Pride & Prejudice - Estimated Read Time = 7 hours
This Article - Estimated Read Time = 15 minutes
Time This Article Saves You = 6 hours and 45 minutes
*Most books need to be read twice before they can really be understood. This article saves you time & effort by helping you reach a solid understanding with just one read.
Pride & Prejudice - Podcast Episode
Whenever lists have been created ranking the world’s greatest novels, Pride & Prejudice has always been included, often near the very top. Published in 1813, the work is over 200 years old now, and yet still, it continues to attract fans and admirers the world over.
It deals, obviously, with love and marriage. But also with family, friendship, and even more so, the social fabric that surrounds, constricts, orders, and ultimately, gives life to all of these differing relationships. Austen has a knack for showing how nearly all our decisions, even in the face of earnest desire, are made through the filter of social expectations.
Sometimes, men in particular hesitate when it comes to reading Jane Austen, primarily because of assumptions surrounding what her books are actually about. It’s often suspected that she only wrote sappy love stories, that will leave them bored and rolling their eyes.
This novel does have love within it; however, it’s about much, much more. For example, one of its most entertaining aspects is Jane Austen’s merciless wit, in which she skewers people for their ridiculousness, poking fun at the social conventions of her day. She’s hilarious, and her humor rings dangerously close to life.
Pride & Prejudice is, more than anything else, about the true measure of a person’s merit.
Story Recap . Spoiler Alert!
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
-Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice
This, the novel’s famous opening line, sets the stage for the entire novel. All of the tensions and developments of the plot surround what this line introduces, in particular because of the difficult situation the Bennet family finds themselves in.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters, none of whom are married. With no sons, due to inheritance laws at the time, upon the death of Mr. Bennet the entire family estate will be given away to a distant male relative, leaving all of the Bennet women with nothing.
Therefore, the only way for the Bennet women to be provided for is through marriage.
Mr. Bennet doesn’t worry much about anything, but this situation weighs heavy upon Mrs. Bennet. Her singular driving motivation, when her silliness and vanity don’t get in the way, is to see her daughters married.
So, in the opening chapter, when a wealthy bachelor moves into town, the mothers of all eligible maidens are on the prowl. And Mrs. Bennet is the foremost among them.
Side Note: while it is one of the greatest novels ever written, it’s worth noting that its pacing belongs to a different era, one where attention spans stretched further, and the general willingness to afford time before tensions elevated was far greater.
For that reason, the novel’s beginning can feel slow to modern readers.
Now, I’ll also say that throughout the book’s first half, Austen is setting the stage, developing relational connections, attractions and repulsions, in the same manner that a roller coaster moves slowly up the ramp at the beginning. Then, in a moment, a sudden downhill turn occurs, as one simple catalyst arises—an unexpected declaration of love—and the pace of the book erupts and from that moment forward.
So, if it feels slow going at first, hang in there. There’s better yet to come.
Pride & Prejudice is organized in one long string of chapters, sixty-one altogether. The story does seem to contain a few distinct sections with it though. Gaining a grasp of these sections, and their relation to one another, is particularly helpful in making sense of the entire novel.
ACT ONE
Mr. Bingley, a single man in possession of a fortune, moves into the neighborhood of the Bennets, exciting the hopes of all eligible maidens and their mothers. Early on in his time there, he falls for Jane Bennet.
Jane is the eldest of the Bennet sisters; Elizabeth, the novel’s main character, is the second eldest.
So, Mr. Bingley and Jane’s romance begins to develop, while Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy, offends Elizabeth.
Then Mr. Wickham enters, as the militia he’s signed on with is stationed in the Bennet’s hometown as well. Some mutual romantic affection develops between he and Elizabeth.
In confidence, Wickham shares with her the relation he once had to Mr. Darcy (Wickham’s father worked for Darcy’s father), an provides an awful depiction of Mr. Darcy’s character as well, further confirming Elizabeth’s feelings towards him as a rude and arrogant man.
Then Mr. Collins enters, the distant cousin to whom the Bennet estate is entailed (meaning once Mr. Bennet dies, the Bennet house, and property, and everything else will be given to him). Out of decency, he proposes to Elizabeth. But because he’s absolutely ridiculous, she rejects his offer.
So, he proposes to her friend, Miss Lucas, who accepts his offer of marriage in order to be provided for herself.
Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy’s actions towards Elizabeth take on a stranger and interested manner. However, she is locked into her negative opinion of him.
