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2. Themes summary
Plot summary
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3. Two centuries and counting…
Why is Pride and Prejudice such an enduring favourite?
• To the romantic, it’s a love story par excellence!
• To lovers of fiction, it’s story telling at its best.
• To linguists, it’s poetry in flowing prose.
• To lovers of life, its an embodiment of joie de vivre.
• To seekers of knowledge, it’s wisdom personified.
Jane Austen is a seer of truth disguised as a novelist.
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8. Timeline
Set in 19th century England, Pride and Prejudice traces the events in the lives of the Bennets over a period of a
year, starting before Michaelmas of 1811 and ending before Christmas of 1812.
October 1811
Bingley arrives in Netherfield. Darcy insults Elizabeth at the Meryton Ball. Jane and Bingley attracted to each
other. Militia regiment arrives at Meryton.
November 1811
Jane visits Netherfield and stays back because she falls ill. Elizabeth goes to Netherfield to be with Jane. Darcy
begins to feel attracted to Elizabeth. Collins arrives at Longbourn. Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Collins, Bingley, Darcy
and Wickham meet at Meryton. Wickham tells lies about Darcy. Elizabeth dances with Darcy at the Netherfield
ball, her relatives expose themselves. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, she refuses
December 1811
Bingley leaves Netherfield. Gardiners visit Longbourn for Christmas. Jane goes to London with the Gardiners.
January 1812
Collins and Charlotte marry and leave for Hunsford. Jane does not meet Bingley in London.
March 1812
Elizabeth visits Charlotte at Hunsford. Elizabeth dines at Rosings often. Darcy and Fitzwilliam arrive. Darcy visits
the parsonage.
April 1812
Elizabeth learns from Fitzwilliam about Darcy's interference in Bingley life. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, she
refuses. Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter explaining his role in Bingley's and Wickham's affairs. Darcy leaves
Rosings. Elizabeth goes to London.
May 1812
Elizabeth and Jane return to Longbourn. The militia regiment leaves, Lydia goes with the Forsters.
June 1812
Elizabeth's tour of the North with the Gardiners is postponed. Elizabeth visits Derbyshire with the Gardiners.
August 1812
Lydia elopes with Wickham. Mr. Bennet goes to London in search of Lydia. Elizabeth visits Pemberley, Darcy
arrives. Elizabeth meets Darcy, Georgiana, the Bingleys . Jane's letter about Lydia's elopement arrives, Elizabeth
leaves for Longbourn after informing Darcy. Darcy leaves for London. Mr. Bennet returns to Longbourn. Darcy
calls on Mr.Gardiner in London. Mr. Gardiner writes to Mr. Bennet that Lydia and Wickham are to be married.
Lydia and Wickham are married. Lydia and Wickham visit Longbourn
September 1812
Elizabeth writes to Mrs. Gardiner asking her for an explanation after Lydia's discloses that Darcy attended her
wedding. Mrs. Gardiner replies. The Wickhams leave. Bingley returns to Netherfield. Bingley and Darcy call on
the Bennets. Darcy confesses to Bingley about his interference with Jane. Bingley proposes to Jane, they are
engaged.
October 1812
Lady Catherine visits Longbourn. Collins writes to Mr. Bennet about the rumour of Elizabeth's engagement to
Darcy. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, she accepts him. Jane and Bingley marry, Elizabeth and Darcy marry.
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10. That young lady had a talent for describing
the involvements and feelings and characters of
ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful
I ever met with. . . . What a pity such a gifted
creature died so early!
—Sir Walter Scott, 1826
Pride and Prejudice Audiobook [Chapter 01]
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15. ELIZABETH, as they drove along, watched for the first appearance of Pemberley
Woods with some perturbation; and when at length they turned in at the lodge,
her spirits were in a high flutter.
The park was very large, and contained great variety of ground. They entered it in
one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood,
stretching over a wide extent.
Elizabeth's mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admired every
remarkable spot and point of view. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and
then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood
ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the
opposite side of a valley, into which the road, with some abruptness, wound....
Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done
more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward
taste.
They descended the hill, crossed the bridge, and drove to the door.
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16. Cheapside
A street in the City of London, today the financial
district and at the time of our story decidedly
associated with 'trade', that terrible new money
thing that the Bingleys are trying so hard to forget
about. An area that Miss Bingley or Mrs Hurst
would never dream of visiting if they could possibly
avoid it.
The southern end of Gracechurch Street
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19. Social Evolution
Pride and Prejudice was written during an epoch when France was in the midst of a violent
revolutionary upheaval and vividly depicts the social response to those events in England.
England had already undergone a major social upheaval with the dethronement and execution of
Charles I and the Glorious Revolution of 1688, laying the essential basis for evolution of liberal
democracy.
In spite of these two major cataclysmic changes, a century later, it was once again threatened
with revolutionary change by contagion from across the channel. The whole nation rose to the
occasion of the French Revolution and was ready to do everything in her power to avoid a
revolution.
The French aristocracy had resisted the winds of change with rude vulgar assertion of their
superiority, until it was imposed on them by physical force. In the process, about 1600 of them
lost their heads.
Their English counterparts consented to accommodate the aspirations of the rising middle classes
by permitting intermarriage with commoners.
Pride and Prejudice depicts this silent process of social transformation in the lives of the
English gentility.
The whole process is summarized in Elizabeth's accusations against Darcy, accusing him of
arrogance, pride, conceit, and selfish disdain for others.
Darcy's conscious individual response epitomizes the collective subconscious response of the
English upper classes.
He accepts the truth of her accusations and endeavors and transforms himself for the explicit
purpose of pleasing and winning her. Thus, a charming story of romance and marriage becomes
both a vehicle for and a product of social evolution.
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20. Multiple layers of meaning
Darcy's marriage to Elizabeth reveals multiple levels of significance.
• At the level of political and economic structures, it is a movement of social
evolution from aristocracy to a new order.
• At the social level, it is the first step that leads eventually to the erosion of the
institution of marriage and the emergence of the individual from the collective. The
empowerment of women and the middle and lower classes challenges and
eventually overthrows established social institutions.
• At the psychological level, it represents the development of character from pride
and prejudice to greater self­knowledge and humility.
• At the spiritual level, it is the evolution from ego to spiritual equality.
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21. Accomplishment
Pride and Prejudice is a tale of accomplishment, accomplishment of individuals,
families, society and a nation. Everyone gets, does, or becomes what they want.
• Mrs. Bennet gets three daughters married.
• Jane gets the gentle, loving husband in Bingley.
• Elizabeth finds the man she can respect and love.
• Even Lydia finds all that she cares for, youth, charm and wildness, in Wickham.
• Charlotte asks for the security of a home and marriage. And Collins is the answer.
• Collins is in need of a girl who will be satisfied with what material benefits he has
to offer, share his deference to Lady Catherine, and not ask for anything better. And
Charlotte is his stroke of luck.
• Darcy wants Bingley to be his brother.
• Wickham wants to become Darcy’s brother. Both get their wishes, though in
unexpected ways!
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22. Famous First Sentences: Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen (1775­1817)
The houses of Pride and Prejudice
2005
Chronology of Pride and Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice: Decorating the Bennet's house
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23. Allegati
cliffs_25_Pride_and_Prejudice.mp3