Pride and Prejudice is a novel by English author Jane Austen. Written when she was aged 20–21, it was her third novel written and became the second to see print when it was published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.
Her father, Mr Bennet—owner of the Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire—has five daughters; but this estate is entailed and so can only be inherited in the male line. To his regret, he has failed to save out of the income from the Longbourn estate to provide for his daughters. From the Bennets' perspective, it is imperative that at least one of their daughters marry well to support the others, which is a primary motivation driving the plot.
Pride and Prejudice has consistently appeared near the top of lists of "most-loved books" among literary scholars and the reading public. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature, with over 20 million copies sold, and has inspired many derivatives in modern literature. For more than a century, dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, films, and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice have portrayed the memorable characters and themes of the novel, reaching mass audiences.
Plot summary
In the early 19th century, the Bennet family lives at their Longbourn estate, situated near the small town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, England. Mrs Bennet's greatest desire is to marry off her five daughters to secure their futures. A regiment of militia is encamped outside the town, and the younger Bennet daughters flirt with the officers, to the great embarrassment of their elder sisters.
The arrival of Mr Bingley, a rich bachelor who rents the neighbouring Netherfield estate, gives her hope that one of her daughters might contract a marriage to their advantage. At a ball, the family is introduced to the Netherfield party: Mr Bingley; his sisters and brother-in-law; and his closest friend Mr Darcy. Mr Bingley appears interested in Jane, the eldest Bennet daughter, while Mr Darcy, reputed to be twice as wealthy as Mr Bingley, is haughty and aloof, alienating the village. He declines to dance with Elizabeth, the second-eldest Bennet daughter, as she is "not handsome enough." Although she jokes about it, Elizabeth is deeply offended. Despite this first impression, Mr Darcy secretly finds himself drawn to Elizabeth as they continue to encounter each other at social events, appreciating her wit and frankness.
Mr Collins, a recently ordained clergyman and (as a distant cousin) the heir to the Longbourn estate, which is entailed away from the daughters, visits the Bennet family. He intends to marry one of the Bennet girls on the advice of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who is also Mr Darcy's aunt. He decides to pursue Elizabeth. The Bennet family meets the charming militia officer George Wickham, who tells Elizabeth in confidence that Mr Darcy had treated him badly in the past. Elizabeth's prejudice against Mr Darcy and admiration for Wickham lead her to believe him. Elizabeth rejects Mr Collins's marriage proposal, and Mr Collins subsequently proposes to Charlotte Lucas, a friend of Elizabeth's, and is accepted. Convinced that Jane is an unsuitable match for his friend, Mr Darcy prompts Mr Bingley to leave for London and, supported by the two sisters, persuades him not to return to Netherfield. Jane is heartbroken, while Elizabeth's hatred for Mr Darcy grows, as she correctly suspects he was responsible for Mr Bingley's departure.
In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent. Elizabeth and her hosts are invited to Rosings Park, Lady Catherine's home, where Mr Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam are also visiting. Fitzwilliam unknowingly confirms Elizabeth's suspicion that Mr Darcy had intentionally separated Bingley and Jane. Mr Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, declaring his love for her despite her low social connections. She is shocked and rejects him angrily, saying that she could never love a man who caused her sister such unhappiness; she further accuses him of treating Wickham unjustly. Darcy admits to separating Bingley and Jane but dismisses the accusation regarding Wickham. The next day, Mr Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter explaining his history with Wickham, which contradicts Wickham's earlier assertions about their relationship and paints Wickham as profligate and predatory to young women, including Darcy's teenage sister. Darcy explains but does not apologize for his efforts to separate Bingley and Jane, whom he believed indifferent to his friend. Though Elizabeth knew her sister was deeply in love, the letter convinces her that Darcy is a good, though proud, man and she had been unfair to him about Wickham.
Months later, Elizabeth accompanies her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, on a tour of Derbyshire, where they meet Mr Darcy unexpectedly on his grand estate. He is exceedingly gracious to Elizabeth and the Gardiners, winning Elizabeth's good opinion. In Derbyshire, she receives news that her sister Lydia has run off with Wickham, which she tells Mr Darcy. The errant couple is eventually tracked down in London. After an agonising interim, Wickham agrees to marry Lydia; the Bennets assume that Mr Gardiner has paid him off. But when Lydia and Wickham, now married, visit the Bennet family at Longbourn, Lydia accidentally reveals that Mr Darcy was at her wedding. Elizabeth writes to Aunt Gardiner for further information, and Mrs Gardiner reveals that Mr Darcy secretly secured the match at great expense and trouble to himself.
Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy return to Netherfield. Jane accepts Mr Bingley's proposal. A week later, Lady Catherine, having heard that Elizabeth and Mr Darcy intend to marry, visits Elizabeth and demands she promise never to accept Mr Darcy's proposal. While admitting that she and Mr Darcy are not engaged, Elizabeth refuses to make such a promise. When Darcy returns to Netherfield, Elizabeth reveals that she knows his part in Lydia's marriage and offers him her thanks; Darcy, having heard from his aunt about Elizabeth's refusal to reject him, again proposes marriage and is accepted.
Characters Character genealogy
Elizabeth Bennet – the second-eldest of the Bennet daughters, she is attractive, witty and intelligent – but with a tendency to form tenacious and prejudiced first impressions. As the story progresses, so does her tumultuous relationship with Mr Darcy. The course of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is ultimately decided when Darcy overcomes his pride, and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, leading them both to surrender to their love for each other. Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy – Mr Bingley's friend and owner of the Darcy family seat of Pemberley in Derbyshire, said to be worth at least £10,000 a year. Although he is handsome, tall, and intelligent, Darcy lacks ease and social graces, so others frequently mistake his initially haughty reserve as proof of excessive pride. A new visitor to the Meryton setting of the novel, he is ultimately Elizabeth Bennet's love interest. Though he appears to be proud and is frequently disliked at first impression for this reason, his servants vouch for his kindness and decency. Mr Bennet – A logical and reasonable middle-aged landed gentleman of a more modest income of £2,000 per annum, and the dryly sarcastic patriarch of the Bennet family, with five unmarried daughters. His estate, Longbourn, is entailed to the male line. His affection for his wife wore off early in their marriage and is now reduced to mere toleration. He is often described as 'indolent' in the novel. He favors Elizabeth, finding her and Jane to be the most sensible of the household. His detachment from the actions of his wife and younger daughters, and disinclination to impose economy on their spendthrift ways, is the ultimate cause of their current predicament; he knows this, and increasingly regrets it, but does nothing about it. Mrs Bennet () – the early middle-aged wife of Mr Bennet, and the mother of their five daughters. Mrs Bennet is a hypochondriac who imagines herself susceptible to attacks of tremors and palpitations (her "poor nerves") whenever things are not going her way. She is silly, frivolous, and tactless, and is given to embarrassing her husband and older daughters with a casual disregard for conventions of property, responsibility or propriety. Her main ambition in life is to marry her daughters off to wealthy men, as they will receive very little inheritance on the death of their father. She received a dowry of £5,000 from her father, which is settled as providing her with a lifetime allowance of 'pin money' and as marriage portions for her daughters after her death.Family Search Beautiful Jane and lively Lydia are her favorite daughters, but her overindulgence of Lydia's headstrong ways lead her into danger.
Jane Bennet – the eldest Bennet sister. She is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood and is inclined to see only the good in others (but can be persuaded otherwise on sufficient evidence). She falls in love with Charles Bingley, a rich young man recently moved to Hertfordshire and a close friend of Mr Darcy. Mary Bennet – the middle Bennet sister, and the plainest of her siblings. Mary has a serious disposition and mostly reads and plays music, although she is often impatient to display her accomplishments and is rather vain about them. She frequently moralises to her family. Catherine "Kitty" Bennet – the fourth Bennet daughter. Though older than Lydia, she is her shadow and follows her in her pursuit of the officers of the militia. She is often portrayed as envious of Lydia and is described as a "silly" and "irritable" young woman. However, it is said that she improved when removed from Lydia's influence. Lydia Bennet – the youngest Bennet sister. She is frivolous, headstrong, irresponsible, and spoiled, and is her mother's favorite. Her main activity in life is socialising, especially flirting with the officers of the militia. This leads to her running off with George Wickham, although he has no intention of marrying her. Lydia shows no regard for the moral code of her society; as Ashley Tauchert says, she "feels without reasoning". Mr Darcy settles on her a 'separate estate' of £1,000 at her eventual wedding to Wickham.
Charles Bingley – a handsome, amiable, and wealthy young man who leases Netherfield Park with hopes of purchasing it. Though genial and well-mannered, he is easily influenced by his friend Mr Darcy and his sisters' opinions, which leads to the disruption of his romance with Jane Bennet. His inherited fortune of £100,000 is derived from "trade" rather than landed wealth.
Caroline Bingley – the snobbish sister of Charles Bingley, with an inheritance of her own of £20,000. She harbours designs on Mr Darcy and is jealous of his growing attachment to Elizabeth. She also disapproves of her brother's admiration for Jane Bennet and is disdainful of Meryton society, driven by her vanity and desire for social elevation. George Wickham – Wickham is a charming but reprehensible cad. He has been acquainted with Mr Darcy since infancy, being the son of Mr Darcy's father's steward. An officer in the militia, he is superficially charming and rapidly forms an attachment with Elizabeth Bennet. He later runs off with Lydia with no intention of marriage, which would have resulted in her and her family's complete disgrace. Darcy intervenes and bribes Wickham to marry her by paying off his immediate debts and purchasing him a commission in the infantry.