Mrs. Bennett was to her children.
• Describe the similarities between Elizabeth and the rest of her family.
• Describe the differences between Elizabeth and the rest of her family.
• Explain how the family was used as a tool for keeping characters in check.
• Describe the family as a key part of determining how the characters progress.
• Describe how Elizabeth’s choice of love over economic security shaped the outcome of the whole novel.
• Write on how Elizabeth came to realize the negative effects of her rigidity and pride.
• Explain how family plays a role in passing on the wrong values about marriage.
• Explain how family passes on flawed gender roles.
• Explain Mr. Bennett’s impact on his children.
• Which minor character would have played a better role as the main character. How?
• Which main character would have played a better role as a minor character. How?

Persuasive Topics For Pride And Prejudice

• The ripple effects of one’s actions on others and the society at large, based on Lydia’s character.
• The effects of judging others based solely on their reputation.
• Analyse the effects of one’s reputation on how one sees the world.
• Mr. Collins’s view on class systems can help structure the economy: discuss.
• Describe how accurately Pride and Prejudice depicted life in the 19th century.
• Explain how the title “First Impressions” better suits the book.
• Explain how the title “Pride and Prejudice” better suits the book.
• Analyse the shortcomings of the book in properly depicting life in 19th century Britain.
• Explain how Elizabeth’s standards sometimes posed as a hindrance to her.
• Using Mrs. Bennett, explain how marriage does not translate to long-lasting social stability.
• Describe how Elizabeth’s troubles before marriage still appear today.
• Compared to the 19th-century family dynamics, is the present world making progress?
• What characters thoroughly embody the title of the book, and how?
• Explain Mr. Bennett’s love for his children.
• Does the book reflect 19th-century views on marriage?
• Describe the ways the Bennett family shows their love.

Marriage In Pride And Prejudice Essay Topics

• Describe the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth as a misogynistic relationship.
• Discuss the different challenges Elizabeth and Darcy had to go through before they got married.
• Compare and contrast the marriages of Elizabeth and Darcy, and Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins.
• Discuss the importance of family dynamics in determining how the younger ones view marriage.
• Discuss the assigned roles for each gender in marriage.
• Explain the importance of reputation in determining the marriageability of selected female characters.
• Give your opinion on the thought that being married is the only guarantee to being happy.
• Discuss Lydia’s response to reputation being a key factor in being marriageable.
• Is the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth worth emulating by youngsters nowadays? Discuss
• What societal norms in the book are being blatantly rejected or combated in modern times?
• Describe key events during Darcy’s courtship of Elizabeth, and relate them to modern-day courtship practices.
• Explain using Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship, the kind of love that is not limited by reputations and social restraints.
• Analyse the reactions of Elizabeth’s family after she rejected Darcy and Mr. Collins.
• Explain how Mr. Collins would have been a better match for Elizabeth.
• Describe how gender roles are passed on in marriage.

Pride And Prejudice Discussion Questions

• Compared to the book, is the movie adaptation up to par? How so?
• Discuss the aspects of the book you consider to be most important.
• Discuss how the dialogue between characters played a vital role in how the book turned out.
• Discuss how each class is depicted and represented, using key examples.
• Discuss how Lydia’s elopement with Wickham can be considered her trying to be free.
• Discuss how Mrs. Bennett’s involvement in her children’s lives can be seen in modern times.
• Describe each character as a representative of specific old British traditions.
• Outline some questions the author left unanswered, and propose suitable answers for them.
• Outline some instances where Elizabeth’s integrity worked in her favor.
• Discuss how Elizabeth saw herself as slightly better than those around her.
• Explain how Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth could be considered fickle.
• Explain how Elizabeth’s letters helped in building her as a character.
• Explain how Darcy can be seen as the bad guy.

Pride And Prejudice Literary Analysis Essay Topics

• How does the book Pride and Prejudice influence the minds of young readers in modern-day society?
• Explain the character development processes of select characters from the book, throughout the book.
• Write on how the societal norms of Pride and Prejudice closely resemble those of modern-day society.
• Describe the character, Darcy, stating clearly, your overall opinions on him and his role in the book.
• Describe the various social structures available in the book Pride and Prejudice, and relate them to modern-day society.
• Describe the distinct roles of males and females, as depicted in the book.
• Pick a minor character from the book, and discuss how their roles affected the main characters.
• How do reputation and social structure impact the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth?
• Analyse marriage from the male point of view, and write an essay on how the gender roles of males determine their choice of partners.
• Explain how Elizabeth’s family connections influenced Darcy’s marriage proposals.
• Explain how Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage defied the societal restrictions placed on them.
• Explain how Lydia and Wickham’s eloping defied the societal restrictions placed on them.
• Describe the characters based on the traditions of privileged people.

