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Pride and prejudice

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Concetta Girlando

This document provides a detailed summary of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. It outlines key facts about the novel such as its genre as a comedy of manners, main characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and themes of love, reputation, and class. It also discusses Austen's use of techniques from 18th century novels like third-person narration and dialogue to reveal characters. The plot involves Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley meeting the Bennet family and forming relationships, with Elizabeth initially prejudiced against Darcy before gaining a better understanding of him.

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THE NOVEL OF MANNERS
KEY FACTS  FULL TITLE: Pride and Prejudice  AUTHOR : Jane Austen  TYPE OF WORK : Novel  GENRE: Comedy of manners  LANGUAGE: English  TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN: England, between 1796 and 1813  DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION:1813  NARRATOR : Third-person omniscient  MAIN CHARACTERS : Elizabeth and Darcy  ANTAGONIST : Snobbish middle class  SETTING (TIME): During the Napoleonic Wars (1797–1815) • SETTING (PLACE): Longbourn, in rural England • POINT OF VIEW: The novel is primarily told from Elizabeth Bennet’s point of view. • TENSE: Past tense • TONE: Comic—or, in Jane Austen’s own words. • THEMES : Love; Reputation; Class ,Courtship.
TRADITION OF THE 18th CENTURY NOVEL  Chronologically Jane Austen belonged to the Romantic period , but but her realism and balance in construction place her in the line with the tradition of the 18th century novel.  From Fielding she derived the use of the third omniscient narrator and the technique of bringing the characters into existence through dialogue.  From Richardson she learnt the insight into the psychology of the characters and the description of the ordinary events of life , like balls, walks and visits to friends.
THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT  The social environment of Austen’s England was particularly stratified, and class divisions were rooted in family connections and wealth.  Austen is often critical of the assumptions and prejudices of upper-class England.  She distinguishes between internal merit (virtues of person) and external merit (class and possessions).  The best method of self-improvement for women was the acquisition of wealth. Women could only accomplish this goal through successful marriage.
THE PLOT The novel is set in Longbourn, a small country village in Hertfordshire, where Mr and Mrs Bennet live with their five daughters: Jane, Elisabeth,Mary, Lydia and Kitty. One day a rich bachelor, Mr.Bingley and his two sisters rents a large estate in the neighbourhood ,called Netherfield park. After a series of balls and parties that bring the members of this little society together, Mr. Bingley falls in love with Jane, and his friend the aristocratic Fitzwilliam Darcy , begins to feel attracted by Elisabeth. But Elisabeth is conditioned by the gossip she hears about him. She has some prejudices towards him. Then Elisabeth begin to learn more about Mr. Darcy and his real nature. By the end of the novel Elisabeth accepts the Darcy’s proposal and they marry, along with Jane and Mr. Bingley.
THE THEME of the NOVEL  THE THEME of the NOVEL is the journey towards self-awareness and self-knowledge. This theme is complemented by other themes , which are love, marriage , social status and wealth.
THE NOVEL OF MANNERS  They deal with the codes and conventions of daily behaviour;  They present balls, teas and visits as occasion for meeting;  They explore personal relantionships , class distinctions and their effect on character’s behaviour;  They deal with the influence of money and property on the way people treat each other;  The main themes are marriage, the complications of love and friendship within this social world;  Dialogues play an important role because they reveal the characteristics of the characters.  Irony is often employed.
 ROMANTIC LOVE in Jane Austen is often in conflict with the social code which encourages marriages for money and social standing.  However , she remained fully committed to the common sense and the moral principles of the previous generation.  The heroine’s reflection after a crisis is a usual feature.  The happy ending is a common element in her novels : they all end in the marriage of a hero and a heroine.  What makes them interesting is the concentration on the steps through which the protagonist reach.
THE MARRIAGE
THE MAIN CHARACTERS ELISABETH BENNET  Similarly to Mr. Darcy, Elisabeth possesses great qualities but also great weaknesses.  She has a lively mind which permits her to have complex impressions and ideas;  She has a strong spirit of independence : she refuses to take on the roles which her family or socially superior people try to impose on her.  Both Elisabeth and Mr. Darcy set out with an imperfect understanding of each other: She accuses him of pride and he accuses her of prejudices .  She is prejudiced because of his social class and so she is disgusted by the vulgar behavious of Mrs Bennet and younger sisters who are quite frivoulus. MR. DARCY •The son of a wealthy, well- established aristocratic family, Darcy is Elizabeth’s male counterpart. •He has great qualities but also great weaknesses .He is selfish and unsociabe. He tends to judge too hardly, and his wealth makes him proud and conscious of his social status. •However, he is intelligent. He demonstrates his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her, when he rescues Lydia and the entire Bennet family from disgrace, and when he goes against the wishes of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by continuing to pursue Elizabeth. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth.
STYLE  Irony is much employed as a technique in relation to the characters who are trapped in a double perspective: they don’t know that things are not the way they seem but the reader does.  Jane Austen employs third-person narration and positions herself close to the mind of one character - mainly Elisabeth- and presents the action from her point of view.  The first person narrative also plays a part in the novel by means of many letters.

