Pride and Prejudice Book Summary

A Brief Overview:

• Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a timeless classic. It is set in the early 19th century England - and deals with “pride” and “prejudice”, two typical humanist conceptions of character. Austen through the Bennet family takes us on a roller-coaster ride of love, marriage and the social standards.

Get an Insight of the Bennet Family

In the opening lines of the novel, we encounter the statement: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”. 

With this prominent statement, Austen not only sets the tone of the novel but also introduces us to the Bennet family – Mr & Mrs Bennet and the five daughters – Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine and Lydia.

Furthermore, the statement gives us an insight into the thought process of Mrs Bennet and why groom hunting was her all-time job. She was persistent and utterly committed to marrying off her five daughters and securing their future financially. 

First Impression: the Meeting of Prejudice and Pride

Soon after the arrival of Bingley – an amiable and wealthy man and his friend – Darcy, in the neighbourhood, the lives of the Bennet sisters – Jane and Elizabeth, take an unexpected turn.

All of them meet at the ball and instantly, Bingley is drawn to the coy Jane. Although both of them strike a positive chord on the first go, Darcy and Elizabeth stroked a negative first impression.

Darcy’s perceived arrogance and his pride in social rank made Elizabeth detest him. His prejudice against social inferiority further fuelled Elizabeth’s negative opinion about him. Elizabeth with her pride of self-respect maintained distance from Darcy’s snobbish attitude. 

Brewing of Romance and Misconceptions

Meanwhile, Jane and Bingley’s brewing romance is faced with certain obstacles due to the scheming interference of Bingley’s sisters and Darcy’s detest towards the social rank of the Bennet family. 

However, when Jane falls sick at Bingley’s residence, things take a new turn as Elizabeth comes to visit her. During the stay, Elizabeth and Darcy interact with each other despite their initial impression. 

Post the interaction, Darcy forms an inclination towards Elizabeth and proposes to her for marriage. Darcy’s pompous proposal infuriates Elizabeth. As she rejects the proposal, misconceptions start brewing in their relationship.

On the other hand, as the story progresses, Lydia’s scandalous elopement with Mr.Wickham tarnishes the family’s reputation. But Darcy’s timely intervention saves the family from ultimate disgrace. 

Reassessing the Romance

• Elizabeth’s Realisation: Austen shows us the shift in Elizabeth’s feelings toward Darcy when she visits his estate. She realises her prejudice and reassesses her initial impression of Darcy.

• Darcy’s Transformation: Simultaneously, Austen portrays brilliantly how Darcy transforms. He puts his pride and prejudice aside and approaches Elizabeth with more warmth and humility. In his letter to Elizabeth, he reveals everything – from his actions to Mr.Wickham’s character.

A Happy Ending: Resolution of Conflicts, Love and Happiness

On one hand, Bingley and Jane reunite. They get engaged. And on the other, despite all the misconceptions and differences, Elizabeth and Darcy overcome the societal barriers together. Their mutual admiration – love is at its peak which leads Darcy to propose her marriage for the second time and Elizabeth happily accepts it. 

Austen after exploring all the major themes and making her point, gave a proper happily ever-after ending to the novel by this resolution of conflict, love and happiness.