Jane Austen - novel - 1813 - p. 199

In Pride and Prejudice, protagonist Elizabeth Bennet faces pressure to marry into money, as neither her nor her sisters will receive a significant inheritance. The plot consists primarily of Elizabeth’s adventures and misadventures in courtship, which include many secondhand accounts of others’ intentions and attributes and throughout which the thread of interpersonal misunderstanding runs strong. She meets Mr. Darcy at a social event but is repulsed by what she views as his snobbery and disinterest in spite of his ample wealth. Later, she becomes incensed when she learns that Mr. Darcy has interfered to prevent the charming Mr. Wickham from marrying Jane’s younger sister Lydia, but she softens upon learning of mitigating circumstances that vindicate Darcy’s resentment of Wickham. Elizabeth also struggles to cope with her own family’s indecorum and a variety of embarrassments throughout.

The novel features Austen’s distinctive wryness and her technique of free indirect discourse in which an omniscient narrator at times falls into the speech or thought patterns of a character.

Key elements: Europe, father figures, marriage