Pride And Prejudice Critical Essay Topics

• The importance of social structures in maintaining order in any society.
• Describe the role older members of a family play in determining the future of the younger ones.
• While the happy ending satisfied countless readers, write an alternative ending to the book.
• Explain how Elizabeth’s marriage to Darcy can influence the mindset of youngsters towards marriage today.
• Explain the differences between how much influence Catherine de Bourgh and Mrs. Bennet had over their children.
• Discuss Elizabeth’s pride as seen in the book.
• Discuss Darcy’s prejudiced view of Elizabeth.
• Describe Darcy’s misogynistic views of Elizabeth and his expectations for her.
• Analyse the differences between Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s motives towards marriage.
• List how three morals of the story can influence modern society.
• Describe the characters that developed the most.
• Describe the characters developed the least.
• What characters remained unchanged?
• Relate some elements that are common in our society today.

Jane Austen Research Paper Topics

• Give your opinion on the theory that Jane Austen revealed a piece of herself in the book Pride and Prejudice.
• Highlight some instances where Jane Austen harped on irony in the book Pride and Prejudice.
• Describe the characters of the book who did not conform to the restrictions placed on them, with clear examples.
• Discuss the importance of integrity, as seen in Elizabeth’s life.
• Explain how the author projects true love as a force that transcends all else.
• Explain the author’s focus on class using characters as examples.
• Write an essay on how the author thoroughly showed instances of pride and prejudice throughout the book.
• Give examples of how each character embodies qualities that the author does not agree with.
• Describe the similarities between Elizabeth’s challenges before marriage and those of the author.
• Explain how Elizabeth’s happy ending showed the author how her life could have gone.
• Explain the relationship between happiness and wealth.
• Is Mr. Bennett a good father?
• Is Mrs. Bennett a good mother?

Pride And Prejudice Essay Questions Worth Answering

• Considering how the world views reputation now, is the world truly moving forward, backward?
• If Darcy had not interfered in Wickham’s choice, would he have married Lydia instead?
• How does the book show the rigidity of society’s tenets?
• Would it help to apply the lessons learned in today’s society?
• To what extent does the book mirror modern-day society?
• How can Lydia’s choice to elope not be seen as selfish?
• Juxtapose between the motive behind Elizabeth’s and Lydia’s marriages.
• Would Darcy have been happier with Lydia?
• Would Elizabeth have been happier with Mr. Collins?
• What part of the bookmarked a pivotal point for the main characters?
• Would Lydia have been happier with Darcy?
• How did Elizabeth come to know herself?
• Can Mr. Be said to be a wise man?
• Why is social class important in this book?

Here you go – a complete list of excellent Pride and Prejudice topics for any taste. Feel free to use them, but you’re trying to compose an essay to no avail, turn to our professional essay writers for help – they will be happy to assist!

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Pride and Prejudice

Jane austen.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Pride and Prejudice: Introduction

Pride and prejudice: plot summary, pride and prejudice: detailed summary & analysis, pride and prejudice: themes, pride and prejudice: quotes, pride and prejudice: characters, pride and prejudice: symbols, pride and prejudice: literary devices, pride and prejudice: quizzes, pride and prejudice: theme wheel, brief biography of jane austen.

Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice

Other books related to pride and prejudice.

• Full Title: Pride and Prejudice
• When Written: 1797-1812
• Where Written: Bath, Somerset, England
• When Published: 1813
• Literary Period: Classicism/Romanticism
• Genre: Novel of manners
• Setting: Hertfordshire, London, and Pemberley, all in England at some time during the Napoleonic Wars (1797–1815)
• Climax: The search for Lydia and Wickham
• Antagonist: There is no single antagonist. The sins of pride and prejudice function as the main antagonizing force
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Silver Screen? Pride and Prejudice was first adapted for movies in a 1940 production starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. It was again filmed in 1995, as a mini-series for A&E Television, featuring Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. The most recent production stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and was filmed in 2005.

First Impressions: Austen's initial title for her manuscript was "First Impressions." Though the book was eventually published as Pride and Prejudice , the initial title hints at the story's concern for social appearances and the necessity of finding people's true qualities beneath the surface.

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A Summary and Analysis of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Pride and Prejudice , published in 1813, is Jane Austen’s best-known and probably most widely studied novel. But what does the novel mean? What is it really all about? And where did that title, Pride and Prejudice , come from?

Before we attempt to answer some of these questions, it might be worth recapping the plot of Austen’s novel. So, before our analysis of Pride and Prejudice , here’s a brief plot summary.

Pride and Prejudice : plot summary

A wealthy man named Mr Bingley moves to the area, and Mrs Bennet – mother of five daughters – tells her husband to call on the eligible young bachelor. A match between Bingley and the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, is soon in the works – but a match between another rich bachelor, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the second-eldest Bennet daughter, Elizabeth, looks less likely.