All of these tensions culminate at a ball Mr. Bingley holds in his home, where the Bennet family publicly behaves with an extreme lack of social grace and propriety. Much of this behavior belongs to Mrs. Bennet, who can’t help but publicly gloat in her conviction that Mr. Bingley is about to propose to Jane.
Mr. Bingley soon leaves for London, with a stated expectation to return in a few days. However, he never does. Jane is heartbroken, and all seems over, for the present.
ACT TWO
Jane goes to stay with the Gardiners, her aunt and uncle in London. While there, she has a few cold interactions with Mr. Bingley’s sister, but never hears from him directly.
The seedling romance between Elizabeth and Wickham ends. Another local, eligible maiden gains a sizable inheritance, and suddenly, Wickham’s affections for Elizabeth cease. His attentions are transferred from Elizabeth to this newly minted maiden.
So, Elizabeth travels with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, to visit her friend Miss Lucas in Kent, where she is now Mrs. Collins. There she meets Lady de Bourgh and her daughter, the aunt and cousin of Mr. Darcy. Darcy himself, and a friend of his, both happen to be visiting Kent as well, staying with the de Bourghs.
Here, in Kent, Mr. Darcy finds Elizabeth alone one morning, and confesses his love for her, asking for her hand in marriage. Although, he does so somewhat tactlessly, acknowledging the inferiority her social position. Without much grace, and somewhat offensively, she refuses.
He leaves Kent the following morning, but before he does, he delivers a letter to Elizabeth. The letter provides an explanation concerning his interference in Mr. Bingley and Jane’s relationship, as well as the truth of his interactions with Wickham.
To protect his friend, Mr. Bingley, Darcy had warned him against marrying Jane, because of the impropriety of Bennet family. And because he wasn’t sure Jane actually cared for Bingley. Darcy was wrong here, but he’s able to acknowledge it.
Wickham, it turns out, is a lying rapscallion. At these revelations, Elizabeth is disoriented, but as she processes the letter, her entire opinion of Darcy is overturned. She begins to see that he is a decent man, somewhat proud, but of good character nonetheless. She sees that she misunderstood him.
However, she never expects to see him again. She returns home to Longbourn.
ACT THREE
The militia moves to Brighton, and Lydia, one of the younger Bennet sisters, desires to go and spend the summer there. Mr. Bennet allows Lydia to go, against Elizabeth’s spirited warnings.
Then, Elizabeth embarks upon another journey with her aunt and uncle on a trip they had previously planned. Although, the trip’s route is altered due to a shortened time-span. Eventually, they find themselves at Pemberton, Mr. Darcy’s majestic home. Elizabeth is shocked and embarrassed when Darcy arrives, having heard and banked on the word that he was away on travel.
Immediately, Darcy shows Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle much attention and interest. The next day, he introduces them to his younger sister. A mutual affection is beginning to stir between he and Elizabeth.
Until, a letter arrives.
Jane writes to Elizabeth telling how Lydia has run off with Wickham. The intention was likely to marry, but it’s just as likely that they won’t. The social consequences of such actions would’ve been disastrous. This has the potential to mar the reputation of the entire Bennet family, impacting even the other daughters ability to marry.
Mr. Darcy walks in as Elizabeth finishes reading the letter, and she tells him everything. He is concerned, but doesn’t say much. She considers his unspoken thoughts, and imagines his logic to be leading him to this conclusion—that because of Lydia and Wickham, he can never marry Elizabeth. But Darcy never states what he’s actually thinking.
The trip is cut short, as Elizabeth rushes home. Soon after, Wickham and Lydia are found in London, and a quick, quiet wedding ensues.
One question persists through these events. Wickham is money-hungry, as he has clearly shown. He’s foolish enough to run off with a woman, but agreeing to marry her is another thing, especially when she has no wealth to speak of.
So, why did he agree to marry Lydia? The suspicion is that someone paid him to do so.
ACT FOUR
Elizabeth’s belief is that her uncle, Mr. Gardiner, paid off Wickham. To confirm, Elizabeth writes to her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner. Her aunt responds, revealing that it wasn’t Mr. Gardiner at all. In truth, it was Darcy.
In light of his heroics, Elizabeth’s affections for Darcy abound; she suspects that the motivation behind his actions was love for her.
Then, he arrives at her home, on several visits with Mr. Bingley. But he doesn’t pay much attention to Elizabeth. She’s confused.
Bingley proposes to Jane, and they are engaged. Then, another letter arrives, from Mr. Collins to Mr. Bennet, expressing his thoughts concerning the gossip that Darcy is to marry Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet thinks the letter is ridiculous, not knowing that Elizabeth’s feelings for Darcy have changed. But at this point, it’s only gossip.
