Pride and PrejudiceBy Jane Austen

The Author• Jane Austen was born in Hampshire, England in 1775

• She never married, and was only involved in one romantic relationship

• She turned down a marriage proposal in 1802

• She spend her short, secluded life (she rarely left home) away from the spotlight

• Despite this, her novels focus mostly on love, romance, and relationships

• She began writing at age 12, and first attempted to become published at age 22

• Austen’s work was not much affected by the political events and literary trends of her time and her works were never, in her time, associated with her name

• Her works merely identified “a lady” as the author of her published novels

• Major themes seen in her novels include social class, gender issues, and courtship and marriage

• The ultimate dilemma at the center of her novels is whether a good marriage can be compatible with the independence of mind and moral integrity that Austen, like her heroines, cherishes

Jane Austen1775-1817

• Died at the age of 41 from an unknown illness

• She was currently working on a novel, Sandition

• Two of her novels were published by Jane’s brother after her death

Austen’s Novels

EmmaNorthanger AbbeyPersuasion Mansfield ParkSense and SensibilityPride and Prejudice

England During Austen’s Time

The Regency Period: • 1810-1820; King George IV took

over leadership of the country• Due to the industrial revolution

(mid 1700s to mid 1800s), the English economy had expanded profitably. The effect of this was that the middle class gained considerable prestige, wealth, and social status. Many middle class families were able to align themselves with the upper class due to social status, wealth, and land

England During Austen’s Time

Industrial Revolution: • Austen’s novels take place almost exclusively within the

privileged circle of England’s upper class.• This “upper class” made up less that two percent of England’s

population at the time. Most of the population consisted of workers, housekeepers, servants, soldiers, etc.

• During Austen’s time, England went from being an agricultural society to an industrial, capitalist economy.

• The “landed gentry” = middle class families that rose to become members of the upper class through purchasing luxurious country estates.

Social Class System

There were three distinctive classes in England during this time:

• The working class, which consisted of agricultural workers, factory workers, mine workers, maids, servants, housekeepers, soldiers, etc.

• The middle class, which consisted of merchants and professionals as well as business owners.

• The upper class, which consisted of hereditary aristocracy (basically “old” family money and titles passed down) and the new landed gentry (the “new money”)

The Role of Women

Women during this time had very few legal rights and largely depended on the men in their lives- fathers, brothers, husbands, etc.- for protection and survival.

Women could not own their own property, and were rather considered the property of men.

After a father’s death, his land, money, and possessions typically passed on to the closest male relative (or “heir”), which left the female members of the family, including the wife and daughters, completely at the mercy of other male family members.

The Early 19th Century England- Attire

Pride and Prejudice

Published 1813

Background

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennetas they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

The novel opens with an introduction to the Bennet family, including Mrs. Bennet whose sole desire in life is to see her five daughters married off, and married off well.

The appearance of two wealthy young men in the Bennets’ quiet town stirs up the events that take place throughout the novel.

Satire

Definition: Satire can be described as the literary art of diminishing or demeaning a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking towards it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation. Satire “makes fun” of a person, a type of person, an institution, a nation, or even (in some cases) the entire human race. (Definition from A Glossary of Literary Terms, Tenth Edition)

EXAMPLE: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The satire in Huckleberry Finn is often misunderstood and misconstrued as Mark Twain’s actual opinions. Twain hated slavery and used Huckleberry Finn to point out the inhumane way that slave-owners treated slaves. While some contend that the book is racist, Twain was strongly against racism. He used the characters of Jim and Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, to highlight the hypocrisy of slavery. Miss Watson is called a “good Christian woman” so that readers may realize that what she appears to stand for is in direct opposition to her actions.

Characters

The Bennet Family

• Mr. Bennet- the head of the Bennet family; sarcastic and snide, but witty and perceptive; he is often times the comic relief and draws attention to the silliness of his wife and five daughters; his own flaws include bad judgment and remaining idle and passive in respect to family affairs.

• Mrs. Bennet- mother of the Bennet girls; also serves as a comic relief; she is the ultimate parody of the embarrassing mother; her sole ambition is to see her five daughters married; her matchmaking skills do come in helpful, however, despite how awkward and disconcerting they may be.