This is because Mr Darcy’s pride – his haughty attitude towards Elizabeth Bennet and her family – sour her view towards him, while Elizabeth’s prejudice towards Mr Darcy is also a stumbling-block. After he acts in an arrogant and disdainful way towards her at a ball, she learns from a young soldier, Mr George Wickham, that Darcy apparently mistreated him.

Wickham is the son of a man who used to be Darcy’s steward or servant, and Darcy acted unkindly towards the young George. Darcy’s and Bingley’s sisters conspire to drive a wedge between Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet because they believe Bingley can find a wife from a better social station than the Bennets.

Meanwhile, Darcy also has an arrogant aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who acts as patroness to a clergyman named Mr Collins, who in turn flatters her with disgusting servility. (Mr Collins is also Mr Bennet’s nephew: since Mr and Mrs Bennet have no sons, Mr Bennet’s estate is due to pass to Mr Collins when Mr Bennet dies.)

Mr Collins is encouraged to ask one of the Bennet sisters for her hand in marriage, and he decides upon Elizabeth. She, however, turns him down, and he marries Charlotte Lucas instead.

The happy couple get together, and Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, but it’s clear he still views her and her family with some contempt because he is of a higher social status than they are. She responds by citing George Wickham’s accusations against him; she also thinks he played a part in breaking up the match between her sister, Jane, and Bingley.

However, in a later letter to her, Darcy reveals that Wickham cannot be trusted: he is a womaniser and a liar. Elizabeth visits Darcy’s home, Pemberley, while visiting the north of England with her aunt and uncle. Darcy welcomes them and introduces them to his sister.

Darcy’s words about Wickham are proved true, as the soldier elopes with Lydia, the youngest of the five Bennet sisters. Darcy tracks the two lovebirds down and persuades them to marry so Lydia is made an honest woman of. Bingley and Jane finally get engaged, and Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their ‘pride and prejudice’ and become a couple.

Pride and Prejudice : analysis

In his vast study of plot structures, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories , Christopher Booker suggests that Pride and Prejudice is more straightforwardly in the ‘comedy’ genre than it may first appear to be. He points out that much of the novel turns on misunderstandings, characters misreading others’ intentions or others’ personalities, and people generally getting things wrong: the Bennets think Mr Wickham is the wronged one and Darcy the villain, but it turns out that they have this the wrong way around.

So what used to be more explicit in, say, stage comedies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – indeed, going right back to Shakespeare – is made more subtle and internalised in Austen’s novel, and rather than having her characters literally confuse one person with another (because of some absurd coincidence, wearing similar clothing, and so on), her characters find they have misread a person’s motive or misjudged their honesty, as with Mr Wickham.

This is why the title of the novel is so important: Darcy and Elizabeth’s union at the end of the novel strikes us as true because they have had to overcome their own personal flaws, which prevent a union between them, but having done so they have an honest and realistic appraisal of each other’s personality. They have, if you like, ‘seen’ each other.

We might contrast this with the various illusions and misapprehensions in the novel, or the other motivations driving people together (Mr Collins trying to woo Elizabeth simply because she’s the next Bennet sister in the list).

Is  Pride and Prejudice  a late Augustan work or a novel belonging to Romanticism? Romanticism was largely a reaction against Augustan values: order, rationalism, and the intellect were tempered if not wholly replaced by the Romantic values of freedom, emotion, and individualism.

But whether we should regard  Pride and Prejudice  as Augustan or Romantic is a question that divides critics. Terry Eagleton, in The English Novel: An Introduction , points out that Austen was not somebody who trusted wholly in the supremacy of reason, not least because her beliefs – what Eagleton calls her Tory Christian pessimism, which made her alert to the flawed nature of all human beings – would not allow her to be so. Austen is aware that human beings are imperfect and, at times, irrational.

And in this connection, it is worth pondering what Andrew H. Wright observes in Jane Austen’s Novels, a Study in Structure : that the reason Elizabeth Bennet, rather than Jane, is the real heroine of  Pride and Prejudice  is that Jane is not flawed enough. She is too perfect: something that would make her the ideal heroine for most novels, but the very reason she cannot be the protagonist of a Jane Austen novel.

Austen is too interested in the intricate and complex mixture of good and bad, as Wright points out: Austen likes the explore the flaws and foibles of her characters. Elizabeth, in being taken in by Wickham and his lies and in misjudging (or at least partly misjudging) Darcy, is flawed because both her pride  and  prejudice need tempering with a more nuanced understanding of the man she will marry.

The opening line of Pride and Prejudice is arguably the most famous opening line of any novel: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ But what is less widely known is that the tone of this opening line is clearly ironic.

