ANALYSIS NOVEL PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

A. INTERNAL ELEMENTS
1. THEME

 Love
Pride and Prejudice contains one of the most cherished love stories in English
literature: the courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. As in any good love
story, the lovers must elude and overcome numerous stumbling blocks,
beginning with the tensions caused by the lovers’ own personal qualities.
Elizabeth’s pride makes her misjudge Darcy on the basis of a poor first
impression, while Darcy’s prejudice against Elizabeth’s poor social standing
blinds him, for a time, to her many virtues. (Of course, one could also say that
Elizabeth is guilty of prejudice and Darcy of pride—the title cuts both ways.)
Austen, meanwhile, poses countless smaller obstacles to the realization of the
love between Elizabeth and Darcy, including Lady Catherine’s attempt to
control her nephew, Miss Bingley’s snobbery, Mrs. Bennet’s idiocy, and
Wickham’s deceit. In each case, anxieties about social connections, or the
desire for better social connections, interfere with the workings of love. Darcy
and Elizabeth’s realization of a mutual and tender love seems to imply that
Austen views love as something independent of these social forces, as
something that can be captured if only an individual is able to escape the
warping effects of hierarchical society. Austen does sound some more realist
(or, one could say, cynical) notes about love, using the character of Charlotte
Lucas, who marries the buffoon Mr. Collins for his money, to demonstrate that
the heart does not always dictate marriage. Yet with her central characters,
Austen suggests that true love is a force separate from society and one that can
conquer even the most difficult of circumstances.

