What makes Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice remain popular?

One reason that makes Pride and Prejudice a widely popular timeless classic is that, along with her other works, it paints a very accurate account of human nature. It is completely within human nature to overlook that one's pride has gone too far and that you are acting with conceit. It is also completely within human nature to be prejudiced based on first impressions. It is also within human nature to feel a preference towards one personality type over another and be deceived by that preference, as we see Elizabeth be deceived by Wickham. Furthermore, as is the case with Mr. Bennet, it is completely within human nature to fail at controlling one's family and to fail at teaching them principles.

A second reason that Pride and Prejudice is still so widely popular is that, even though Austen only moralized about principles and society related to her own sphere, those principles and morals are still applicable today.

A final reason is that everyone adores Austen's use of language. She masterfully crafts intelligent irony and wit in a subtle manner that no one, especially no other Romantic author, can compare with.

Why is Pride and Prejudice so popular?

More than 200 years after its publication, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice remains incredibly popular with readers, having inspired numerous cinematic and television adaptations, as well as spin-offs and satires. The novel’s continued success can be attributed to several factors, including the quality of the writing, the presence of clever social commentary, and the novel's memorable, relatable characters.

Austen’s excellent writing makes for an enjoyable reading experience, allowing even contemporary readers to be drawn into complex social world of Regency-era England. This social satire is rife with subtle humor, though Austen's manner of poking fun at the characters’ foibles is not mean-spirited. Modern readers may not be well-versed in the intricacies of Regency social hierarchy or the marriage market, yet they can still relate to the familiar interpersonal issues explored throughout the novel, including romantic troubles, friendships, and the importance of status and personal reputation. Austen skillfully connects these interpersonal issues to larger social concerns like gender dynamics and class prejudice and, in doing so, subtly critiques the norms of her own era. For example, while the novel ends happily with Elizabeth and Jane both having made advantageous love matches, the unhappy marriages in the novel—including Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte and Mr. Collins, and Lydia and Wickham—highlight the folly of marrying for money or status rather than love and respect.

Austen is especially notable for presenting dynamic, strong female characters and probing their relationships with each other, not just with men. The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, is appealing in part because of her many imperfections. Although Elizabeth is a devoted daughter and sister, she tends to judge people quickly. Over the course of the novel, she realizes she has been overconfident in her own judgement and learns to approach others with a bit more compassion and empathy. Her character growth is demonstrated most obviously through her developing relationship with Mr. Darcy but is also evident in her friendship with Charlotte and her dealings with Mr. Wickham.

In many ways, Elizabeth functions as a proxy for the reader, reacting to the foolishness and ego of characters like her mother, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. However, even as Austen pokes fun at these characters, she uses Elizabeth's own flaws and missteps to remind readers to remain humble and not treat others too harshly. Elizabeth's enduring popularity may also be attributed to the fact that she is, in many ways, a woman ahead of her time. She's intelligent, confident, and unafraid to speak her mind, and modern readers can easily sympathize with her as she navigates the confining social expectations of the time period.