My notes on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Introduction
Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austen that deals with the themes of love, marriage, social class, pride and vanity, and prejudice. It is also a valuable commentary on the social dynamics of the early 19th century England.
Marriage and the pursuit thereof
Marriage was one of the most important social institutions in Jane Austen's times. Women were not allowed to inherit property and had very few ways of making a living. As such, securing their future through a financially-stable marriage was one of their chief concerns. Parents and their daughters spend a good deal of their time thinking about how to get a good match.
Mrs. Bennet is engrossed in finding suitable husbands for their daughters to make sure they have prosperous and comfortable lives, and that she has a place to live, as the estate they reside in is entailed to their relative Mr. Collins, who is set to inherit it after her husband's death.
The undue importance placed on marriage often meant that people had to compromise on their happiness to find contentment in their financially-stable marriage.
Pride and prejudice
The characters in the novel are subject to the moral dictates of their society, and are often forced to live and think in accordance to their social class. At the start of the novel, the Bennets form a negative opinion of Mr. Darcy because of his class consciousness, pride and general contempt of everyone below his social station. The Bennets also hold on to their prejudice of him throughout the novel, except in the end when they have to accept him as the husband of their daughter, Elizabeth.
Mr. Darcy also holds a strong prejudice against those with low connections and beneath his social rank. Elizabeth is blinded by her pride in being an excellent judge of character. She ends up falling for the suave words of Mr. Wickham and mistrusting Mr. Darcy. Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine also have a disdain for people with low connections. Jane, on the other hand, only sees the good in the world and cannot come to terms with any intentional malice.
The dissolution of prejudice
In the novel, the main characters go through a journey of understanding, whereby they get rid of their unsubstantiated pride and prejudice. Elizabeth comes to terms with the fact that she had fallen for the suave words and genteel appearance of Mr. Wickham, and starts to evaluate Mr. Darcy in a clear-minded way. She understands real goodness when she got to know Mr. Darcy better. Elizabeth, therefore, shows maturity by acknowledging her shortcoming and working to make amends. Mr. Darcy also goes through a similar transformation and starts to respect Elizabeth's connections. He respects Elizabeth for the person she is, along with her family and background.
However, not everyone could get rid of their prejudices in the novel. The Bingley sisters remain prejudiced against people with lowly connections. Wickham remains self-serving, and Lydia is as reckless as ever.
Various types of marriage in the novel
Elizabeth's marriage with Mr. Darcy is a union of mutual trust, love, and respect. They reinforce each other's positive characteristics and also make them better, and more rounded individuals. Jane and Mr. Bingley's marriage is also similar in that it is based on mutual trust and relationship.
Mr. and Mrs. Collins's is a marriage of contentment that rests on them living separate lives. They are content, financially and socially secure, but at the cost of conjugal felicity. Lydia and Mr. Wickham's marriage is a union based on reckless passion and self-seeking. They have no mutual love or respect that could strengthen their relationship.
Conclusion
Pride and Prejudice is a wonderfully written novel with commentary on love, marriage, and social dynamics that are still relevant today.