2. Plot summary
The novel opens with Mrs. Bennet trying to persuade Mr. Bennet to visit Mr.
Bingley, a rich bachelor who has arrived in the neighbourhood. After some
verbal sparring with Mr. Bennet baiting his wife, she believes he will not visit.
A little while later, he does make the visit to Netherfield, Mr. Bingley's rented
house, much to the delight of Mrs Bennet and her daughters. The visit is
followed by an invitation to a ball at the local assembly rooms that the whole
neighbourhood will attend.
At the ball, Mr. Bingley is open and cheerful, popular with all the guests and
appears to be very attracted to Miss Jane Bennet (the Bennets' eldest
daughter), with whom he dances twice. His friend Mr. Darcy is reputed to be
twice as wealthy; he is haughty and aloof and his manners cause everyone to
turn from interest to a decided dislike of him. He declines to dance with
Elizabeth, stating that she is not pretty enough to tempt him.[4] She finds this
amusing and jokes about it with her sisters. Mr. Bingley's sister, Caroline, later
invites Jane to visit.
When Jane visits Miss Bingley, she is caught in a rain shower on the way and
comes down with a bad cold. Elizabeth visits the ill Jane at Netherfield. There
Darcy begins to be attracted to Elizabeth, while Miss Bingley becomes
jealous, as she has desires on Darcy herself.
Mr. Collins, a cousin of Mr. Bennet and heir to the Longbourn estate, visits the
Bennet family. He is a pompous and obsequious clergyman who intends to
marry one of the Bennet girls. When he learns that Jane may be engaged to
Mr. Bingley, he quickly decides to propose to Elizabeth, as the next in both
age and beauty.
Elizabeth and her family meet the dashing and charming George Wickham,
who singles out Elizabeth and tells her how Mr. Darcy deprived him of a
living (position as clergyman in a prosperous parish with good revenue that,
once granted, is for life) promised to him by Mr. Darcy's late father.
Elizabeth's dislike of Mr. Darcy is confirmed.
At a ball at Netherfield, Elizabeth dances with Mr. Darcy. Other than Jane and
Elizabeth, several members of the Bennet family show a distinct lack of
decorum. Mrs. Bennet hints loudly that she fully expects Jane and Bingley to
become engaged, and the younger Bennet sisters expose the family to ridicule.
Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, who rejects him, to the fury of her mother
and the relief of her father. Shortly after, they receive news that the Bingleys
are suddenly leaving for London with no plans to return. After his humiliating
rejection by Elizabeth, Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas, a sensible
young woman and Elizabeth's friend. Charlotte is slightly older and is grateful
to receive a proposal that will guarantee her a comfortable home. Elizabeth is
aghast at such pragmatism in matters of love. Heartbroken, Jane goes to visit
her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner at an unfashionable address in London. There, it
becomes clear that Miss Bingley does not want to resume their friendship and
Jane is upset, though very composed.
In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins in Kent. Elizabeth and
her hosts are invited to Rosings Park, the imposing home of Lady Catherine de
Bourgh, patroness of Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy's wealthy aunt. She expects
Mr. Darcy to marry her daughter. Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel
Fitzwilliam, are also visiting at Rosings Park. Fitzwilliam tells Elizabeth how
Mr. Darcy managed to save a friend from a bad match. Elizabeth realises the
story must refer to Jane and is horrified that Darcy has interfered. Mr. Darcy
proposes to Elizabeth declaring his love for her. She rejects him angrily,
stating that she could not love a man who has caused her sister such
unhappiness and further accuses him of treating Mr. Wickham unjustly. The
latter accusation angers Mr. Darcy and he accuses her family of lacking
propriety and suggests he has been kinder to Bingley than to himself.
 Later, Mr. Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter, explaining that Mr. Wickham had
refused the living and was given money for it instead. Wickham proceeded to
waste the money and when impoverished, asked for the living again. After
being refused, he tried to elope with Darcy's 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, for
her large dowry. Darcy also writes that he believed Jane, because of her
reserved behaviour, did not love Mr. Bingley. Darcy apologises for hurting
Jane and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth tells her father that Darcy was responsible for uniting Lydia and
Wickham, one of the two earliest illustrations of Pride and Prejudice.[5] The
clothing styles reflect the time the illustration was engraved (the 1830s), not
the time in which the novel was written or set.
Some months later, Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit Darcy's estate in
Derbyshire, Pemberley (after Elizabeth ascertains that the owner will not be
there). On a tour, Elizabeth hears the housekeeper describe him as being kind
and generous. When Mr. Darcy returns unexpectedly, he is exceedingly
gracious and later invites Elizabeth and the Gardiners to meet his sister and
Mr. Gardiner to go fishing. Elizabeth is surprised and delighted by their
treatment. She then suddenly receives news that her sister Lydia had eloped
with Mr. Wickham. She tells Mr. Darcy immediately and departs in haste,
believing she will never see him again since Lydia's disgrace has ruined the
family's good name.
After an agonising wait, Mr. Wickham is somehow persuaded to marry Lydia.
With some veneer of decency restored, Lydia visits her family and tells
Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy was at her wedding. Mrs. Gardiner informs Elizabeth
that it is Mr. Darcy who made the match, at great expense and trouble to
himself and hints that he may have "another motive" for doing so.
Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy return to Netherfield and Bingley proposes to Jane
who accepts him. Lady Catherine, having heard rumours that Elizabeth intends
to marry Darcy, visits Elizabeth and demands that she promise not to accept
his proposal. Elizabeth refuses and the outraged Lady Catherine leaves. Darcy,
heartened by Elizabeth's response, again proposes to her and is accepted.
Elizabeth has difficulty in convincing her father that she is marrying for love,
not position and wealth but in the end Mr. Bennet is convinced.

3. SETTING
The novel is set in the 19th century in England. It is set principally in
Longbourn, the Hertfordshire country town that is a mile from Meryton and
twenty-four miles from London. It is a well-ordered, provincial town, filled
with landed gentry and oblivious to the sweeping changes occurring outside
the fringes of its narrow, circumscribed vision.

