Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Madonna Hakim

Jane Austen Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in Hampshire, England. She was not widely known in her own time. Her novels gained popularity after 1869, and her reputation skyrocketed in the 20th century. Her novels, including Pride and Prejudice, are considered literary classics, bridging the gap between romance and realism. Jane Austen began drafts of First Impressions, which was later published as Pride and Prejudice. Through 1811-1816, she published Pride and Prejudice, which she referred to as her "darling child.” Today, Austen is considered one of the greatest writers in English history.

Regency Time Period Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. The Regency Era was from 1795-1830 in England. It was a time for scandal and gossip. It saw the rise and fall of king Napoleon in (1769–1821), and the struggle for power in the Americas (1812-1815). Lord Byron became a social celebrity with his dark romantic poetry, the cheeky and controversial Beau Brummell defined and shaped the fashions and, in a new style of writing, the likes of Jane Austen began their social commentaries on the people and classes of their era through fictional novels which were heavily steeped in truths of the time.

Themes Love Reputation Social Class Pride and Prejudice contains one of the most cherished love stories in English literature: the courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. The lovers must elude and overcome numerous stumbling blocks, beginning with the tensions caused by the lovers’ own personal qualities. Pride and Prejudice depicts a society in which a woman’s reputation is of the utmost importance. A woman is expected to behave in certain ways. Stepping outside the social norms makes her vulnerable to ostracism. The theme of class is related to reputation, in that both reflect the strict nature of life for the middle and upper classes in Regency England. While the Bennet’s may socialize with the upper-class Bingleys and Darcys, they are their social inferiors and are treated as such.

Motifs Courtship Journeys In a sense, Pride and Prejudice is the story of two courtships—those between Darcy and Elizabeth and between Bingley and Jane. Then within these courtships appear smaller courtships. Courtship therefore takes on a profound importance in the novel. Marriage is the ultimate goal and courtship constitutes the real working-out of love. Courtship becomes a forge of a person’s personality, and different sorts of love. Elizabeth’s first journey, by which she intends simply to visit Charlotte and Mr. Collins, brings her into contact with Mr. Darcy, and leads to his first proposal. Her second journey takes her to Derby and Pemberley, where she find her affection for Darcy. The third journey, sends various people in pursuit of Wickham and Lydia, and the ends with Darcy tracking them down and saving the Bennet family honor, in the process demonstrating his continued devotion to Elizabeth.

Important Characters -Elizabeth Bennet -Mr. Darcy -Mr. Bennet -Jane Bennet -Mary Bennet -Catherine Bennet -Lydia Bennet -Charles Bingley -Caroline Bingley -George Wickham -William Collins

Style Elements Jane Austin wrote Pride and Prejudice in in a Horatian satire style. The simple and witty style conveys the complex message of people’s ignorance in an easy and enjoyable way to read. Use of subtle discrimination and shrewd perceptiveness to express personal feelings upon the characters. Writing techniques and structure provide the reader with the effect that they are actually there and experiencing that time period. The novel is written in free indirect speech. Even though the narrative is told in third person, the reader is predominantly given the views of Elizabeth. The narrative takes on the style of Elizabeth’s thoughts and in the manner in which she speaks.

Significant Symbol Pemberley Pride and Prejudice is mainly free of symbolism. Nevertheless, Pemberley, sits at the center of the novel, literally and figuratively, as a geographic symbol of the man who owns it.

Conflicts Mr. Bennet v. Mrs. Bennet Elizabeth v. Darcy Lower v. Upper class One of the long drawn out conflicts is between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Due to the fact that their personalities are vastly different, their entire marriage becomes a conflict. The other primary conflict is between Elizabeth and Darcy. With their pride and prejudice, they are never able to see the truth about each other until half way through the novel. The conflict between the lower class, aspiring to rise and eventually yielding upper class is a major conflict. Mrs. Bennet has tried to rise, and succeeded. She then tries to get her daughters' to move higher, clashing with her husband in the process. Elizabeth, from the lower end of the gentry, feels equal to the highest level of aristocracy that Darcy is in. Darcy cannot accept the idea at first, but later accepts what he had considered to be inferior.