Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austin

Time/Setting: 1800's England

Significant Characters:

• Lizzy Bennet: Most independent of the Bennet daughters, wants to marry for love and not just money (like her mother wants)

• Mr Darcy: Very proud of himself and his title, says he'll never end up marrying someone like Lizzy but ultimately falls in love with her 

• Mrs. Bennet: A gold-digger who wants to marry off her daughter to the richest men she can find

• Mr. Bennet: Protector of his daughters, even if it means disagreeing and crossing paths with his wife

• Jane Bennet: Eldest daughter who falls in love with the rich and single Mr. Bingley 

• Mr Bingley: Newly single and very rich, love interest of Jane Bennet

• Mr. Collins: The one who will inherit the Bennet house if none of them marry him, he falls in love with Lizzy who turns his marriage proposal down flat

• Lady Catherine: Important head figure who greatly disagrees with Lizzy's independant ideas and views of society 

•  Lydia Bennet: One of the youngest Bennet sisters, eventually runs away and gets married to Wickham, a past friend of Lizzy's 

• Wickham: Once a friend of Mr Darcy and is not to be trusted

Significant/Important Plot Points:

• Mrs. Bennet is trying to marry off her daughter to well off men 
• Mrs. Bennet and her daughters are overjoyed that rich man Mr. Bingley is newly single and that one of them might have the chance of marrying him 
• The Bennets attend a ball where they are all intoroduced to Mr. Bingley and his good friend Mr. Darcy 
• Jane Bennet falls in love with Mr. Bingley (and vise versa)
• Lydia and another one of her sisters are only concerned with the men at the ball 
• Mary, the youngest daughter, is not interested in balls or chasing men; she would rather read a book
• Mrs. Bennet sends Jane to visit Mr. Bingley and is happy when she writes saying how she caught a cold on the way to his house and that she will have to stay for a few weeks 
• Lizzy decides to visit her sister and see where Mr. Bingley's feelings for her lie 
• Lizzy returns home with Jane to find that Mr Collins has come to stay in their home (and secretly find a wife)
• Mr Collins takes interest in Jane but upon discovering that she is pratically already engaged, his eyes turn to the next eldest, Lizzy 
• Mr Collins proposes to Lizzy, who turns him down straight away
• After being turned down by Lizzy, Mr Collins proposes to Lizzy's best friend who accepts his proposal 
• Lizzy meets Mr. Wickham, who was once a friend of Mr. Darcy's 
• Lizzy believes that she loves Wickham until she talks to Mr Darcy about what kind of man he really is 
• Lizzy discovers one day that Mr. Darcy broke up Mr. Bingley and her sister Jane because he didn't approve of her mother and family
• Lizzy is taken completely by surprise when Mr Darcy admits that he has strong feelings for her and wants to marry her 
• Lizzy is asked to stay at the Darcy's and receives a letter from her sister Lydia, who has run away with Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy feels responsible for  this and makes a vow to Lizzy that he himself will go out and try to find them
• Lizzy returns home to be with her mother and sisters, and is glad when her father returns home with news that they will most likely marry
• Lydia and Wickham return home shortly to show that they are married and then head back out to their home 
• Without her knowing, Mr. Darcy rejoins Mr. Bingley and her sister together by convincing Bingley that he was wrong to have done what he did and that he should go to her and propose 
• Mr. Bingley does this and Jane accepts!!
• Jane and Lizzy talk of finding husbands and Lizzy can only think of Mr Darcy 
• Lizzy and Mr Darcy meet early one day and tell each other of their love 
• Lizzy and Mr. Darcy go to Mr. Bennet and ask for his blessing of their marriage; he gives it willingly and the two of them marry 

Narrative Voice/Tone:

• The narrative voice of this novel fits exactly into the time period it is set in. Austin lived during this time and was right in the middle of this society when she wrote P&P. Throughout the novel, and especially through Lizzy, her comments about society being a place where women look to marry rich first and love second are everywhere. It would be interesting to find out if any of the other significant characters are based on people in her life and if so, how they affected her and influenced this book. While Austin takes some time to explain certain passages, her voice comes through quite clearly and gets right to the point. 
• The tone of this novel is not extremely happy or gut-wrenching sad, but in the middle. There is no real shift in tone in the novel except for the passage where Mr. Darcy first declares his love for Lizzy and she doesn't know what to say. The novels tone holds a happy medium, focusing more on the characters, the situations they are in and how they handle what society has thrown at them.

Significant Quotes: 

• "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me." - Mr. Darcy

• "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." - Mr. Bennet

• "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever." - Mr. Darcy

Theme:

• While being in a society that has strict rules from how to dress to getting a husband, there is still a way to be a part of that society and still be happy with the one you love