Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s novel about Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, whose changing judgments test the relationship between first impressions and character. Elizabeth’s quick intelligence and Darcy’s reserve give each grounds for misreading the other, while surrounding courtships reveal different responses to affection, security, and social pressure. The Bennet family’s uncertain financial future makes marriage a practical concern as well as a personal one. Austen’s dialogue and narrative irony expose self-importance without making confidence or charm reliable signs of virtue. The central relationship develops through the difficult work of recognizing error and judging conduct more fairly.