Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen

Book Review of Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen

Pride and prejudice a 1813 novel is based on romance written by Jane Austen. It is character driven and focuses on the leading protagonist Elizabeth Bennet, a strong and intelligent woman. The plot mainly highlights the need of women to get married to rich men to attain high social status and economic security.

Elizabeth and her family consist of her parents and her 4 sisters Jane, Mary, Lydia and Kitty. They belong to a middle-class family residing in Hertfordshire.  The ultimate aim of her mother is to get the adolescent daughters married in rich affluent families. The plot begins with the arrival of the Bingley’s in Hertfordshire. Mr. Bingley and the Bennet sisters meet at a dance party and Mr. Bingley is at awe on seeing Jane. Mr. Bingley along with Mr. Darcy, who is a close friend is also present there. He has a quite reserved and unusual nature and is understood by the public as arrogant and rude, especially by Elizabeth. But to the contrary he likes her. Over the time, Mr. Bingley falls in love with Jane. But to the contrary Mr. Darcy feels that Jane is not in love with him rather is after his money.

Due to long period of no interaction between the two families, the Bennet family give up hopes of Jane’s marriage. Mr. Wickham and Mr. Collins enter the Bennets’ life and create nuisance. Mr. Wickham lures Lydia into his trap by showing fake love. He runs away with her and demands money for their marriage in order to avoid disgrace. Mr. Darcy eventually finds out the truth about Elizabeth and asks for her hand in marriage. But Elizabeth plainly refuses him as she hates him and is unaware of the truth. Mr. Wickham finally agrees to marry Lydia. Elizabeth finally comes to know the truth and regrets her past decisions and marries Mr. Darcy.

The story brings about the various aspects as romance, misjudgements, relationships and gossips. It focusses on love and marriage without any violence. The novel depicts the author’s critical review on the typical gender roles and society. It shows that women at that time were portrayed as mere objects of beauty. While men were financially independent, women had to depend on them. It was difficult for women to survive alone without marriage as they would be dependent on their relatives and parents without any financial security. So Mrs. Bennet forces Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins for a better future.

The marriage between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is an ideal one as there is respect, understanding and independence along with financial security. While the one between Mr. Collins and Charlotte and Lydia and Mr. Wickham has a negative impact on our mind. At that time women were deprived of higher education and were taught by governesses and home tutors. Elizabeth was a forward-looking woman who had broaden her thinking through extensive reading.

The novel reveals the narrow-mindedness, pride and emotions of the people at that time. The author has used irony throughout the book especially from Elizabeth’s perspective. The other character’s feelings are revealed though the letters mentioned in here. Human weakness is the major theme be it Miss Bingley’s jealously or Elizabeth’s prejudice.

The warm welcome and other formalities towards the guests as mentioned in the book are rarely seen in today’s society. But even now families face similar difficulties and societal humiliation due to their daughter’s elopement. There is practical and moral advice that provokes our own thinking. A woman should be more practical than greedy while choosing her husband. The book mentions the common things that happen in the society such as awkwardness at relatives’ stupidity, the uneasy feelings of falling in love, and the irritation after suddenly realization of a big mistake.

The novel is interesting and keeps us engrossed. The title “Pride and Prejudice” is apt. The plot is well built with unforgettable characters and depicts true nature of the society. The story is beautifully narrated and leaves an impact on our minds. One can literally visualize the chain of events in front of their eyes. The language used is free indirect speech which is quite simple and easy to understand. The book has diverse and well narrated characters with deep understanding of human nature. It is feminist novel. The writing is not dull as with other classics and one enjoys reading every page. The book is recommended for anyone who is a fan of romance, family-oriented and classic novels.

Reviewer: Rohini Save

Roll No: 42

Bibliography: Austen, J. (1991). Pride and prejudice. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

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