Most of you have heard of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and if you are anything like me, have probably dismissed it as 'one of those boring old classics'. However, when you read it, you will find that it is an amazing book. You will probably have to look some words up in the dictionary, but that is a small price for a good book.
Pride and Prejudice is a story told through the eyes of the second eldest daughter of a middle-class family in 19th century England - Elizabeth Bennet (Lizzy). Young and spirited, she makes a great heroine that you will want to stick by for the rest of the book.
The story starts when the charming and rich young gentleman called Mr. Bingley (along with his friend Mr. Darcy and sisters Mrs. Hurst and Miss. Bingley) takes up residence nearby. Nearly all the girls in the neighborhood want him as their husband. Mr. Bingley favors Jane, Lizzy's eldest sister, and a proposal is expected soon.
On their very first meeting at a ball, Elizabeth hates Mr. Darcy. For one, he is arrogant, full of pride, and he thinks that all the commoners are beneath him. Elizabeth also overhears him making a comment about not wanting to dance with her due to her being "not handsome enough to tempt me."
A new officer, Mr. Wickham, arrives in the militia stationed nearby. He is charming, handsome, and liked by all he meets. He tells Lizzy that Mr. Darcy had cheated from him the fortune that was to be his, and Elizabeth's opinion of Mr. Darcy sinks even lower. She is now determined to hate him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Collins, her cousin, who is to inherit Mr. Bennet's (Elizabeth's father) estate after his death due to his having no other male relation, comes to stay with the Bennets. He is a silly kind of man, empty-headed and tending to make long, tedious speeches. He also thinks very highly of his patron, the Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He has come to pick a wife from among the Bennet daughters. His initial choice is Jane, but after Mrs. Bennet tells him that she is probably to be engaged soon, he starts to favor Elizabeth. He proposes to her but is rejected completely. Instead, he marries Elizabeth's friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte only wants to marry him to financially secure herself; her parents are unable to give her much money after their death. Moreover, she is plain and unlikely to get another marriage proposal.
After Charlotte and Mr. Collins leave for London, Mr. Bingley suddenly departs too, leaving Jane broken hearted. When he does not return for a long time, Elizabeth is convinced that his sisters, who want Mr. Bingley to marry Mr. Darcy's sister, are trying to keep Jane from Mr. Bingley. Jane's health is declining every day, and to improve it, Elizabeth sends Jane away to London to stay with her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.
Elizabeth soon goes to London herself with Charlotte's father and sister to visit her and Mr. Collins. After her being there some time, Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, come to visit their aunt, who is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. From something that Colonel Fitzwilliam unknowingly revealed, Elizabeth realizes that Mr. Darcy has been the main factor of separating Mr. Bingley and Jane. She grows even more mad at him and hates him even more.
Mr. Darcy reveals his affection for Elizabeth and proposes to her. She refuses him, telling him that she does not like him and accusing him of the deprivation of Mr. Wickham's fortune and of the separation of Mr. Bingley and her sister. He leaves, upset and angry. The next morning she receives a letter from him, revealing that Mr. Wickham was actually the culprit and that he is not at fault. He also explained his motives for separating Mr. Bingley and Jane. Elizabeth was forced to accept the fact that they were true, and, upon some reflection, decided that perhaps she had judged him too harshly.
After some other circumstances (including Elizabeth seeing Mr. Darcy again at his house and estate - Pemberly, and her sister, Lydia, eloping with Wickham and being brought back by Mr. Darcy) Elizabeth realizes that she loves Mr. Darcy and had completely misjudged his character. However, she already rejected him. Does he still love her?
Pride and Prejudice is a novel bursting with richness. It tells us about pride - Mr. Darcy's pride in his money, rank, and social position and Elizabeth's pride in her own quick judgment. Mr. Darcy's pride leads him to have a prejudice against all that are outside his social circle. Elizabeth's pride leads her to form a judgment of Mr. Darcy too quickly and thus be prejudiced against him. They both need each other's help in overcoming this pride and prejudice. The novel also describes how family is important in the education of children. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's negligence results in Lydia's foolish and immoral behavior. However, Jane and Elizabeth have better role models in the Gardiners and so develop better virtues and are more sensible. Also, Mr. Darcy is kind and generous like his father.
It is clear that Jane Austen is against the position of women in her time, when most women had to marry for the sake of securing their finances (like Charlotte Lucas in the book). She believes that, like Elizabeth, women can be as smart and sensible as men.
Overall, I think that this is an absolutely great book and everyone who can read it should. This novel has a lot to teach and everyone can benefit from it. If you don't understand what it is trying to teach you, you'll understand the story. And if you do understand what it's teaching, that's great!
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