4. CHARACTER LIST

Major Characters
 1. Mrs.Bennet
The match-making mother of five daughters. The wife of Mr. Bennet and
"a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain
temper," who embarrasses her older daughters with her lack of class and
entertains her husband with her ignorance.
2. Mr.Bennet
A country gentleman, who is the sometimes irresponsible father of five
daughters and the husband of Mrs. Bennet. He is fond of books and can be
witty and amusing.
3. JaneBennet
The eldest daughter of the Bennets who is pretty, shy, calm, gentle and
good-natured; she falls in love with and marries Mr. Bingley.
4. ElizabethBennet(Lizzy)
The second daughter of the Bennets who is lively, intelligent, witty and
sensible; she at first strongly dislikes Mr. Darcy and then falls in love with
him.
5. MarryBennet
The third daughter, who is pedantic, tasteless, plain, vain, silly, and
affected.
6. CatherineBennet(Kitty)
The fourth daughter, who is almost a non-entity in the novel except for
chasing soldiers.
7. LydiaBennet
The youngest daughter who is silly, thoughtless, stupid, unprincipled,
flirtatious, loud-mouthed and scatter brained; not surprisingly, she is Mrs.
Bennet’s favorite daughter. She elopes with
8. GeorgeWickham
A handsome, militia officer
9. Rev.Mr.Collins
Mr. Bennet’s cousin who is to inherit Mr. Bennet’s property. He is a
pompous, undignified mixture of servility and self-importance.
10. CharlesBingley
A wealthy country gentleman who is kind and charming. He falls in love
with and marries Jane Bennett and is Darcy’s best friend.
11. FitzwilliamDarcy
The wealthy, best friend of Charles Bingley who at first is proud, rude, and
unpleasant; after falling in love with Elizabeth, he is shown to be discreet,
shrewd, generous, and magnanimous; in the end, he wins Elizabeth’s love.

Minor Characters

1. GeorgianaDarcy
The younger sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy who is shy, reserved, and warm-
hearted.
2. Mrs.Reynolds
The trusted housekeeper of Mr. Darcy.
 3. ColonelFitzwilliam
The cousin of Mr. Darcy who is handsome and well-mannered.
4. LadyCatherinedeBourgh
Mr. Darcy’s aunt who is arrogant, over-bearing, domineering, interfering,
vulgar and affected; she cannot tolerate any opposition.
5. AnndeBourgh
Lady Catherine’s daughter who is sickly and coddled by her mother and who
has no mind of her own.
6. Mrs.Jenkinson
Ann de Bourgh’s teacher.
7. CarolineBingley
Mr. Bingley’s unmarried sister, who is snobbish, conceited, scheming and
jealous.
8. Mrs.Hurst
Bingley’s married sister who lives a lazy, purposeless life.
9. Mr.Hurst
Bingley’s brother-in-law, who is lazy and purposeless, like his wife.
10. GeorgeWickham
A seemingly charming man with attractive manners, who is really selfish,
unprincipled, extravagant and prone to gambling; he is the villain of the novel,
who elopes with Lydia Bennet
11. SirWilliamandLadyLucas
Neighbors and friends of the Bennet family and parents of Charlotte.
12. CharlotteLucas
The eldest daughter in the Lucas family who is plain, practical, intelligent and
absolutely unromantic; she is a very close friend of Elizabeth.
13. Mr.andMrs.Gardiner
Mrs. Bennet’s brother and his wife who are sensible and refined; Mrs.
Gardiner is a confidante of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet.
14. Mrs.Philips
Mrs. Bennet’s sister, who is as vulgar and ridiculous as her sister; her husband
is an attorney.
15. MaryKing
An acquaintance of the Bennet family.

