Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice

File:PrideAndPrejudiceTitlePage.jpg Title page of the first edition
Author	Jane Austen
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Romance
Publisher	T. Egerton, Whitehall
Publication date	28 January 1813
Media type	Print (hardback, paperback)
Pages	432
OCLC	38659585

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story charts the emotional development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of making hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential. The comedy of the writing lies in the depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the British Regency period.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with the famous line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." The story follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England.

Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman, Mr. Bennet, living in Longbourn. Her mother, Mrs. Bennet, is determined to see them all married. When the wealthy and eligible bachelor Mr. Bingley moves to the nearby estate of Netherfield Park, he brings with him his friend, Mr. Darcy, who is even wealthier. While Bingley is well-received, Darcy is perceived as proud and disagreeable.

Elizabeth's initial judgment of Darcy is influenced by the charming but deceitful Mr. Wickham, who tells her that Darcy has wronged him. However, as the story progresses, Elizabeth learns more about Darcy's true character and begins to see him in a different light. The novel concludes with Elizabeth and Darcy overcoming their respective pride and prejudice, leading to their eventual marriage.

Characters

• Elizabeth Bennet - The intelligent and quick-witted protagonist.
• Mr. Darcy - A wealthy, reserved, and initially proud man.
• Jane Bennet - Elizabeth's beautiful and gentle older sister.
• Mr. Bingley - Darcy's wealthy and amiable best friend.
• Mr. Bennet - Elizabeth's sarcastic and indifferent father.
• Mrs. Bennet - Elizabeth's frivolous and noisy mother.
• Mr. Wickham - A charming but unscrupulous militia officer.
• Lydia Bennet - The youngest Bennet sister, whose flirtatious nature leads to scandal.
• Mr. Collins - A pompous clergyman and the Bennet family's heir.
• Lady Catherine de Bourgh - Darcy's arrogant and domineering aunt.

Themes

• Marriage - The novel explores various attitudes towards marriage, from pragmatic unions to romantic ideals.
• Class and Social Status - The story examines the class distinctions and social mobility of the time.
• Pride - Both Elizabeth and Darcy must overcome their pride to find happiness.
• Prejudice - The characters must confront and overcome their prejudices.

Adaptations

Pride and Prejudice has been adapted numerous times for film, television, and stage. Notable adaptations include the 1995 BBC television series starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and the 2005 film adaptation starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

Related Pages

• Jane Austen
• British Regency
• Romantic novel
• Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
• List of adaptations of Pride and Prejudice