Unit One: Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Question 1

Who wrote Pride and Prejudice and when?

Answer 1

Jane Austen in 1813

Question 2

The novel’s title has often been assumed to refer to Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice; however, it is useful to consider that Darcy and Elizabeth demonstrate both these attributes. Of course, they are not the only ones who do. Think about how Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine all demonstrate both pride and prejudice.

Answer 2

• Mr. Darcy: Initially proud and prejudiced, he evolves through self-reflection.
• Elizabeth Bennet: Shows pride in her independence and prejudice in quick judgments.
• Mr. Bennet: Proud of his intellect, prejudiced against his family’s concerns.
• Mrs. Bennet: Proud of her daughters’ marriages, prejudiced against lower social classes.
• Mr. Collins: Proud of his connections, prejudiced against those he deems inferior.
• Lady Catherine: Proud of her status, prejudiced against those who challenge her authority.
  These characters illustrate the dual themes of pride and prejudice throughout the novel.

Question 3

Elizabeth Bennet

Answer 3

The novel’s protagonist. The second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth is the most intelligent and sensible of the five Bennet sisters. She is well read and quick-witted, with a tongue that occasionally proves too sharp for her own good. Her realization of Darcy’s essential goodness eventually triumphs over her initial prejudice against him.

Question 4

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Answer 4

A wealthy gentleman, the master of Pemberley, and the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though Darcy is intelligent and honest, his excess of pride causes him to look down on his social inferiors. Over the course of the novel, he tempers his class-consciousness and learns to admire and love Elizabeth for her strong character.

Question 5

Jane Bennet

Answer 5

The eldest and most beautiful Bennet sister. Jane is more reserved and gentler than Elizabeth. The easy pleasantness with which she and Bingley interact contrasts starkly with the mutual distaste that marks the encounters between Elizabeth and Darcy.

Question 6

Charles Bingley

Answer 6

Darcy’s considerably wealthy best friend. Bingley’s purchase of Netherfield, an estate near the Bennets, serves as the impetus for the novel. He is a genial, well-intentioned gentleman, whose easygoing nature contrasts with Darcy’s initially discourteous demeanor. He is blissfully uncaring about class differences.

Question 7

Mr. Bennet

Answer 7

The patriarch of the Bennet family, a gentleman of modest income with five unmarried daughters. Mr. Bennet has a sarcastic, cynical sense of humor that he uses to purposefully irritate his wife. Though he loves his daughters (Elizabeth in particular), he often fails as a parent, preferring to withdraw from the never-ending marriage concerns of the women around him rather than offer help.

Question 8

Mrs. Bennet

Answer 8

Mr. Bennet’s wife, a foolish, noisy woman whose only goal in life is to see her daughters married. Because of her low breeding and often unbecoming behavior, Mrs. Bennet often repels the very suitors whom she tries to attract for her daughters.

Question 9

Lydia Bennet

Answer 9

The youngest Bennet sister, she is gossipy, immature, and self-involved. Unlike Elizabeth, Lydia flings herself headlong into romance and ends up running off with Wickham.

Question 10

Charlotte Lucas

Answer 10

Elizabeth’s dear friend. Pragmatic where Elizabeth is romantic, and also six years older than Elizabeth, Charlotte does not view love as the most vital component of a marriage. She is more interested in having a comfortable home. Thus, when Mr. Collins proposes, she accepts.

Question 11

George Wickham

Answer 11

A handsome, fortune-hunting militia officer. Wickham’s good looks and charm attract Elizabeth initially, but Darcy’s revelation about Wickham’s disreputable past clues her in to his true nature and simultaneously draws her closer to Darcy.

Question 12

Mr. Collins

Answer 12

A pompous, generally idiotic clergyman who stands to inherit Mr. Bennet’s property. Mr. Collins’s own social status is nothing to brag about, but he takes great pains to let everyone and anyone know that Lady Catherine de Bourgh serves as his patroness. He is the worst combination of snobbish and obsequious.

Question 13

Miss Bingley

Answer 13

Bingley’s snobbish sister. Miss Bingley bears inordinate disdain for Elizabeth’s middle-class background. Her vain attempts to garner Darcy’s attention cause Darcy to admire Elizabeth’s self-possessed character even more.

Question 14

Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Answer 14

A rich, bossy noblewoman; Mr. Collins’s patron and Darcy’s aunt. Lady Catherine epitomizes class snobbery, especially in her attempts to order the middle-class Elizabeth away from her well-bred nephew.

Question 15

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner

Answer 15

Mrs. Bennet’s brother and his wife. The Gardiners, caring, nurturing, and full of common sense, often prove to be better parents to the Bennet daughters than Mr. Bennet and his wife.

Question 16

Georgiana Darcy

Answer 16

Darcy’s sister. She is immensely pretty and just as shy. She has great skill at playing the pianoforte

Question 17

Mary Bennet

Answer 17

The middle Bennet sister, bookish and pedantic.

Question 18

Catherine Bennet

Answer 18

The fourth Bennet sister. Like Lydia, she is girlishly enthralled with the soldiers.