Main Characters:
1. Elizabeth Bennet – the second of the Bennet daughters, she is twenty years old and
intelligent, lively, playful, attractive, and witty – but with a tendency to judge on first
impressions. As the story progresses, so does her relationship with Mr. Darcy. The
course of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is ultimately decided when Darcy
overcomes his pride, and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, leading them both to
surrender to their love for each other.
2. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy – Mr. Bingley's friend and the wealthy, twenty-eight year old
owner of the family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire, rumoured to be worth at least
£10,000 a year (£796,000 or $1,045,000 in today's money).[6] While being handsome,
tall, and intelligent, Darcy lacks ease and social graces, and so others frequently
mistake his aloof decorum and rectitude as further proof of excessive pride (which, in
 part, it is). A newcomer to the village, he is ultimately Elizabeth Bennet's love
interest.
3. Mr. Bennet – A late-middle-aged landedgentleman of a modest income of £2000 per
annum, and the dryly sarcastic patriarchof the now-dwindling Bennet family (a family
of Hertfordshire landed gentry), with five unmarried daughters. His estate,
Longbourn, is entailed to the male line.
4. Mrs. Bennet (née Gardiner) – the middle-aged wife of her social superior, Mr. Bennet,
and the mother of their five daughters. Mrs. Bennet is a hypochondriac who imagines
herself susceptible to attacks of tremors and palpitations ("[her] poor nerves"),
whenever things are not going her way. Her main ambition in life is to marry her
daughters off to wealthy men. Whether or not any such matches will give her
daughters happiness is of little concern to her.
In a letter to Cassandra dated May 1813, Jane Austen describes a picture she saw at a
gallery which was a good likeness of "Mrs. Bingley" – Jane Bennet. Deirdre Le Faye
in The World of Her Novels suggests that "Portrait of Mrs. Q-" is the picture Austen
was referring to. (pp. 201–203)
5. Jane Bennet – the eldest Bennet sister. Twenty-two years old when the novel begins,
she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood and is inclined
to see only the good in others (but can be persuaded otherwise on sufficient evidence).
She falls in love with Charles Bingley, a rich young gentleman recently moved to
Hertfordshire and a close friend of Mr. Darcy.
6. Mary Bennet – the middle Bennet sister, and the plainest of her siblings. Mary has a
serious disposition and mostly reads and plays music, although she is often impatient
to display her accomplishments and is rather vain about them. She frequently
moralises to her family. According to James Edward Austen-Leigh's A Memoir of
Jane Austen, Mary ended up marrying one of her Uncle Philips' law clerks and
moving into Meryton with him.
7. Catherine "Kitty" Bennet – the fourth Bennet daughter at 17 years old. Though older
than Lydia, she is her shadow and follows her in her pursuit of the officers of the
militia. She is often portrayed as envious of Lydia and is described a "silly" young
woman. However, it is said that she improved when removed from Lydia's influence.
According to James Edward Austen-Leigh's A Memoir of Jane Austen, Kitty later
married a clergyman who lived near Pemberley.
8. Lydia Bennet – the youngest Bennet sister, aged 15 when the novel begins. She is
frivolous and headstrong. Her main activity in life is socializing, especially flirting
with the officers of the militia. This leads to her running off with George Wickham,
although he has no intention of marrying her. Lydia shows no regard for the moral
code of her society; as Ashley Tauchert says, she "feels without reasoning."[7]
9. Charles Bingley – a handsome, amiable, wealthy young gentleman from the north of
England (possibly Yorkshire, as Scarborough is mentioned, and there is, in fact, a
real-life town called 'Bingley', in West Yorkshire), who leases Netherfield Park, an
estate three miles from Longbourn, with the hopes of purchasing it. He is contrasted
with Mr. Darcy for having more generally pleasing manners, although he is reliant on
his more experienced friend for advice. An example of this is the prevention of
Bingley and Jane's romance because of Bingley's undeniable dependence on Darcy's
opinion.[8] He lacks resolve and is easily influenced by others; his two sisters, Miss
Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Louisa Hurst, both disapprove of Bingley's growing
affection for Miss Jane Bennet.
10. Caroline Bingley – the vainglorious, snobbish sister of Charles Bingley, with a dowry
of £20,000. Miss Bingley harbours designs upon Mr. Darcy, and therefore is jealous
 of his growing attachment to Elizabeth. She attempts to dissuade Mr. Darcy from
liking Elizabeth by ridiculing the Bennet family and criticising Elizabeth's
comportment. Miss Bingley also disapproves of her brother's esteem for Jane Bennet,
and is disdainful of society in Meryton. Her wealth (her dowry gives her an income of
£1,000 per annum, which she overspends) and her expensive education seem to be the
two greatest sources of Miss Bingley's vanity and conceit; likewise, she is very
insecure about the fact that her and her family's money all comes from trade, and is
eager both for her brother to purchase an estate, ascending the Bingleys to the ranks of
the Gentry, and for herself to marry a landed gentleman (i.e. Mr. Darcy). The dynamic
between Miss Bingley and her sister, Louisa Hurst, seems to echo that of Lydia and
Kitty Bennet's; that one is no more than a follower of the other, with Caroline in the
same position as Lydia, and Louisa in Kitty's (though, in Louisa's case, as she's
already married, she's not under the same desperation as Caroline). Louisa is married
to Mr. Hurst, who has a house in Grosvenor Square, London.
11. George Wickham – Wickham has been acquainted with Mr. Darcy since infancy,
being the son of Mr. Darcy's father's steward. An officer in the militia, he
is superficially charming and rapidly forms an attachment with Elizabeth Bennet. He
later runs off with Lydia with no intention of marriage, which would have resulted in
her and her family's complete disgrace, but for Darcy's intervention to bribe Wickham
to marry her by paying off his immediate debts.
12. Mr. William Collins – Mr. Collins, aged 25 years old as the novel begins, is Mr.
Bennet's distant second cousin, a clergyman, and the current heir presumptive to his
estate of Longbourn House. He is an obsequious and pompous man who is
excessively devoted to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
13. Lady Catherine de Bourgh – the overbearing aunt of Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine is the
wealthy owner of Rosings Park, where she resides with her daughter Anne and is
fawned upon by her rector, Mr. Collins. She is haughty, pompous, domineering, and
condescending, and has long planned to marry off her sickly daughter to Darcy, to
'unite their two great estates', claiming it to be the dearest wish of both her and her
late sister, Lady Anne Darcy (née Fitzwilliam).
14. Mr. Edward and Mrs. M Gardiner – Edward Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet's brother and a
successful tradesman of sensible and gentlemanly character. Aunt Gardiner is genteel
and elegant, and is close to her nieces Jane and Elizabeth. The Gardiners are
instrumental in bringing about the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth.
15. Georgiana Darcy – Georgiana is Mr. Darcy's quiet, amiable (and shy) younger sister,
with a dowry of £30,000, and is aged barely 16 when the story begins. When still 15,
Miss Darcy almost eloped with Mr. Wickham, but was saved by her brother, whom
she idolises. Thanks to years of tutorage under masters, she is accomplished at the
piano, singing, playing the harp, and drawing, and modern languages, and is therefore
described as Caroline Bingley's idea of an "accomplished woman".
16. Charlotte Lucas – Charlotte is Elizabeth's friend who, at 27 years old (and thus very
much beyond what was then considered prime marriageable age), fears becoming a
burden to her family and therefore agrees to marry Mr. Collins to gain financial
security. Though the novel stresses the importance of love and understanding in
marriage, Austen never seems to condemn Charlotte's decision to marry for money.
She uses Charlotte to convey how women of her time would adhere to society's
expectation for women to marry even if it is not out of love, but
convenience.[9]Charlotte is the daughter of Sir William Lucas and Lady Lucas,
neighbours of the Bennet family.
17. Colonel Fitzwilliam – Colonel Fitzwilliam is the younger son of an earl, and the
nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Lady Anne Darcy; this makes him the
cousin of Anne de Bourgh and the Darcy siblings, Fitzwilliam and Georgiana. He is
about 30 years old at the beginning of the novel. He is the co-guardian of Miss
Georgiana Darcy, along with his cousin, Mr. Darcy.

