Dec 20, 2009

Pride and Prejudice | Themes

The pursuit of a loving and prosperous marriage, and the ability of such unions to benefit all of society—despite contrary impulses and forces—is the central theme of all of Jane Austen's novels. Pride and Prejudice remains one of her most popular, as indicated by the number of attempted literary sequels (six) and film versions, perhaps because the two main characters are so evenly matched: flawed but strong individuals, witty, and basically good-hearted. However, within this major framework, there are other themes and sub-themes that show a great variety in the workings of...