Why Read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? 1

Why read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice?

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, a novel by Jane Austen. It was her first novel, although it was not published first. The title page of the book called it “A novel in three volumes by the author of Sense and Sensibility.” Jane Austen’s name did not ap- pear in either book, nor in any other of the novels published in her lifetime. They were simply said to be “By a Lady.” The book’s original title was First Impressions when Austen wrote it in 1796-7. In 1811-12 she revised the manuscript and gave it its new title.

1. What do you think of when you read the words pride and prejudice? Discuss the positive and negative meanings of these words, giving some examples.

2. If you were looking for something to read, which title, First Impressions or Pride and Prejudice, would you find more attractive? Why?

Jane Austen’s portrait will be appearing on Bank of England £10 notes from 2015. Her books are still popular today. Several of them, especially Pride and Prejudice, have been adapted for the stage, TV, film and radio. Yet some people find her books difficult to get on with. One well-known American author confesses that she doesn’t enjoy Austen’s books: “Worse. I am bored by Jane Austen.”* People point out that great events were happening in Europe in Austen’s time, but she never mentions them. Austen in fact never wrote scenes in which two men talked to each other when no women were present, because she didn’t know how men spoke when they were on their own. Most of the people in her books have servants, yet we read very little about them or their lives. She wrote about what she knew: the middle rank of a very class-conscious society, that is, ladies and gentle- men in small country towns in the south of England. She also uses settings such as London, Bath and Brighton, which her characters occasionally visit. A major exception is Pemberley, the large house and estate in Derbyshire owned by Mr. Darcy, one of the main characters in Pride and Prejudice. It is interesting that in spite of owning this rich estate, said to have been modelled on the Duke of Devonshire’s house and estate at Chatsworth, and having an income of £10,000 a year, Mr. Darcy has no title, although he is the nephew of a titled lady, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine accuses Elizabeth, the heroine of Pride and Prejudice, of being “a young woman without family, connections or fortune” and wants to prevent her becoming engaged to Darcy, because she thinks Elizabeth just wants his money. Elizabeth tells her firmly “He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter: so far we are equal.” ______* From: Susan Hill: Howards End is on the Landing. London 2010, p. 96.

3. Elizabeth’s father keeps a carriage, but the horses for it are often “wanted in the farm”. When he dies his house and estate (worth £2,000 a year) will not be inherited by any of his five daughters (Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Lydia) but will pass in the male line to a relation, Mr. Collins. In the light of this situation, what do you think of Lady Catherine’s comments? 4. Courses for would-be writers often advise their students to “write what you know.” This is what Jane Austen did supremely well. If authors followed this advice, what would happen to the genres of fantasy and science fiction? What do you think of the advice?

One aspect of Austen’s works that attracts many readers is her ironic humour. One of the best examples is probably the much-quoted first sentence ofPride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” The book’s heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, has a strong sense of the ridiculous and often seems to be laughing at other characters, and at herself. It is therefore sometimes difficult to tell whether Austen’s characters’ remarks are meant seriously or not. For example, Elizabeth decides during her first encounter with Mr. Darcy at a local ball that he is rude and proud and that she can only dislike him: she has overheard a remark of his that was not very complimentary to her. They meet several times after that, and he is beginning to find her attractive. Nevertheless Elizabeth is amazed when, at a second ball, he asks her to dance. Unable to find a polite means of refusing, she says yes. Before the dance starts, her friend Charlotte Lucas tries to comfort Elizabeth by saying that she may find

© Ernst Klett Verlag GmbH, Stuttgart 2013 | www.klett.de Autorin: Jenny Wood, Bristol Von dieser Druckvorlage ist die Vervielfältigung für den eigenen Unterrichtsgebrauch gestattet. Die Kopiergebühren sind abgegolten. 1 Why read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? him agreeable after all. Elizabeth says: “Heaven forbid! – That would be the greatest misfortune of all! – To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate! – Do not wish me such evil.”

5. What does Elizabeth’s answer to Charlotte tell you about her character? Do you think she means it seriously? Explain. 6. By the end of the book Elizabeth’s feelings towards Darcy have changed and she confesses this change to her elder sister Jane, who asks her how long she has loved him. Elizabeth answers: “I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.” Many critics have taken this comment seriously as showing that Elizabeth is only interested in money and is not really in love with Darcy, but in the next line Jane asks her to be serious. What do you think Elizabeth really means? 7. If you think you would like to read Pride and Prejudice, here is a list of some of the most important characters. As you are reading, try to add more notes about their characters and find more examples of pride and prejudice.

Notes Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Mr. Bennet… The parents of five daughters. They are not very rich. When Mr. Bennet dies, the house and land will not go to his daughters, but to a male rela- tive. Mr. Bennet likes to spend all his time in his libra- ry. He likes his two older daughters but thinks the others are silly. Mrs. Bennet… Mrs. Bennet is silly and is only interested in making “good” marriages for the girls.

Miss (Jane) Bennet The eldest unmarried daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. She is beautiful and very kind. She always wants to think the best of everybody. She falls in love with a rich young man, Mr. Charles Bingley, but at first is too shy to tell anyone about it but her sister Lizzy.

Elizabeth (Lizzy/Eliza) Bennet, aged 21 The Bennets’ second daughter. She is pretty and very witty and funny. She says what she thinks, but this sometimes shocks other people. She has decided not to fall in love with Mr. Bingley’s best friend, Mr. Darcy, because when she first sees him he seems to be proud just because he is very rich. But she is very attracted to Mr. Wickham, who is very charming. The novel shows how she changes her opinion of Darcy’s pride and overcomes her own prejudice.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy A very rich young man, friend of Bingley, owner of a beautiful house and a lot of land. When he first appears, he seems to be very proud and unpleasant, but in fact he finds it difficult to talk to people he does not know. In the course of the novel we find out that he can be very kind and generous. He also learns to overcome his own prejudices against people who are not at the same level of society, such as the Bennets.