5. IRONY

The use of verbal irony particularly expresses Austen's use of wit. Verbal irony is
usually recognized as sarcasm. It is the moment someone, such as a character or
narrator, says one thing, but means the complete opposite. One perfect example of
verbal irony can be seen in the very opening line of the book, "It is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a
wife" (Ch. 1). The irony in this line is that, while the women of an English village in
Austen's time might "acknowledge" the truth above, the wealthy men the line is
referring to actually might not; therefore, the above is not really a "truth universally
acknowledged." Instead, this opening line is a perfect example of sarcasm, or verbal
irony, and a perfect example of Austen's wit.

Situational irony describes a moment when something occurs and the exact opposite
was expected to occur. Either the audience or the characters can have the opposite
expectations. One instance of situational irony can be seen early on in the novel at a
party that takes place at Lucas Lodge. After Elizabeth is asked to play and sing, the
party begins to dance. At the same moment that Sir Lucas is trying to convince Mr.
Darcy to join in the dancing, Elizabeth begins walking towards them. Mr. Darcy so
adamantly protests dancing to Sir Lucas, even insulting the activity, saying, "Every
savage can dance," that when Sir Lucas sees Elizabeth and encourages Darcy to dance
with her the reader as well as Elizabeth are very surprised when Darcy "requested to
be allowed the honour of her hand" (Vol. 1, Ch. 6). Darcy's behavior in this instant is
a true reversal of his earlier behavior, especially at the Meryton assembly. Hence, this
is a perfect example of situational irony. In addition, the moment is also amusing due
to the sudden change of behavior, also making it another example of Austen's wit.