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Pride and prejudice

  • 1. THE NOVEL OF MANNERS
  • 2. KEY FACTS  FULL TITLE: Pride and Prejudice  AUTHOR : Jane Austen  TYPE OF WORK : Novel  GENRE: Comedy of manners  LANGUAGE: English  TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN: England, between 1796 and 1813  DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION:1813  NARRATOR : Third-person omniscient  MAIN CHARACTERS : Elizabeth and Darcy  ANTAGONIST : Snobbish middle class  SETTING (TIME): During the Napoleonic Wars (1797–1815) • SETTING (PLACE): Longbourn, in rural England • POINT OF VIEW: The novel is primarily told from Elizabeth Bennet’s point of view. • TENSE: Past tense • TONE: Comic—or, in Jane Austen’s own words. • THEMES : Love; Reputation; Class ,Courtship.
  • 3. TRADITION OF THE 18th CENTURY NOVEL  Chronologically Jane Austen belonged to the Romantic period , but but her realism and balance in construction place her in the line with the tradition of the 18th century novel.  From Fielding she derived the use of the third omniscient narrator and the technique of bringing the characters into existence through dialogue.  From Richardson she learnt the insight into the psychology of the characters and the description of the ordinary events of life , like balls, walks and visits to friends.
  • 4. THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT  The social environment of Austen’s England was particularly stratified, and class divisions were rooted in family connections and wealth.  Austen is often critical of the assumptions and prejudices of upper-class England.  She distinguishes between internal merit (virtues of person) and external merit (class and possessions).  The best method of self-improvement for women was the acquisition of wealth. Women could only accomplish this goal through successful marriage.
  • 5. THE PLOT The novel is set in Longbourn, a small country village in Hertfordshire, where Mr and Mrs Bennet live with their five daughters: Jane, Elisabeth,Mary, Lydia and Kitty. One day a rich bachelor, Mr.Bingley and his two sisters rents a large estate in the neighbourhood ,called Netherfield park. After a series of balls and parties that bring the members of this little society together, Mr. Bingley falls in love with Jane, and his friend the aristocratic Fitzwilliam Darcy , begins to feel attracted by Elisabeth. But Elisabeth is conditioned by the gossip she hears about him. She has some prejudices towards him. Then Elisabeth begin to learn more about Mr. Darcy and his real nature. By the end of the novel Elisabeth accepts the Darcy’s proposal and they marry, along with Jane and Mr. Bingley.
  • 6. THE THEME of the NOVEL  THE THEME of the NOVEL is the journey towards self-awareness and self-knowledge. This theme is complemented by other themes , which are love, marriage , social status and wealth.
  • 7. THE NOVEL OF MANNERS  They deal with the codes and conventions of daily behaviour;  They present balls, teas and visits as occasion for meeting;  They explore personal relantionships , class distinctions and their effect on character’s behaviour;  They deal with the influence of money and property on the way people treat each other;  The main themes are marriage, the complications of love and friendship within this social world;  Dialogues play an important role because they reveal the characteristics of the characters.  Irony is often employed.
  • 8.  ROMANTIC LOVE in Jane Austen is often in conflict with the social code which encourages marriages for money and social standing.  However , she remained fully committed to the common sense and the moral principles of the previous generation.  The heroine’s reflection after a crisis is a usual feature.  The happy ending is a common element in her novels : they all end in the marriage of a hero and a heroine.  What makes them interesting is the concentration on the steps through which the protagonist reach.
  • 10. THE MAIN CHARACTERS ELISABETH BENNET  Similarly to Mr. Darcy, Elisabeth possesses great qualities but also great weaknesses.  She has a lively mind which permits her to have complex impressions and ideas;  She has a strong spirit of independence : she refuses to take on the roles which her family or socially superior people try to impose on her.  Both Elisabeth and Mr. Darcy set out with an imperfect understanding of each other: She accuses him of pride and he accuses her of prejudices .  She is prejudiced because of his social class and so she is disgusted by the vulgar behavious of Mrs Bennet and younger sisters who are quite frivoulus. MR. DARCY •The son of a wealthy, well- established aristocratic family, Darcy is Elizabeth’s male counterpart. •He has great qualities but also great weaknesses .He is selfish and unsociabe. He tends to judge too hardly, and his wealth makes him proud and conscious of his social status. •However, he is intelligent. He demonstrates his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her, when he rescues Lydia and the entire Bennet family from disgrace, and when he goes against the wishes of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by continuing to pursue Elizabeth. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth.
  • 11. STYLE  Irony is much employed as a technique in relation to the characters who are trapped in a double perspective: they don’t know that things are not the way they seem but the reader does.  Jane Austen employs third-person narration and positions herself close to the mind of one character - mainly Elisabeth- and presents the action from her point of view.  The first person narrative also plays a part in the novel by means of many letters.