Pride and Prejudice

We can find many different moral lessons in Pride and Prejudice depending on which subplot we analyze. The moral lesson of Lydia’s story is different from that of Charlotte Lucas’s, for instance....

In Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, one could argue that Fitzwilliam Darcy symbolically represents pride while Elizabeth Bennet represents prejudice. Darcy is depicted as an...

Pride and Prejudice begins with the iconic sentence: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However, with the very...

Elizabeth's falling in love with Mr. Darcy is a gradual process; it doesn't take place in a single moment. Over a period of time, Elizabeth starts to see the real Darcy, the Darcy beneath the...

Both terms in the title of Jane Austen’s novel can apply to several individual characters and, more generally, to English society overall. Both terms have primarily negative connotations, and...

At the dance where she first meets Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth is sitting down because there are not enough male partners. She overhears Bingley urging Darcy to ask her to dance. Darcy says that Elizabeth...

The reader gets a full explanation for Darcy’s behavior (in his own words) in his letter to Elizabeth in Chapter 22, which he gives her after she rejects his marriage proposal. In this explanatory...

Irony, which is when words or situations turn out the opposite of what is expected, permeates Pride and Prejudice. The first sentence of the novel is frequently cited as the textbook example of...

When Darcy proposes for the first time, he does so in such an arrogant and insulting way that Elizabeth is furious. Her response to him is essentially that she wouldn't marry him if were the last...

Mr. Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth does not go over well, to say the least. Elizabeth has already formed a distinctly negative impression of Darcy's character, having judged him early on to be...

One could reasonably argue that the central theme of Pride and Prejudice is that appearances can be deceiving and first impressions can be difficult to shake off. The two main characters, Elizabeth...

Mr. Collins provides several reasons that explain his decision to propose to Elizabeth: He is a clergyman, and he believes that clergyman should be married. He believes marriage will bring him...

Another point to add is to consider how Elizabeth represents the title of the novel. Where and why is she prideful and what are her prejudices? How do those qualities and notions affect her...

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are both round and dynamic characters. Indeed, the novel is largely about how they both change. When Mr. Darcy first proposes to Elizabeth while she is staying at...

The main theme of the novel is that perception is not reality. Elizabeth's prejudice and Darcy's pride are both forms of blindness. Elizabeth forms an implacable prejudice against Darcy the first...

Mr. Darcy quickly comes to admire and even fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet against his "better judgment." The closest he comes to "disliking" her is probably on the night of their very first...

For most of the book, Elizabeth does not like Mr. Darcy at all, but this changes as she begins to learn more about him. When she first sees Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth thinks he looks very severe and...

I don’t agree. Pride and Prejudice defies easy categorization, as “domestic novel” or anything else, for that matter. A “domestic novel” is defined by a few characteristics of plot and character....

For most of the nineteenth century, English novels were published in three volumes, and Pride and Prejudice is one of the first to employ this format. The narrative therefore falls neatly into...

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins is Mr. Bennet’s cousin and the heir to the Bennet estate. He is visiting the Bennets to see what he will inherit and to propose to one of the...

Austen's novels often suggest strong themes in her titles, occasionally including two seemingly opposing concepts against one another, such as "pride and prejudice" or "sense and sensibility" (also...

I love the Netherfield Ball in chapter 18. Here, Elizabeth gets her chance to come back at Darcy for his treatment of her at the first ball. She has the upper hand in terms of their conversation...

Just before she embarks on a vacation to see the countryside with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, Elizabeth Bennet asks, "What are men to rocks and mountains?” She is looking forward to viewing...

As the relationship develops between Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley, his sister Caroline becomes concerned that it is getting too serious. When the Bingleys leave their temporary residence at...

The ultimate goal for a young woman in Victorian London and during Jane Austen's time was to come out into society, meet a suitable gentleman to take care of her, provide her a home, and make her...

Jane Austen carefully establishes equality between the two characters but not always similarity. Their positive qualities largely complement each other. One quality they share in equal amounts is...

The main climax in the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is the moment when Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. Surely there are several moments of suspense and intensity in the novel, but a...

The opening sentence, while intriguing in itself, reveals further depths of meaning retrospectively. Its richness stems in large part from the teasing ambiguities of the narrative point of view. As...

After all the various twists and turns, the numerous setbacks and misunderstandings, the conclusion to the story is generally a happy one. Jane and Elizabeth fulfill society's expectations by...

Elizabeth's reading Darcy's letter to her is a pivotal moment in Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth formed a negative impression of Darcy almost immediately, and her feelings about his personality are...

The turning point in a story is officially called the climax. The climax occurs the moment a story's conflict reaches its point of greatest intensity and the story's resolution is in sight. All...

Lady Catherine de Bourgh says this when she hears Elizabeth is to marry Darcy. Among her other objections, Lady Catherine mentions that Lydia, Elizabeth's sister, had a "patched-up" marriage to...

The irony of Elizabeth's actions hits Darcy over the head. He is not used to women refusing him, he is accustomed to women falling all over him because of his social position and financial status....

The title of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice reflects the the dominant theme of pride found in Darcy's proposal speech to Elizabeth and the prejudice found in both her reply and in her overall...

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice may fall into several categories. Most generally, the novel falls into the category of English literature. The novel is also an example of Romantic literature,...

Netherfield Park is the affluent estate in Bennet’s neighborhood which has been leased by Mr. Bingley’s family. Mr. Bingley, a wealthy bachelor, lives in the estate with his sisters, friend Mr....

Charlotte takes a very practical, rather than romantic, view on marriage. She is twenty-seven years old with no prospects, and she faces the very real danger of becoming a spinster. She seems to...

In order to take a Formalist critical approach to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, you will need to examine and analyze the parts in the following Formalist categories: character; figures of...

Satire exaggerates or pokes fun at the weaknesses or wrongs of people or society. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen satirizes a number of characters to shine a light on problems in the marriage market...

Your instructor seems to be asking whether you consider this an effective opening. Obviously, only you can decide whether you found it effective and whether it tempted you to continue reading the...

Main ideas are usually attributed to short stories, since they are more concise and focus on dealing with one or two specific themes. Novels, especially one as lengthy and complex as Pride and...

When Elizabeth goes to check on her sister, Jane, who is sick at Netherfield, she has to spend most evenings in the company of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Bingley's two sisters. On one of these...

Elizabeth Bennet's ideas about marriage differ from the majority of others in her society because she believes that members of couples ought to get to know each other before making life-long...

From early on in the novel, it can be seen that Darcy falls victim to Elizabeth Bennet's "dark eyes," and yet it is clear that when he makes his first proposal, he may be in love with her, but his...

Jane Austen's title Pride and Prejudice coincides with the primary theme of the story and directly relates to the two most prominent factors preventing Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from...

Pride and Prejudice is famous for its use of irony. In irony, the intended or literal meaning of words is different from their actual meaning. Pride and Prejudice's first line is often cited as the...