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is aware of something that the characters have
no idea of. This scene is also a fine example of dramatic irony. The reader has already
begun to get the impression that Darcy feels an attraction for Elizabeth, which the
reader began to see when she was tending to her sister at Netherfield. Therefore, the
reader knows that Darcy's sudden interest in dancing with Elizabeth is actually
genuine while Elizabeth still believes that he dislikes her and is merely asking in an
attempt to be well mannered. Again the situation is amusing due to both Elizabeth's
and Darcy's reactions to the situation. Hence, again, this use of dramatic irony
also demonstratesAusten's wit.

6. SYMBOLS

Symbols in Jane Austen's Pride and PrejudiceAs you could notice, Jane Austen is
known for giving importance to dialogues; characters’ words are direct and explicit,
so you might think that there is nothing beyond those human relations.
However, Pride and Prejudice is full of irony and, believe it or not, this novel has
many symbols that tell us more about the story.
 Outdoors
Even though the most relevant passages of the story occurred indoors, the outdoors
play an important role in the novel. In more than an occasion we could see Elizabeth
walking, running and enjoying different pathways and gardens. It is obvious that
outdoors symbolises her love for freedom and peace.

Houses
Houses in Pride and Prejudice are of paramount importance because they represent
the way of living of the families. The Bennets’ home is a symbol of modesty while
Bingley’s home at Netherfield Park, Lady Catherine's home at Rosings, and Darcy's
home at Pemberley represent their owner's wealth and symbols of social prestige.
However, Pemberley was the scenario where the Elizabeth-Darcy relationship
changed, therefore, it also represents their love.

Letters
Letters should not be left aside in this list of symbols because they represent the
characters’ private thoughts. You may have notice that the novel is full of dialogues,
but we do not get to know the characters’ deep thoughts and letters allow us to know
what they are thinking throughout the story.

Balls
Balls are a crucial part of the novel; we cannot forget that Elizabeth and Mr Darcy
first met during a ball. Dancing was significant, of course, but the real meaning of
balls is the formation and testing of community bonds. Here is where we can
relate Pride and Prejudiceto Austen’s life; community was extremely important to
her.

B. EXTERNAL ELEMENTS
1. AUTHOR BACKGROUND
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was born in 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire in southern England, where
her father was a minister. She was the sixth child in a family of seven children. The
family was very close, and Jane had a particular closeness to her sister Cassandra.
Although she attended boarding school for a short while, she was mostly educated at
home. Both she and Cassandra were attractive and attended country parties; neither of
them married, although Jane had several proposals. Much of Jane’s life is captured in
the letters that she wrote to her sister, but Cassandra cut out any references there
might have been about Jane’s intimate, private life and her innermost thoughts. In
spite of the missing information, the letters retain flashes of sharp wit and occasional
coarseness.
Jane began to write at a young age. Pride and Prejudice, her most popular novel, was
the first to be written, although not the first published. She wrote on it for several
years and finally completed it as First Impressions in 1797. It, however, was not
accepted for publication until 1813, when it appeared with its current version with its
new title. As a result, Sense and Sensibility was published first, in 1811. Her other
four novels, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion were all
published between 1814 and 1818. She also wrote six minor works and one
unfinished novel. Because she wanted to avoid attention, most of her work was not
published under her name.
When Mr. Austen retired in 1801, the family moved to Bath, where they lived until
Mr. Austen’s death. The family then moved to Southampton in 1806, to Chawton in
1809, and then again to Hampshire. A few days before her sudden death in 1817, she
lodged in Winchester.
2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND

A general knowledge of the social and cultural setting in which a novel is

written is important, for most novels mirror the customs and values of a
particular society, often criticizing it. The Hertfordshire country town where
the greater part of the novel is set is Longbourn, only a mile from the market
town of Meryton and 24 miles from London. The neighborhood around the
Bennets is large, for they dine with twenty-four different families, only three
of which are named. The Bennet’s society is drawn largely from Meryton
(which is the mother’s background) rather than from the country (which is the
father’s), for she is more sociable than her husband. Mrs. Bennet, however, is
without social ambition except for her desire to have her daughters marry rich
men.