The Bennet Family

• Jane Bennet- the eldest Bennet daughter; she is described as beautiful and extremely agreeable; although she is the oldest, she is naïve and trusts people too easily; she is hard to read rarely shares her true opinions; about 22 years old

• Elizabeth (Lizzie/Eliza) Bennet-second eldest Bennet daughter; she prides herself on her ability to observe and judge others; she is her father’s favorite daughter; she is witty like her father, but more clever than he is; she is head-strong and stubborn and her powers of judgment sometimes fail her; she is very sarcastic and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish when she is joking and when she is serious; about 20-21 years old

The Bennet Family• Mary Bennet- a minor Bennet sister who prides

herself on her accomplishments, so much so that she comes off as conceited; she is regarded as “plain-looking” and is the most overlooked sister in the family; about 18-20 years old

• Catherine (Kitty) Bennet- a minor Bennet sister who is similar to Lydia; about 17 or 18 years old

• Lydia Bennet- the youngest Bennet sister; described as bold, ignorant, idle, and vain; she is spoiled and selfish and is her mother’s favorite daughter; her immaturity is a source of embarrassment for her family; she about 15 years old

The Bennet Family

Mr. Bennet Mrs. Bennet

Jane

Elizabeth

Mary

Kitty

Lydia

The Lucas Family

• Sir William Lucas and Mrs. Lucas-The Bennets’ neighbors

• Charlotte Lucas- Daughter to Sir William and Mrs. Lucas; Elizabeth Bennet’s closest friend; she is practical and proactive in regards to her own life; she is single and 27 years old, which suggests she has little to no chance of ever getting married; she is tired of living with her parents, however, and jumps on an opportunity to become mistress of her own house

Mr. Collins

• Mr. William Collins- The Bennets’ cousin; he is Mr. Bennet’s closest male relative and therefore Mr. Bennet’s heir (he will receive all of Mr. Bennet’s wealth and property because female relatives were not able to inherit); he is a clergyman who lives on the estate of wealthy Lady Catherine de Bourgh; he comes off as snobby; he is described as “a tall, heavy looking young man of five and twenty”

Mr. Wickham

• Mr. George Wickham- a militia officer stationed near the Bennets; he is attractive, charming, and flirtatious; he has a hidden past that is exposed later in the novel

The Gardiners

• Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner- The Bennet girls’ aunt and uncle; Mr. Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet’s brother; he is described as very gentlemanlike and respectable and makes his money as a lawyer; she is described as “amiable, intelligent, [and] elegant” and is very close with her nieces, especially the two oldest, Jane and Elizabeth

The Bingley Family

• Mr. Charles Bingley- unmarried, wealthy young man who moves in close to the Bennets; described as “good looking and gentlemanlike” with pleasant features; he makes £5,000 a year (£=pounds) which equates to $300,000 a year today (he is very well off); he is about 22 years old

• Miss Caroline Bingley- Charles’ sister; about 20 years old

• Mr. and Mrs. Hurst- Charles’ married sister and her husband

The Darcy Family• Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy- Mr. Bingley’s friend

who is described as handsome and noble; he makes £10,000 a year (twice as much as Mr. Bingley, and this sum places him amongst the one or two hundred wealthiest men in England at the time); he is about 27-28 years old; he comes off as extremely prideful at the beginning of the novel

• Miss Georgiana Darcy- Mr. Darcy’s younger

and only sibling; she is described as a shy, “sweet girl”; about 16 years old

• Colonel Fitzwilliam- Darcy’s cousin, about

30 years old; his father was Darcy’s mother’s brother

• Lady Catherine De Bourgh- Darcy’s and

Colonel Fitzwilliam’s aunt; she is a wealthy widow and the only independently financially secure woman in the novel. She is overbearing and snobby. She has one daughter named Anne de Bourgh (who is also Darcy’s cousin)

Social Status

The Upper Class: The Bingleys, the Darcys, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and the Fitzwilliam family, The Lucases

The Middle Class: The Bennets, The Gardiners, Mr. Collins

Themes to Look For

• Social Class: how the middle class interacts with the upper class and vice versa, how the different classes view one another, who is categorized into which class

• Marriage and Family: importance of marriage, role of marriage, role of men and women within a relationship or marriage, women’s dependency on men during the time period

• Reputation and Propriety: social role versus individual worth, how characters present themselves, carry themselves, how characters view one another

• Pride and Prejudice: characters’ perceptions and first impressions of one another, who might represent pride, and who might represent prejudice

Jane Austen’s Today

Jane Austen Today