Far from being Austen the detached, impartial narrator, this is actually Austen ventriloquising her characters’ thoughts – specifically, those of Mrs Bennet, whose views in the novel are often derided by Austen’s narrator – using a narrative technique which Austen did so much to pioneer.

This technique is known as free indirect speech , and it is what makes Austen’s prose so full of wit and surprise, so we always have to keep an ear out for her narrators’ arch commentary on the characters and situations being described. (The clue in this opening line is in the phrase ‘universally acknowledged’, since how many things in life really are truly universally acknowledged?)

Pride and Prejudice was originally titled First Impressions , but that eventual title, Pride and Prejudice , was a cliché even when Austen used it for her novel. The phrase is found in two important works of the 1770s, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire .

But the most important precursor to Austen’s novel by a long way is Fanny Burney’s 1782 novel Cecilia , in which that phrase, ‘pride and prejudice’, appears three times in rapid succession, with the words ‘pride’ and ‘prejudice’ capitalised: ‘The whole of this unfortunate business, said Dr Lyster, has been the result of PRIDE and PREJUDICE. […] if to PRIDE and PREJUDICE you owe your miseries, so wonderfully is good and evil balanced, that to PRIDE and PREJUDICE you will also owe their termination.’

Austen learned a great deal from Burney, and refined the comedy of manners which Burney had helped to pioneer several decades earlier.

Pride and Prejudice is, in the last analysis, one of the great comedies in the English language, because in its construction it takes the hallmarks of romantic comedy and refines them, making subtle and abstract what was literal and physical in earlier stage comedies.

It is also a novel about how true love needs to be founded on empirical fact: we need to know the person we’re marrying, to see them with our own eyes, rather than rely on others’ opinion or let ourselves be blinded by romantic notions and delusions.

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1 thought on “A Summary and Analysis of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”

It’s a brilliant romantic novel, but, yes, it’s a comedy as well. Mr Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and even Mrs Bennet verge on the pantomimish sometimes, and Miss Bingley is so bitchy that she’d have fitted very well into Dallas or Dynasty :-) .

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Pride and Prejudice

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What is Pride and Prejudice ?

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel by Jane Austen , published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. It has inspired many stage and screen productions, one notable adaptation being a 1995 TV miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth .

Who is the author of Pride and Prejudice ?

Jane Austen is the author of Pride and Prejudice . She published three other novels during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility , Mansfield Park , and Emma . Her novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously.

What is the plot of Pride and Prejudice ?

Pride and Prejudice follows the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner. They must overcome the titular sins of pride and prejudice in order to fall in love and marry.

What is the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice ?

The famous first sentence of Pride and Prejudice is: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

What was Pride and Prejudice originally titled?

Pride and Prejudice was originally titled First Impressions .

Pride and Prejudice , romantic novel by Jane Austen , published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. A classic of English literature , written with incisive wit and superb character delineation, it centers on the burgeoning relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy , a rich aristocratic landowner. Upon publication, Pride and Prejudice was well received by critics and readers. The first edition sold out within the first year, and it never went out of print.

Pride and Prejudice is set in rural England at the turn of the 19th century, and it follows the Bennet family , which includes five very different sisters. The eldest, Jane, is sweet-tempered and modest. She is her sister Elizabeth’s confidant and friend. Elizabeth, the heroine of the novel, is intelligent and high-spirited. She shares her father’s distaste for the conventional views of society as to the importance of wealth and rank. The third daughter, Mary, is plain, bookish, and pompous, while Lydia and Kitty, the two youngest, are flighty and immature.

Mr. Bennet is the family patriarch. He is fond of his two eldest daughters—especially his favorite, Elizabeth—but takes a passive interest in the younger ones, ultimately failing to curb their childish instincts. An intelligent but eccentric and sarcastic man, he does not care for society’s conventions and mocks his wife’s obsession with finding suitable husbands for their daughters. As several scholars have noted, however, Mrs. Bennet is rightfully concerned. Because of an entail , the modest family estate is to be inherited by William Collins, Mr. Bennet’s nephew, who is the next male in line. Indeed, as Austen scholar Mary Evans noted, “If Mrs. Bennett is slightly crazy, then perhaps she is so because she perceives more clearly than her husband the possible fate of her five daughters if they do not marry.” Unfortunately, Mrs. Bennet’s fervor and indelicacy often work against her interests. A woman of little sense and much self-pity, she indulges her lively youngest daughters.

Throughout the novel, the Bennet sisters encounter several eligible bachelors, including Charles Bingley, Darcy, Lieutenant George Wickham, and Collins. Bingley has recently let Netherfield estate, which neighbors the Bennets’ home, Longbourn. Austen describes him as “good-looking and gentlemanlike; [having] a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners.” He has come by his fortune through his family’s interest in trade, which was seen as a less respectable means of obtaining wealth than by inheriting it, as his friend Darcy has done. Darcy is clearly a product of this hierarchical thinking: he believes in the natural superiority of the wealthy landed gentry. He is arrogant but perceptive.