Pride and Prejudice is, thus, set among the rural middle and upper classes
who are landowners. None of the major characters works, for these moneyed
classes live entirely on their income from rents and inheritances. There are,
however, petty distinctions among the landed classes, determined by the
amount of wealth possessed by the members. For instance, Miss Bengali and
her sister look down on the Bennets because they are not as wealthy. Class
distinctions in Jane Austen’s time were in fact very rigid. The land-owning
aristocracy belonged to the highest rung of the social ladder, and all power
was in their hands. Next in rank came the gentry. The new, prosperous
industrialists and traders (like Mr. Gardiner) were gradually rising as a class,
but had still not won the right to vote. The lowest in English society were the
workers and laborers.

For the women of the time, life was largely restricted to the home and the
family. For the poor and the lower-class women, there was ample work in the
home and in the fields to keep them busy. But for the ladies of the landed
upper-classes, life was one big round of dances, dinners, cards, and visits to
friends and relatives. They were not required to do any household work.
"Ladies," thus, lived a life of ease and leisure, mainly concerned with society,
children, and marriage. By the nineteenth century, the upper classes no longer
arranged marriages. Instead, a girl was introduced to society (and eligible
bachelors) at a reception hosted by a married woman who had herself been
presented. Generally, a girl "came out" only after her elder sister was married.
(No wonder Lady Catherine is shocked when she hears that all of Elizabeth’s
sisters have started dating before she is wed.)
 Women’s education in the nineteenth century was restricted to the daughters
of a few families of the upper classes. In most cases, it was thought to be a
waste of time to educate girls. Rich and noble families (like that of Lady
Catherine de Bourgh) engaged governesses for educating their daughters or
sent them away to boarding school, but most women were self-educated at
home. Traveling in Jane Austen’s time was accomplished in horse-drawn
carriages, and a family’s social status was determined by its kind of carriage.
Because carriages were slow, travel was limited. Communication of mail and
news was also slow, and there were no daily newspapers. As a result, the
outside world does not play a part in Austen’s novels. Instead, she turns her
attention in entirety to the things she knew: family and values.

3. Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice

 The Georgian Era

Between 1797, when a young Jane Austen began work on what would become Pride
and Prejudice, and 1813, when the novel was published, the French Revolution was
fought, Marie Antoinette was guillotined and Napoleon rose to power and conquered
most of Western Europe. Closer to Austen’s home, Great Britain combined with
Ireland to become the United Kingdom, the slave trade was abolished by Parliament
throughout the British empire and King George III, driven to apparent madness by
what historians now suspect to have been a rare hereditary metabolic disorder, was
replaced in his duties by his son, the Prince Regent, later to become King George IV.

The Georgian era into which Jane Austen was born, characterized for Britain by
almost constant warfare abroad, was in many ways a transitional period. It saw the
dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the shift from Enlightenment to Romantic trends in
arts and letters, and the first whispers of feminist and abolitionist concerns in Western
Europe. A little familiarity with these sweeping historical trends can lend some
context to Austen’s domestic fictions, but perhaps more helpful is an understanding of
the particular details of daily life during the Regency period; life as faced by Austen
and so many of her fictional characters.

 10,000 a Year

From the 16th well into the 19th century, respectable wealth in England was
accumulated primarily through the ownership of land. The land would be leased to
tenants for farming, and the landowning families would live entirely off of the income
generated by these leases. The families owning the largest of these hereditary estates,
which varied in size but averaged about 10,000 acres, drew incomes sufficient to
construct great parks and manors, purchase fashionable goods, retain servants and
livery (horses and carriages), and meet other expenses related to keeping a country
home. The most prosperous landowners also kept a town home in London, the social
and political center of England, and lived there during the social season, January
through July. The oldest, though not necessarily the wealthiest, of these families may
have had some claim to nobility with inherited titles that gave “precedence,” or a
higher rank at social functions in town or country. The term “aristocracy” referred
somewhat more ambiguously to any keepers of London town homes whose social and
political connections bought them seats in Parliament or influence in the royal court.

