Pride and prejudice 1

”It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

‘ My dear Mr Bennet’ said his lady to him one day, ‘have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last’ ” 

Reading these first lines did not exactly make me burst with excitement, since the novel appeared to be somewhat tedious and monotonous. However, it certainly made me wonder if marriage and wealth would be the main topics in the novel. Will someone be forced into marriage? How much does wealth actually play a role in this novel?  

Thus far, I have learned that a wealthy young fellow named Charles Bingley has rented a manor called Netherfield Park. This has caused quite a commotion amongst the older women in the village, especially in the Bennet household, since the Bennets’ have five unmarried daughters. Mrs. Bennet sees Mr. Bingley’s arrival as a chance for one of her daughters to obtain a wealthy husband. Mr. Bingley and the Bennet family first meet at a ball in the nearby town of Meryton, where Jane, who is the oldest of the sisters, dances with Mr. Bingley several times. Mr. Bingley brought his two sisters and a friend, Mr. Darcy, to the ball and they all had a great time, except for Mr. Darcy. He came across as arrogant, proud and conceited and he also managed to insult Jane’s younger sister, Elizabeth, who immediately took a dislike to him.

“That is very true,’ replied Elizabeth, ‘and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.” –page 19

However, even though Mr. Darcy thought that Elizabeth was not worth the effort at first, he then found himself being attracted to her and began listening in on her conversations at parties.

Later on we find out that in case that Mr. Bennet dies, his cousin Mr. Collins will inherit all of Mr. Bennet’s fortune. Mr. Collins then visits the Bennet family with the intention of marrying one of Mr. Bennet’s five daughters; he had his eyes set on Jane at first. However, after learning that she was unavailable, he began taking an interest in Elizabeth and soon he proposed to her. However, Elizabeth declined his offer, which made her mother absolutely furious.

“Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet give up the point. She talked to Elizabeth again and again; coaxed and threatened her by turns.” – page 97

Characters

Elizabeth Bennet is one of the main characters in the novel. She is a very determined young woman who tries to go her own way. In addition to this, Elizabeth is a very kind and caring woman who is not afraid of speaking her mind; she has never really cared about what people think of her. While most girls her age would give anything to marry a wealthy man, she tries to follow her own heart. Much to her mother’s dismay, she even refused an offer of marriage

Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, appears to be a mysterious man, especially during the first half of the novel.  He is a very wealthy man who is considered to be arrogant and too proud for his own good. Because of this fact, many people disliked him the moment they met him.

“ /.../ for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips.” – page 17

However, throughout the novel he shows signs of both kindness and great generosity and openly shows his love for Elizabeth.

The title

The title gives you preconceived ideas about the novel even before you have started reading it; you will immediately know that the novel will be about people who value their pride the most. The author even presents the topic on the first page and this continues in the upcoming chapters where we learn how people were supposed to act in certain occasions. Furthermore, we specifically learn how women had to act in order to please their families during the 18^th century.

“A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the world; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.” – page 35