Darcy’s estates were once managed by Wickham’s father, but he and Wickham are no longer friendly. Wickham is attractive and charming, making him immediately popular among the women in the nearby town of Meryton, where he and other soldiers have been stationed. Collins, on the other hand, is “not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society.” He is a clergyman whose patron, the controlling Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is Darcy’s aunt.

Other supporting characters in the novel include Elizabeth’s friend Charlotte Lucas, who is described as sensible and nearing an age where marriage is unlikely; Charlotte’s parents, Sir William and Lady Lucas; Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Edward Gardiner, who works in trade, and his wife, both of whom are generous and well-grounded; Bingley’s sisters, the snobbish and scheming Caroline and Louisa Hurst; and Darcy’s 16-year-old sister, Georgiana, who is painfully shy but good-humored.

Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice

By jane austen, pride and prejudice essay questions.

In which ways is Elizabeth different from the rest of the Bennet family? What does the contrast reveal about her character?

Elizabeth is one of the only characters in Pride and Prejudice who changes significantly over the course of the story. Her distinctive quality is her extreme perceptiveness, which she uses to assess others at the beginning of the novel and understand her own flaws at the end. Most of the other Bennets are stuck in their ways - Jane is eternally optimistic, Lydia and Mrs. Bennet are frivolous, Mr. Bennet is sarcastic and cynical, and so on - but Elizabeth regularly reflects on the events in her life. She learns to question herself whereas most of the others act as though they have settled on a certain worldview. Elizabeth is therefore a true individual who adapts to the world around her, and seeks constantly to better understand her desires so that she can find happiness.

Overall, do you believe Austen has a conservative or radical approach to the issue of class? Why or why not?

Ultimately, Pride and Prejudice takes a moderate stance on class differences. Austen never posits an egalitarian ideology. However, she does criticize the society's over-emphasis on class instead of individual moral character. Darcy's journey from extreme class-consciousness to prioritizing manners over money is the best example of Austen's criticism. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is affected upon visiting Pemberley. The grand estate does have an impact on her already changing feelings towards Darcy, which is one example of Austen justifying the appeal of the upper class. Overall, Austen accepts (and even appreciates) the existence of class hierarchy, but also offers a warning about how class-based prejudice can poison society.

Explore Austen's portrayal of the women in the novel. In what ways does she sympathize with their plight, and in what ways is she unsympathetic?

Austen's attitude towards women is quite complicated. Generally, Austen is critical of the gender injustices present in 19th century English society, particularly in the context of marriage. She is able to voice this criticism through characters like Charlotte Lucas (who marries Collins because she needs security) and even Mrs. Bennet (who, though ridiculous, is the only one to speak out against the entailment of Longbourn). Furthermore, Austen's caricatured portrayal of the younger Bennet daughters is evidence of her disdain for frivolous women. Her opinion was perhaps more in line with Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth, or even the dour Mary. While Austen seems to accept the limitations of her gender, she criticizes a society that forces women to emphasize their least flattering characteristics.

Elizabeth has a markedly different attitude about marriage than other characters - notably Charlotte and Mrs. Bennet - have. To what extent is she unfair in her assessment of their attitudes, and to what extent might they benefit from employing her perspective?

Charlotte and Mrs. Bennet both believe that marriage is a business transaction in which a woman must be the active party in securing a good match for herself. This pragmatic assessment stands in stark contrast to Elizabeth's more romantic worldview. However, at this period in history, at least in certain higher classes, if a man chose not to marry, he only risked loneliness and regret. Meanwhile, a woman in the same situation could lose her financial security. Therefore, it is understandable why Charlotte and Mrs. Bennet believe that a woman must consider employing manipulation for the sake of her future. Charlotte deliberately draws Mr. Collins's attention in order to secure a proposal. However, Jane does not follow Charlotte's advice and nearly loses Bingley's love in the process. Lydia takes a drastic action that forces her marriage to occur. It is only Elizabeth who operates entirely outside the societal norm, but Austen makes it clear that her situation is quite unique.

Some critics applaud Austen's ability to craft psychologically complex and believable characters, while others believe she mostly creates well-drawn comic stock characters. Which argument do you support?

Though this question asks for an opinion, a strong thesis would be that Austen straddles the line between comic stock characters and psychologically complex ones. Elizabeth Bennet has a magnetic and singular personality, as does Darcy. They are arguably one of the most beloved literary couples of all time. On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine are almost trapped in their exaggerated personality traits, which Austen often uses for comic (and satirical) effect. However, Austen reveals a keen perception of human psychology, even through these supposedly two-dimensional characters. Mr. Collins, for instance, reflects the truth of a class-obsessed society. Mrs. Bennet embodies the desperation of women to find a good marriage. Therefore, Austen does create unique stock characters that emphasize certain aspects of human psychology while also providing comic relief.

