Pride and Prejudice

> "*It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.*"
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**Pride and Prejudice** is an 1813 novel by Jane Austen. Her second novel, it is a novel of manners story about Elizabeth Bennet, who learns about the differences of goodness while she finds herself in a relationship with the haughty, rich Mr. Darcy.

*Pride and Prejudice* has since become of the most popular novels in English literature and is considered to be Austen's masterpiece. With over 20 million copies sold, it has been adapted numerous times in film, television, and other unofficial sequels.

## Plot Summary

A wealthy bachelor named Charles Bingley rents out at the estate of Netherfield Park, which causes a commotion in the nearby village of Longhorn. The Bennet family lives at Longhorn and has five unmarried daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia. Mrs. Bennet is fiercely determined to have all of her daughters married and secure their fortunes, and with the news of Bingley's arrival, she hopes she’ll make a suitable match for one of the girls.

At a ball, Mr. Bingley is seen attending the party, along with his two sisters and close friend, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Bingley becomes smitten with Jane, but Darcy is rude to Elizabeth and refuses to dance with her, leaving her offended by his arrogance.

As several weeks pass, Bingley and Jane's relationship increases at social gatherings, while Darcy becomes more attracted by Elizabeth's beauty and intelligence. While on her way to the Bingley house, Jane is caught in a rainstorm and falls ill. She is forced to stay at Netherfield to recover for a few days, and eventually, Elizabeth sets out to Netherfield to look after her sister. Her muddy dress from the walk to the house causes tensions among the Bingley sisters, mostly to Caroline Bingley, who wants to have Darcy for herself, and her jealousy increases the more Darcy becomes drawn to Elizabeth.

Mr. Collins is a young, pompous clergyman who is Mr. Bennet's cousin and the heir to the Longhorn estate. He visits the house one day to marry one of the Bennet girls. Elizabeth turns down his marriage proposal, so he proposes and marries Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas instead.

A group of militia officers are stationed near the Bennet household. The Bennet sisters become friendly with the officers, including George Wickham, who Elizabeth finds charming. He claims to her that Darcy had wronged him in the past by cheating him out of an inheritance.

At the beginning of winter, the Bingleys and Darcy unexpectedly leave Netherfield and depart for London. Jane is left dismayed as she hoped her relationship with Bingley would increase and is heartbroken when Caroline Bingley writes to her that not only will they not return, but her brother plans to marry Darcy's sister Georgiana. Her relatives, the Gardniers, invite her to London to help lift her spirits. Elizabeth's hatred towards Darcy grows when she suspects he is deliberately responsible for having Bingley separate from Jane and return to London.

In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins, who live near the home of Mr. Collins' patron and Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Darcy visits the Collins' home several times while she is there, and during one of these visits, he surprises her by proposing marriage. She refuses his offer and accuses him of ruining her sister's courtship and mistreating Wickham.

Shortly after her rejection, Elizabeth receives a letter from Darcy. In the letter, he explains that he did encourage Bingley to separate from Jane as he didn't think they were seriously in love. He also reveals Wickham is a scoundrel and a liar after he attempted to elope with his younger sister Georgiana. After reading it, Elizabeth misjudges her feelings for Darcy and is ashamed of her prejudice and her family's behaviour. When she arrives home, she treats Wickham coldly, and the Bennet girls are distraught when the militia relocates to Brighton. Lydia is upset the most, and she manages to plead to Mr. Bennet for permission to spend the summer with an old colonel friend in Brighton, where Wickham and the militia are stationed.

Months later, Elizabeth and the Gardniers travel to Derbyshire and visit Pemberley, Darcy's estate. After making sure Darcy is absent, Elizabeth spends most of her time exploring Pemberley and is fascinated by its grounds and house. Darcy then shows up suddenly and kindly treats Elizabeth and the Gardniers; he even encourages her to spend time with Georgiana. Bingley also shows up and admits he is still in love with Jane.

Sometime later, Elizabeth receives a letter from Jane that says Lydia has eloped with Wickham, and they are nowhere to be found. Fearing her family will be disgraced by this scandal, Elizabeth passes on the news to Darcy and rushes home. Both Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardnier set out to search for Lydia and Wickham, but to no avail. Mr. Gardnier eventually finds the couple's whereabouts, and Wickham will marry Lydia in exchange for having his debts paid off. The couple then departs to northern England for Wickham's assignment, and Mr. Darcy pays off Wickham's debts.

Bingley resumes his courtship with Jane and eventually proposes to her. While Darcy is away on a business trip in London, Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth. She warns her not to accept Darcy's marriage proposal after hearing rumours she intends to marry him. However, Elizabeth disagrees with her, even though the proposal has yet to be made. Darcy then returns and tells her his feelings for her haven't changed. After accepting his proposal, Elizabeth and Darcy, along with Bingley and Jane, are married.

## Characters

Elizabeth Bennet- The main protagonist. The second oldest of the Bennet sisters, Elizabeth is an intelligent, witty and prideful young woman who analyzes different people’s behaviours but easily makes mistakes when judging them, especially when she despises Mr. Darcy for his arrogance. She usually values good manners and virtue rather than wealth and social positions but is embarrassed by her mother’s behaviour and her younger sisters. As the story progresses, she later blames herself for her prejudice against Darcy when she learns about his tender side and feelings for her.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy- A wealthy gentleman who is the owner of Pemberley House. His class consciousness makes him look proud and snobbish, and he is initially awkward in attempting to flirt with Elizabeth, whose arrogance and rudeness she cannot stand. When he tries to propose to her for the first time, he studies her family’s lack of money and her lower social status. He later supports her by helping the Bennets find Lydia and Wickham and paying off their debts so they can be married. As such, Elizabeth loves him more and later marries him.

Jane Bennet- The eldest of the Bennet sisters and the most beautiful, sweet-tempered and modest. Elizabeth and Jane have a close bond, and she falls in love with Charles Bingley, whose first meeting is a stark contrast between Elizabeth and Darcy. She always looks on the bright side, but her naiveté leaves her vulnerable to insincerity like Bingley's sister, Caroline. She becomes despondent when Bingley leaves Longhorn, making Elizabeth suspicious that Darcy has something to do with it. However, Bingley later returns with his feelings for Jane unchanged, and they later marry.

Charley Bingley- A wealthy gentleman and Darcy's best friend, who leases at Netherfield estate near the Bennet's home. He is a handsome, humble and kind young man whose attractiveness makes Jane fall in love with him at first sight. Despite his down-to-earth nature, others, mainly his sisters, also easily influence him. Additionally, he is not as clever or intelligent as his friend Darcy, making him a foil of him. Even so, he still loves Jane, and after he marries her, he purchases Netherfield to be closer to the Bennets.

Mr. Bennet- The patriarch of the Bennet family. He is a passive, sarcastic gentleman who has endured an unhappy marriage with his wife. While he loves and adores his daughters, he has failed to provide them with a financial future. He mostly spends time alone ridiculing other people's weaknesses rather than dealing with his own problems. Even if he is blessed that his favourite daughter, Elizabeth, is finally married, his attitude and nature remain unchanged.

George Wickham- A handsome young officer in the local military regiment. On the surface, his good looks attract Elizabeth, but deep down, he is a liar and a scoundrel who claims that Darcy is a cruel man for cheating him out of an inheritance and is the godson of Darcy’s father. Additionally, he has constantly taken advantage of others and struggled heavily with his debts. After he runs off with Lydia Bennet, Darcy bribes him by paying off his debts to marry Lydia and prevent her from falling into social disgrace.