Question 19

Theme: Love

Answer 19

“Pride and Prejudice” portrays the enduring love story between Darcy and Elizabeth, marked by initial misunderstandings due to their pride and prejudice. Austen presents various societal obstacles, including interference from Lady Catherine and the social pressures faced by the characters. Despite these challenges, Darcy and Elizabeth’s eventual mutual love suggests that genuine affection can transcend societal expectations. While Austen offers a realistic view of marriage through characters like Charlotte Lucas, she ultimately champions the idea that true love can triumph over societal constraints.

Question 20

Theme: Class

Answer 20

The theme of class in “Pride and Prejudice” reflects the rigid social hierarchy of Regency England, where lines between middle and upper classes are sharply drawn. Austen satirizes class-consciousness through characters like Mr. Collins, who obsequiously serves his upper-class patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Other characters, like Darcy, Miss Bingley, and Wickham, also uphold class distinctions. Through the marriages of Darcy-Elizabeth and Bingley-Jane, Austen suggests that love can transcend class barriers, criticizing the superficiality of class prejudices. However, Austen’s portrayal of class has been criticized for its limited scope, mainly focusing on the upper classes and portraying lower-class characters as content with their positions.

Question 21

Theme: Integrity

Answer 21

Elizabeth Bennet values integrity highly and often feels disappointed by the behavior of others, leading her to believe in the inconsistency of human characters. She acts in accordance with her principles by refusing marriage proposals from Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy, prioritizing love and respect over economic security. Ultimately, her commitment to integrity is rewarded when she marries a partner who brings her true happiness. However, Elizabeth learns to recognize her own tendency to judge too quickly, as she initially misjudged Wickham and Darcy. The novel emphasizes the importance of integrity while cautioning against hasty judgments of others’ character.

Question 22

Symbol: Pemberley

Answer 22

Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, sits at the center of the novel, literally and figuratively, as a geographic symbol of the man who owns it. Elizabeth visits it at a time when her feelings toward Darcy are beginning to warm; she is enchanted by its beauty and charm, and by the picturesque countryside, just as she will be charmed, increasingly, by the gifts of its owner. Austen makes the connection explicit when she describes the stream that flows beside the mansion. “In front,” she writes, “a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance.” Darcy possesses a “natural importance” that is “swelled” by his arrogance, but which coexists with a genuine honesty and lack of “artificial appearance.” Like the stream, he is neither “formal, nor falsely adorned.” Pemberley even offers a symbol-within-a-symbol for their budding romance: when Elizabeth encounters Darcy on the estate, she is crossing a small bridge, suggesting the broad gulf of misunderstanding and class prejudice that lies between them—and the bridge that their love will build across it

Question 23

Symbol: Marriage

Answer 23

Instead of simply being an expression of love or the creation of a couple, marriage for the novel’s women characters represents their prospects for the future. In Regency England, women could not hold property, and so after the passing of their father, the Bennet sisters will have to rely on either husbands or male relatives for security. Therefore, marriage for them represents long-term stability. While it may be easy to read Mrs. Bennet’s excitement over Mr. Bingley’s leasing of Netherfield as shallow, she suggests that marrying Mr. Bingley would lead to one of her daughters being “established,” a word that implies permanent comfort.

Charlotte Lucas makes a calculated marriage to Mr. Collins because it will assure her a comfortable life. In contrast, Lydia rushes into marriage with Wickham because she focuses on her strong passion for him without accounting for reputation or financial issues. Elizabeth, in considering Lydia’s fate, sees little prospect for long-term happiness, even though Lydia is in the moment overjoyed. Both Jane and Elizabeth’s marriages take into account chemistry with their spouses and financial security, assuring the readers of their future happiness.

Question 24

Motif: Courtship

Answer 24

In a sense, Pride and Prejudice is the story of two courtships—those between Darcy and Elizabeth and between Bingley and Jane. Within this broad structure appear other, smaller courtships: Mr. Collins’s aborted wooing of Elizabeth, followed by his successful wooing of Charlotte Lucas; Miss Bingley’s unsuccessful attempt to attract Darcy; Wickham’s pursuit first of Elizabeth, then of the never-seen Miss King, and finally of Lydia. Courtship therefore takes on a profound, if often unspoken, importance in the novel. Marriage is the ultimate goal, courtship constitutes the real working-out of love. Courtship becomes a sort of forge of a person’s personality, and each courtship becomes a microcosm for different sorts of love (or different ways to abuse love as a means to social advancement).

Question 25

Motif: Misjudgements

Answer 25

The conflicts in the novel arise from characters’ misjudgments based on shallow first impressions, often fueled by personal pride or societal prejudices. Elizabeth’s misunderstanding of Mr. Darcy stems from his initial rudeness, leading her to interpret his actions negatively and believe Wickham’s lies. This misunderstanding intensifies the romantic tension. Similarly, Mr. Darcy misjudges Jane’s feelings for Mr. Bingley due to class-based prejudices, causing him to discourage their match and deepen his rift with Elizabeth. Other characters, like Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, also demonstrate lapses in judgment due to pride and prejudice.