Austen's original draft of this novel was titled First Impressions . Explain why this title makes sense, as explore the reasons why Pride and Prejudice is more apt.

First Impressions describes the main romantic conflict - will Elizabeth and Darcy end up together despite their first impressions of one another? However, Pride and Prejudice suggests a much deeper psychological struggle, more fitting to the complexity of Austen's novel. Whereas First Impressions only implies a story of corrected perceptions, Pride and Prejudice describes a story where the characters must investigate themselves, addressing the unconscious impulses that work to prohibit self-awareness. Finally, the final title is all-encompassing, reaching beyond just Elizabeth and Darcy. It offers a comment on the novel's larger themes like class and the role of women.

Darcy is initially attracted to Elizabeth's "fine eyes." Analyze this symbol, and explain what it shows about both Darcy and Elizabeth.

Despite Elizabeth's obvious coldness toward him, Darcy finds himself increasingly attracted to her, particularly her beautiful dark eyes. The darkness of her eyes also represents Elizabeth's main weakness‹: the pride and prejudice that cloud her perception. Elizabeth prides herself on her ability to judge others and uncover their motives. However, her prejudgment of Darcy makes her blind to his admiration. In the conversation about Darcy at Netherfield, Elizabeth offers that Darcy's defect is "a propensity to hate everybody," while Darcy perceptively replies that hers is "Œwillfully to misunderstand them." Indeed, while Elizabeth judges Darcy for over-valuing his first impression of her, she exhibits the exact same shortcoming. Ultimately, the darkness of her eyes reflects the complexity of Elizabeth's prejudice, but that complexity is very much what draws Darcy towards her in the first place.

In what ways does Austen portray the family and community as responsible for its members?

Though Pride and Prejudice is largely a story about individuality, Austen portrays the family unit as primarily responsible for the intellectual and moral education of children. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's failure to provide a proper education for their daughters leads to Lydia's utter foolishness. Elizabeth and Jane manage to develop virtue and discernment in spite of their parents' negligence, though it is notable that they have other role models like the Gardiners. Darcy shares both his father's aristocratic nature and the man's tendency towards generosity, while Lady Catherine's daughter is too frightened to speak. This attitude extends to the larger community, as well. Lydia's time in Meryton and Brighton bring out her worst impulses. Similarly, the community around Pemberley respects Darcy's generosity and follows his lead in being kind and trustworthy.

Though undoubtedly a comic character, Mr. Collins reflects some rather unattractive qualities of his society. Explain this statement.

Mr. Collins is defined by his rambling speeches of excessive formality and his boorishness disguised as faux-politeness. And yet, Mr. Collins is also a reflection of a society obsessed with class, a monster engendered by this singular pressure. Mr. Collins comes from modest means and likely always dreamed of a respectable position. When he attracted an aristocratic patroness like Lady Catherine, he saw only her rank, which made him blind to her harsh and condescending attitude. He compensates for his insecurity by pretending to act like Lady Catherine and those of her class. In this way, Collins and Lady Catherine are examples of the societal acceptance of class without manners but not the opposite.

Explain why Austen ends her novel with a line about the Gardiners, even though they are minor characters in Pride and Prejudice .

The Gardiners are important because they are a middle-class couple that behaves reasonably and virtuously. Mrs. Gardiner is a great role model for Elizabeth, though she reveals little unique personality of her own. Mr. Gardiner proves to be instrumental in saving Lydia from her scandalous elopement. They both acknowledge the importance of class and education, but place a greater emphasis on personal conduct. The Gardiners also externalize Darcy's inner struggle. When Darcy treats the Gardiners well at Pemberley and then later works with Mr. Gardiner to rescue Lydia, it indicates that he has internalized Elizabeth's view of personality and class. The novel thus ends on the Gardiners because is offers a final illustration that Elizabeth and Darcy have reached a happy medium between class and behavior beyond the barriers of pride and prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Pride and Prejudice is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Elizabeth is one of the only characters in Pride and Prejudice who changes significantly over the course of the story. Her distinctive quality is her extreme perceptiveness, which she uses to assess others at the beginning of the novel and...

What are reasons that Elizabeth thinks darcy may still be interested?

Did you need more detail?

Pride and Prejudice How might Mr. Bennet's earlier actions have prevented this scandal? Is Mr. Bennet responsible for his youngest daughter's behavior?