Charlotte Lucas, aged 27 Elizabeth’s best friend. She is not pretty and is afraid that no-one will want to marry her, but she wants a life of her own. She shocks Elizabeth by accepting an offer of marriage from Mr. Collins, the man who will inherit the Bennets’ home. He has already asked Lizzy to marry him and she has said no because she finds him laughable.

8. Here are some more of the characters in the book. When you have finished reading, try to match the short descriptions with the correct character.

1. Mary Bennet A. A young man, not a friend of Mr. Darcy 2. Catherine (Kitty) Bennet B A young officer, friend of Wickham 3. Lydia Bennet C Another daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet 4. Sir William and Lady Lucas D Charles and Caroline’s married sister 5. Mr. William Collins E Charles Bingley’s sister 6. Mr. Charles Bingley F Charlotte’s parents 7. Miss Caroline Bingley G Commander of a regiment and his wife 8. Mrs. Louisa Hurst H Lady Catherine’s daughter 9. Mr. George Wickham I Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s studious daughter 10. Colonel Fitzwilliam J Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s youngest daughter 11. Miss Georgiana Darcy K Mr. Bennet’s cousin and heir, a clergyman 12. Lady Catherine de Bourgh L Mr. Darcy’s aunt and Mr. Collins’s patron 13. Miss de Bourgh M Mr. Darcy’s cousin 14. Mr. and Mrs. Philips N Mr. Darcy’s young sister 15. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner O Mrs. Bennet’s brother and sister-in-law 16. Colonel and Mrs. Forster P Mrs. Bennet’s sister and brother-in-law 17. Mr. Denny Q A rich young man

The form of society depicted in Jane Austen’s novels seems so far from the language and customs of today’s young people that students may well ask why they should read books about middle-class men and women at the turn of the 18th century. Yet there is a fascination in learning how people of other times lived and loved, lost and found each other against the restrictions of their society. The questions are based directly on the information given in the text and assume that students have not read the novel. The worksheet can cover only a few of the many aspects that could be discussed. Others are the rules of “polite society” of the time, the author’s frequent mention of money and its social im- portance, social restrictions on women and girls, the use of irony, etc.

1. Pride may be seen as a positive or negative characteristic, while prejudice is exclusively negative. One may feel pride in one’s country, school, or one’s own achievements. However, there is a danger that pride may not be warranted or that other people will see it as unjustified. Being one of the cardinal sins, pride should be avoided at all costs, according to some people’s world view. Prejudice comes from judging a person or situation before one has enough information to do so justly. It can often lead to problems.

2. Pride and Prejudice certainly grabs one’s attention more than First Impressions. It may lead the would- be reader to wonder how these feelings will be depicted in the characters and what effect they will have. First Impressions, on the other hand, is a rather bland title which conveys only that these first impressions may be revised in the course of the story.

3. Compared to Mr. Darcy’s income of £10,000 a year, Mr. Bennet’s £2,000 a year seems very little, especially as he has a wife and five daughters to support. Unless he has saved a great deal of money, he will hardly be able to afford to give any of his daughters very much when they marry, and they will inherit neither the house nor the farm. So Lady Catherine is correct in saying that Elizabeth has no fortune. It seems odd to modern readers for her to say that Elizabeth has no family, but what she means is explained by the following word: “connections.” Neither Elizabeth’s immediate family nor any of her relations are people of high social standing or influence. This was an age when wealth and position could be gained by appealing even to distant family members to use their influence in one’s favour.

4. Austen found enough to write about by drawing on her immediate social circle. Although today’s social problems may be different, they can make interesting stories and be portrayed in just as witty and clever a way. However, this is not to say that fantasy and science fiction do not also have their place. Many authors clarify social problems by placing them in a distant alien setting so that the reader is drawn into the situation by the setting, characters and plot. For example, a power struggle is the same whether it is between managers of international companies or between wizards!

5. Elizabeth sounds as if she is determined to maintain her dislike of Mr. Darcy. However, she obviously realises how ridiculous this would be if he is nicer than she first thought. She is already laughing at herself for being so prejudiced against him because of his earlier unfavourable remark about her. She has since been able to talk to him and realises that she really has no reason to hate him.

6. The witty Elizabeth makes no exception for herself when mocking people’s behaviour. If she were indeed the fortune-hunter that Lady Catherine believes her to be, then the sight of Darcy’s magnificent house and estate at Pemberley would have convinced her that she must win him over in order to secure her future as the wife of a rich man. Her sister Jane knows her well enough to realise that she could not be serious in making this comment.

7. Students may make general character notes or note a particular theme as reflected in the characters.

8. 1. Mary Bennet: I. 2. Catherine (Kitty) Bennet: C. 3. Lydia Bennet: J. 4. Sir William and Lady Lucas: F. 5. Mr. William Collins: K. 6. Mr. Charles Bingley: Q. 7. Miss Caroline Bingley: E. 8. Mrs. Louisa Hurst: D. 9. Mr. George Wickham: A. 10. Colonel Fitzwilliam: M. 11. Miss Georgiana Darcy: N. 12. Lady Catherine de Bourgh L. 13. Miss de Bourgh H. 14. Mr. and Mrs. Philips: P. 15. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner: O. 16. Colonel and Mrs. Forster: G. 17. Mr. Denny: B.