Then, Lady de Bourgh herself arrives, and rudely attempts to dissuade Elizabeth from marrying Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth refuses to vow against it.
Soon after, Darcy himself arrives, and proposes to Elizabeth. She accepts. He reveals that Lady de Bourgh attempted to dissuade him as well, and in doing so, revealed to him that Elizabeth refused to vow that she would not marry him. For the first time since her initial refusal, this gave him hope. So, he returned to her and proposed again.
RESOLUTION
The story wraps up quickly from there, giving a few small glimpses into the years ahead, with each party of the family. The story ends happily, and remarkably well.
An Interpretation - A True Measure
The true measure of a person’s merit is their character.
This, more than anything else, is the dynamic we see at play in the relationship between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Despite her family’s lack of social graces, and despite her own social inferiority compared to his, he attains a true judgment of her character early on. That is what draws him to her—her character.
She, in contrast, fails to truly understand who he is, throughout much of the book. She believes she has a grasp of his character, but is sorely mistaken.
In truth, neither of them are perfect. What’s fascinating to see is how their romance, and even furthermore, their conflict, makes them each better.
If anything, Elizabeth lacks charity. She is too cutting in her appraisal of others, and reaches her judgments too quickly. Darcy, on the other hand, really is proud. He is unforgiving and arrogant. He himself admits this near the novel’s end, acknowledging that he was raised to be proud, but had come to find it was more a mark against, rather than for him.
Despite the missed judgments among them and these slight flaws of character, through their deepening relationship, they are each made better. And when each comes to a solid understanding of the integrity that marks the other, they choose to commit to each other in marriage, quite happily.
I believe, if there’s anything Jane Austen would have us walk away with, apart from a few good laughs and the experience of a pleasant read, it’s the understanding that the true measure of a person’s merit is their character.
Physical beauty, wittiness and a sense of humor, the promise of future wealth and comfort, or even the general charisma and liveliness that a person brings to a scene—these are all lesser measures that we rely upon when judging whether or not a relationship with a particular person would be a good idea. But it’s reliance upon measures like these that lead people into awful relationships.
For example, Mr. Wickham has social graces and charm. But he is certainly not respectable, or trustworthy. He’s a callous, manipulative liar. But if your measure is social graces or physical attractiveness, and not character—then you could very well end up with a group of friends or even a spouse like him.
This is exactly what happens to Mr. Bennet. He realizes shortly after his wedding with Mrs. Bennet that he mistook her beauty and liveliness for something deeper than what it was. He came to realize that he married a fool, a person whose weak character went on to have damaging effects not only on himself, but also on his children.
Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, may not be as sociable as Wickham, yet his character is solid. The same is true of Elizabeth.
And in a relationship like that, a level of safety and joy can be found. Because you’ve committed yourself to someone that you trust, respect, and enjoy. A person of true character, whose impact on you for years to come will be for the better.
Because the true measure of a person’s merit is their character. And if you ever wonder about a person’s character, just consider—are they worthy of trust? And are they worthy of respect?
Closing Thoughts - A Glad Decision
This idea surrounding character is something I’ve found true in my own life. I entered into marriage at a young age, when I lacked wisdom, maturity, and life experience. Yet consistently, I’ve looked back upon the decision to marry the woman I did with gratitude, because she is a person I both trust and respect. A person of character.
Because of the book’s romantic nature, it’s easy to confine the conversation to marriage and dating relationships. Those are the ones that we often spend the most time considering, because marriage involves such a significant commitment.
But I believe this principle also applies to all kinds of relationships. When it comes to friends, co-workers, and employers, it’s easy to skip over this kind of consideration. It’s easy to look primarily at salaries and titles, and let those fuel our decisions. It’s easy to let friendships just kind of haphazardly develop, without giving too much thought to who we’re befriending.
It’s easy to rely on lesser measures.
When we do, we often find ourselves facing a whole host of sorry consequences, that often amount to a life of high drama and low quality. Because the character of those we surround ourselves with matters. A lot. Maybe not as much as in marriage, but still, a lot.
The best advice I can offer, in light of Austen’s wisdom, is to consider character in our all of our relationships. To value it perhaps beyond all other features. Because when it’s present in every sphere, we have the opportunity to move through this life surrounded by people that we trust, respect, and enjoy. People that make us, and our loved ones, better.
In doing so, we secure for ourselves more and more of the felicity, the happiness, and the joy that so many long for. Because decisions concerning who we surround ourselves with are arguably some of the most important ones we’ll make in this life. So choose wisely, and choose well. Choose character.