Mr. Bennet has always been compacent when it came to the well being of his daughters. Mr. Bennet's main interest was that his daughters married into money. Wickham was obviously a pompous jerk but he was also a wealthy well connected jerk. Mr....

Study Guide for Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice study guide contains a biography of Jane Austen, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Pride and Prejudice
• Pride and Prejudice Summary
• Pride and Prejudice Video
• Character List

Essays for Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

• Theme of Pride
• Epistolary Study of Austen
• Money as Social Currency in the Society Described in Pride and Prejudice
• Discretion and Design in Pride and Prejudice
• Eloquence: The Window To the Soul and the Number One Requirement for a Successful Courtship

Lesson Plan for Pride and Prejudice

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Pride and Prejudice
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Pride and Prejudice Bibliography

E-Text of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice e-text contains the full text of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

• Chapters 1-6
• Chapters 7-14
• Chapters 15-23
• Chapters 24-33
• Chapters 34-42

Wikipedia Entries for Pride and Prejudice

• Introduction

Historical Context

Pride and prejudice, by jane austen.

'Pride and Prejudice' was written during the Georgian era (1714–1837) into which Jane Austen was born into. It was a period of transition along with Britain’s constant warfare abroad.

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

It was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution that saw the shift in arts and letters to an era of romance. Also, it is the period in which the first whispers of feminist and abolitionist concerns were heard in Western Europe.

Jane Austen completed the original manuscript of Pride and Prejudice , titled First Impressions , between 1796 and 1797, but it was published only in January 1813.

Austen’s realistic fiction often set in the Regency period help witness the life lived by her fictional characters. Moreover, they serve to the understanding of the particular details of daily life during the Regency period. During this period, Britain was engaged in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793–1815. The period marked for its political and economical instability that was followed in the 1810s and 1820s. These sweeping historical trends have made a considerable role in Austen’s domestic fictions, particularly in Pride and Prejudice .

Jane Austen . known for setting the novel during the time she lived, portrays the gentry, a broad social class that includes those who owned land as well as the professional classes who hadn’t the land. It also highlights the changing social perspective over property, money in late 18 th and early 19 th century England. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ownership of English land was concentrated in the hands of the relatively small landed classes through strict inheritance laws. The law entrusted the property to male children or male relatives rather than distributing it amongst family members.

As one sees in the novel , Mr. Bennett’s land is left to Mr. Collins, a (male) member of his extended family, rather than to his daughters. Also, for the landowners and the gentry, management of all financial matters, and women were granted very little control over money. On the other hand, large country estates were bought by the kind like Darcy and Mr. Bingley, who had property, both in the rural and urban England, symbolizing the power and wealth bestowed upon them.

Similarly, a woman of the upper classes could expect to be granted a “fortune” from her family upon marriage or the death of her father, and the money would be invested in government funds to draw interest at a fixed 5 percent. If she is married, it would contribute to her husband’s income, or it would cover her living expenses. In contrast to the woman’s status, a man’s income was always reported as a number of pounds (£) “per year,” such as Mr. Bingley’s “four or five thousand a year.”

During the time of Austen, having a server made it necessary to claim respect from society. 100 pounds a year was the barest minimum income on which a small household could be kept with one maid. On £300 a year, the family could retain two servants and lead a comfortable life yet without a carriage of their own. Only if a man has above £700 a year, they could lead a more comfortable life with servants and carriage. In the novel, Mr. Bennet draws about £2,000 a year, which more than enough to lead a secured life; yet, he was burdened with the thought of providing dowries for five daughters, for his property is entrusted to Mr. Collins after him.

In addition to all that is mentioned above, Austen leads an interesting role between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Though she often quotes, Dr. Samuel Johnson, her plots bear similarities to the works of Johnson’s contemporaries such as Pamela, written by Samuel Richardson. Further, the novel displays ambiguity between Romantic writing and Victorian literature, since the characters exhibit awareness of the conditions of modernity and city life and their consequences in family structure and individual characters.

Publication and Legacy

Pride and Prejudice was originally published in 1813. Though it was published anonymously, it was presented as “By the Author of Sense and Sensibility ” while Sense and Sensibility was presented as being written, “by a Lady.” Her subsequent novels were similarly attributed to her other published works. Ever since the publication 200-years ago, Jane Austen continues to give pleasure and inspire millions of readers worldwide. The novel continues to generate versions and variations and to keep the author’s name, which was unknown in her lifetime, in the limelight.

The first edition of Pride and Prejudice was published by Edgerton in three hardcover volumes on 28 January 1813. For Austen had sold the copyright for the novel to Thomas Egerton from the Military Library, Whitehall in exchange for £110. It was advertised in The Morning Chronicle, and the favourable reviews to the work resulted in the edition being sold out. The growing popularity of the novel resulted in the publication of the second edition in October, and the third edition in 1817.

