Pride and Prejudice: A Timeless Tale of Love and Society

Pride and Prejudice was written two hundred years ago by Jane Austen and describes a year in the life of a small group of young people living in the country near London, in a period of change (18th and 19th centuries). In the midst of this society, we are able to find some special and amusing people: The Bennets, who live with their five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. Mr. Bennet is agreeable and intelligent and he does not like the frivolity of his wife and his three younger daughters, but he has a good relationship with Jane and Elizabeth, besides he is very close to them. Mrs. Bennet is not as intelligent or educated as her husband. Her only goal in life is to find husbands for her daughters and her pleasures are visiting, talking, and clothes. However, their situation was worse than it seemed, because according to a lawyer's agreement, since Mr. Bennet had no son, the property, when he died, would pass to a distant cousin, Mr. Collins. His daughters would have nothing unless they married. One day, a man named Charles Bingley leases the Netherfield estate and plans to settle with his two sisters and his brother-in-law. The arrival of this rich and handsome man in the neighborhood excites Mrs. Bennet who has four unmarried daughters. A few weeks after the arrival, Charles Bingley, his family, and his best friend, Darcy, attend a public ball in the village of Meryton, where Mr. Bingley proves to be kind and generous when he dances with many young ladies and shows his admiration for Jane Bennet, the eldest of the five Bennet sisters. However, Mr. Darcy makes a bad impression on the strangers, as the people of Meryton think that he is proud, judgmental, and concerned about social status, that is why he becomes very unpopular despite his large annual income. On the other hand, Elizabeth Bennet hears him refuse to dance "because she is not attractive enough for him", so she immediately thinks, like everyone else, that he is incredibly proud despite his fine figure. After the ball, Jane is invited for a night at Netherfield, but catches a bad cold and is forced to rest for a few days. Her sister Elizabeth goes to Netherfield to nurse her. Meanwhile, Mr. Collins, a young cousin of Mr. Bennet and the heir of Longbourn, arrives for a visit. He has recently obtained the clerical living on the estate of Lady Catherine De Bourgh in Kent and he is trying to find a wife among his cousin's daughters. Checking that Jane seems destined for Bingley, he asks Elizabeth to marry him, but she refuses Mr. Collins despite the threats of her mother. In the end, he is accepted by Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte Lucas, who is still unmarried at the age of twenty-seven. Later, Elizabeth is introduced to a young and handsome officer, Mr. Wickham, who is the son of Darcy's father's steward. This charming man makes a good impression in Meryton society, and his reports that Darcy has cheated him out of an inheritance that belongs to him further damage Darcy's reputation. This reinforces Elizabeth's growing aversion to Darcy and she is relieved when he leaves, with Mr. Bingley and his family, the neighborhood. This act causes Jane sadness because she is in love with Charles Bingley. However, Elizabeth meets Darcy again on a visit to Lady Catherine (his aunt) in Rosings Park and he suddenly reveals his true feelings: he loves her "despite her objectionable family". After this, he proposes marriage, but she absolutely refuses him because of what he has said and also because she thinks that Darcy convinced Mr. Bingley to break ties with Jane, although she also mentions what Mr. Wickham said. The next day, Mr. Darcy delivers Elizabeth a letter in which he justifies his actions - he believed that Jane did not love his friend and he didn't want him to suffer because of this girl. Darcy also reveals the true nature of Mr. Wickham, who is financially irresponsible and morally bankrupt. He also tried to get his sister to leave home and go with him. After reading this, the young woman is quite upset with herself, but she is not totally convinced.

Later Elizabeth and her family discover that Lydia has run off with Mr. Wickham to another town, but after Darcy's intervention they come back home and finally get married. Elizabeth's feelings change and after some time she receives a visit from Lady Catherine who has discovered Mr. Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth and she tries to intimidate her into refusing her nephew. The book ends when Jane marries Mr. Bingley and her younger sister, Elizabeth, marries Mr. Darcy after he proposes to her again.

Key Characters in Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth Bennet

She is the second of the Bennets daughters. Elizabeth is twenty years old, she is very attractive, witty and nice but she tends to judge people on first impressions. Her best friend is Charlotte Lucas.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy

He is intelligent, good-natured and wealthy but he is also proud and concerned with social status. Mr. Darcy is twenty-eight years old and is still unmarried. He is the owner of an estate in Derbyshire and he loves Elizabeth Bennet although he tries to avoid it.

Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet

Mr. Bennet has a wife and five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine and Lydia. He is nice and intelligent and he dislikes the frivolity of his wife and his three young daughters but he has a good relation with Jane and Elizabeth besides he is very close to them. Mrs. Bennet is not as clever or educated as her husband. Her only aim in life is to find husbands for her daughters and her pleasures are visiting, talking and clothes.

Jane Bennet

She is the eldest Bennet sister. She is twenty-two and everybody thinks she is the most beautiful lady in the neighbourhood. Jane is very active, sensible and sweet and she only tries to see good in other people. In the end, she gets married with Mr. Bingley.

Mary Bennet

She is the middle Bennet sister. Mary is eighteen years old and she spends a lot of time studying and reading but she has a lack of common sense.

Catherine Bennet

She is the fourth Bennet sister. Catherine is seventeen years old and she is called Kitty by her family who describes her as a headstrong and frivolous girl.

Lydia Bennet

She is the youngest Bennet sister. Lydia is fifteen years old and she is portrayed as a dominant girl. Her life is based in flirting with military officers and she has a relation with George Wickham (a militia regiment lieutenant).

Charles Bingley

He is twenty-two years old and he is charming, handsome, good-natured and he is also very popular in Meryton but one of his faults is that he is really easily influenced by others. Mr. Bingley rents the Netherfield estate near Longbourn and he loves Jane Bennet.

Caroline Bingley

She is Mr. Bingley's sister. Caroline is a fashionable girl who looks down on Meryton people. She is jealous due to the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.

George Wickham

He is the son of Darcy's father's stewards. This handsome man makes a good impression in Meryton society. He damages Darcy's reputation but later we know he is financially irresponsible.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

She is arrogant and wealthy. Lady Catherine wants her daughter to get married with her nephew Mr. Darcy and she gets angry when she knows about the special relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her nephew.

William Collins

He is twenty-five years old. Portrayed as a dull and pompous man, he is the heir of Longbourn (the property of Mr. Bennet, his cousin). Mr. Collins is a parson and he has obtained clerical living on the state of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Kent). He gets married with Charlotte Lucas.

Charlotte Lucas

She is Elizabeth's best friend in the beginning of the book but later, Elizabeth is disappointed with her because she accepts Mr. Collins' offer of marriage. Charlotte is quite clever and she is the daughter of the Bennet's neighbours. She gets married at the age of twenty-seven.

Georgiana Darcy

She is sixteen years old and she is Darcy's younger sister. This young teenager plays the piano very well. Although it is supposed that she is very proud, she isn't. In fact, Georgiana is incredibly shy.

Colonel Fitzwilliam

He is Lady Catherine's nephew. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy are both in charge of Georgiana and they have a very good relation. He befriends Elizabeth while she is in Kent.