In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennets are, like Jane Austen herself, members of an
educated upper middle class known as the “gentry” or the “landed gentry.”
Considered socially eligible to mix with the landowning aristocracy, but quite a step
beneath them in wealth, resources and precedence, the landed gentry included country
squires, military officers and many forms of clergy; all acceptable roles for the
educated younger sons of the aristocracy and their descendants. Gentry may have
owned less than 1,000 acres of land, may have leased to tenants or overseen the
farming directly and typically lived in the country year-round, visiting London only to
take care of occasional legal matters.

Beneath the gentry were the laboring classes of household servants, tenant farmers,
merchants and “tradesmen,” such as smiths and carpenters, village doctors, town
lawyers and other professionals. Though lower in social standing because their
income bore “the taint of trade”, many merchants and tradesmen might in fact amass
considerable wealth and could wind up wealthier than the poorest of the landowners.
This was especially true as the Industrial Revolution progressed, pouring more and
more wealth into the trade and merchant classes.

For the landowners and the gentry, management of all financial matters was a
gentleman’s prerogative. By law and by custom, a woman was granted very little
control over money, even money that we would today consider her own. A woman of
the upper classes could expect to be granted a “fortune” from her family upon
marriage or the death of her father. This lump sum of money would draw interest at a
fixed 5 percent from investment in government funds, which would contribute to her
husband’s income if she were married or would cover her living expenses if she
remained single.

A man’s income, by contrast, was always reported as a number of pounds (£) “per
year,” such as Mr. Bingley’s “four or five thousand a year.” About £100 a year was
the barest minimum income on which a small household could be kept, retaining only
one maid—a servant being necessary to maintain any claim of respectability. On £300
a year, a small family could retain two servants and live somewhat more comfortably,
but still could not afford a carriage, which could only be supported on an income of at
least £700 a year. Mr. Bennet draws about £2,000 a year, which would be sufficient to
keep the appearance of comfort and respectability; but he bears the financial burden
of providing dowries for five daughters. However, his estate is “entailed” upon his
death away from the family to be given to a distant branch of the family in lieu of a
male Bennet heir. But an income of more than £4,000 a year, like Bingley’s, could
well-provide for both country and town homes, with all of the modern comforts and
latest fashions. Indeed, Mr. Darcy’s £10,000 a year has been calculated in recent
decades to be worth between $300,000 and $800,000 in U.S. dollars; while another
estimate, comparing Mr. Darcy’s income against the Regency average, gives him the
real purchasing power of a modern multimillionaire.
 An Accomplished Lady

Some aspects of Regency life that have a strong bearing on the action in Austen’s
novels are not necessarily given detailed description, because Austen’s first readers
would already have been intimately acquainted with the highly formalized manners of
the time. The custom of paying visits and leaving calling cards, for example, could
consume the greater portion of a woman’s day, and many breaches of etiquette could
spring from unreturned or improperly returned calls.

In addition to beauty, mastery of etiquette, a sharp mind or a pleasant disposition, a

lady could show her gentility through the display of her “accomplishments.”
Accomplishments were sets of skills encouraged and cultivated in young women,
skills which were thought to help make a home more lively, entertaining or beautiful.
Common accomplishments included drawing, needlework, playing an instrument or
singing well, and mastering languages. A woman with many of these skills was
thought to be “highly accomplished,” and, evidently, more marriageable.

Marriage, of course, was just about the only acceptable role for any woman. Women,
like Austen herself, who passed beyond their youth without marrying became
spinsters. They had no formal role in society and were occasionally a burden to their
families. Even worse was the fate of educated young women of good standing whose
fortunes were thrown in jeopardy by the sudden loss of their family. With no fortune,
these women were nearly unmarriageable and might be required to enter the servant
class as a governess of wealthy children in order to provide a living for themselves.
SOURCES
https://www.chipublib.org/historical-context-of-pride-and-prejudice/
http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Pride_And_Prejudice_Austen/Pride_And_Prejudice_Stud
y_Guide05.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323909759_AN_ANALYSIS_ON_THE_PLOT_O
F_JANE_AUSTENS_NOVEL_PRIDE_AND_PREJUDICE
 PROSE/NOVEL

ANALYSIS NOVEL PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

ABRAHAM KILLIS
ASRI TATINTING
PIPIN APRIOLA
REGINA KATIPANA
SRY S. LANGI TODING

ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS
MANADO STATE UNIVERSITY