Subsequently, the novel was published in foreign languages too. The first translation of the novel appeared in 1813 in French, German, Danish, and Swedish. In the U.S it was published in August 1832, titled Elizabeth Bennet or, Pride and Prejudice. About a century later, R. W. Chapman’s scholarly edition of Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1923, has become the standard edition. The recent modern published versions of the novel are based on this edition of Chaman’s alone.

Pride and Prejudice , consistently remains as one of the “most-loved books” among literary scholars and the reading public. With over 20 million copies sold, it has inspired many derivatives in modern literature. Dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, films, and TV versions of the novel have been made to keep the memorable characters and themes of the novel alive. The film adaptation of the novel in 2005 is the most recent one that closely represents the book.

The novel has inspired a number of other works and fanfictions that are not direct adaptations. These works either serve as a parody, or a crime fiction, or a comic series, or gives a different perspective or point of view to the novel. Yet, of all these, Jane Austen’s works remain immune to all these works and continue to inspire the readers.

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About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

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Marriage in “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The main values for the young women in the nineteenth century were their successful marriage and family. This fact can be explained by the dependent economic position of a woman in society.

Thus, to receive the economic security, a woman should be married or inherit the income from her male relatives. Traditionally, girls and their mothers became preparing for the further marriages in advance because it was the major event in the life of a young woman.

In spite of the predominance of this vision of the marriage and the woman’s role in society, Jane Austen in her Pride and Prejudice proposes several possible variants of realizing the scenario of meeting the further husband and the marriage which can be considered as rather controversial from the point of the ideals of that period.

Although marriage in the nineteenth century is the guarantee of the woman’s definite social status, Jane Austen accentuates that the happy marriage cannot be based successfully on the other factors differed from the mutual love, respect, and understanding.

The social status of married and unmarried women in the British society differed greatly, and mothers used any opportunity to help their daughters marry a noble man with the income. Thus, “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1).

These words open the novel written by Austen and reflect the opinions of the majority of the women in Britain of that period. This idea was also interesting for Mrs. Bennet who could think only of her own unhappy marriage and successful marriages for her daughters in the future (Shapard). Mrs. Bennet’s example emphasizes the viewpoint that marriage depends not only on the amount of money and status but also on sincere and deep feelings. However, Mrs. Bennet’s personal vision is quite opposite to this statement.

That is why in the case of the unhappy marriage between Lydia and Mr. Wickham the problem of the family status was much more significant for Bennets than the question of real feelings. “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (Austen 14). Charlotte Lucas also agrees with this opinion and understands the law of the strict social rules and norms.

Her position seems to be strange for Elizabeth Bennet, the main character of the novel, who is inclined to contradict the social norms, if these norms and rules are opposite to her personal visions. That is why her ideal of marriage is based on the principles of love and respect. If it is difficult to marry such a man who can love you and be intelligent and noble, it is better to be unmarried.

Elizabeth’s position depends on her pride and prejudice. Nevertheless, following her principles, she can be happy in her marriage with Mr. Darcy who is the best part for her.

Moreover, examining all the variants of the marriage presented in the book and shifting from the rational approach to the romantic one, it is necessary to concentrate on the relations between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley. These relations and their marriage are based on the sincere feeling of love which is not broken by possible social prejudices and personal rationality.

In her novel Pride and Prejudice , Jane Austen vividly discusses the theme of marriage which is realized in the context of the British society of the nineteenth century. This context is familiar for the author. Austen’s rather ironical tone in depicting different visions of marriage accentuates her own position according to the issue with determining the principles of love and understanding as the key ones for marriage.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . USA: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.

Shapard, David M. “Introduction”. Pride and Prejudice . Ed. Jane Austen and David M. Shapard. USA: Anchor Books, 2007. xv-xxxii. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2019, April 3). Marriage in "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice/

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Marriage in "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen." April 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice/.

1. IvyPanda . "Marriage in "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen." April 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice/.

Bibliography

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Pride and Prejudice

164 pages • 5 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Introduction

Before Reading

Reading Context

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

After Reading

Discussion/Analysis Prompt

Essay Questions

Exam Questions

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Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The characters in the novel seem to perceive the idea of “good breeding” in a way that differs from the author’s thoughts on the subject.

• Define or describe what is meant by “good breeding.” ( topic sentence )
• Give 3 examples from the novel of how different characters perceive “good breeding.”
• Conclude by explaining what actual “good breeding” is to Jane Austen as implied in the text in comparison to what the characters may believe; connect Austen’s idea of “good breeding” to the theme of Pride and Prejudice.

2. Mr. Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth Bennet progresses throughout the novel.

• Explain what first attracts Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth. ( topic sentence )
• Give 3 reasons why Mr. Darcy’s attraction for Elizabeth continues to grow.

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