Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is the second published novel by English author Jane Austen, published in 1813, two years after Sense and Sensibility in 1811. Originally Pride and Prejudice was titled as First Impressions and the manuscript was completed between 1796-97. The novel with its original title was rejected by a publisher and until 1809 Austen began her revisions to give it the final form.
Publication History: Pride and Prejudice was published on 28th January,1813 by the publisher Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in October that year. A third edition was published in 1817.The novel was originally published anonymously, as were all of Austen's novels. However, whereas her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility was presented as being written "by a Lady," Pride and Prejudice was attributed to "the Author of Sense and Sensibility".Pride and Prejudice was first published in the United States in August 1832 as Elizabeth Bennet or, Pride and Prejudice.
About the Title:
Originally the novel was titled as "First Impressions" as the two central characters and their romantic entanglement is revolving around their first impressions of each other. After getting rejected by a publisher Thomas Cadell Austen made a throughout revision of her manuscripts especially in 1811-12 and changed the original title to the present one. In renaming the novel as Pride and Prejudice Austen probably had in mind the "sufferings and oppositions" summarised in the final chapter of Fanny Burney's Cecilia, called "Pride and Prejudice", where the phrase appears three times in block capitals.As the story progresses, so does her tumultuous relationship with Mr. Darcy. The course of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is ultimately decided when Darcy overcomes his pride, and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, leading them both to surrender to their love for each other.
Sub-genre: Although from the large number of letters in the novel, it was assumed that First Impressions was an epistolary novel. But Pride and Prejudice falls into the category of Romantic novel as its plot centers round the engaging love story of Elizabeth and Darcy from their first impression of dislike to admiration and love, thus overcoming the inherent pride and prejudice in their characters; Classic Regency Novel that characterizes the differences in social class(Elizabeth and Darcy belonging to the different social strata),marriages of convenience,rather than of love (Charlotte marrying Collins) and the fast-paced dialogue between the protagonists; and the Novel of Manners as it deals with the domestic affairs of the landed gentry of England in the 19th century and re-creates the then social world with detailed reflection of the complex of customs and values. Apart from that this novel can also be interpreted as a Gynocentric novel to represent the world from a woman's perspective and portraying the social challenges a woman had to face and how she responds to it with a slight glimpse upon the idea of creating woman's agency through marriage as it was then a convenient way of social security due to the restrictive rights of property and employment.
Characters:
- Bennet Family and relatives
Mr. Bennet: Mr. Bennet is a logical and reasonable late-middle-aged landed gentleman of a more modest income of £2,000 per annum, and the dryly sarcastic patriarch of the Bennet family, with five unmarried daughters. His estate, Longbourn, is entailed to the male line. He is described in his first appearance in the book as "so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character". He was captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman, whose weak understanding, and illiberal mind, had, very early in the marriage, put an end to any real affection for her and their marriage is now reduced to mere toleration. He is often described as 'indolent' in the novel.
Mrs. Bennet : The middle-aged wife of Mr. Bennet, and the mother of their five daughters. She is silly, frivolous, and tactless, and is given to embarrassing her husband and elder daughters. Mrs.Bennet is a hypochondriac who imagines herself susceptible to attacks of tremors and palpitations (her "poor nerves") whenever things are not going her way. Her main ambition in life is to marry her daughters off to wealthy men. Whether or not any such matches will give her daughters happiness is of little concern to her. She was settled a dowry of £4,000 from her father.
Jane Bennet : The eldest Bennet sister. 22 years old Jane is considered the most beautiful young lady in the family and the entire neighbourhood and is inclined to see only the good in others. Due to this sweetness Jane is often described as "sugar to Elizabeth's lemonade".She is favoured by her mother simply for her beauty and the consequent prospect of her marriage to a wealthy groom. She falls in love with Charles Bingley, a rich young man recently moved to Hertfordshire and a close friend of Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth Bennet : The second-eldest of the Bennet daughters and the protagonist of the novel. The 20 years old Elizabeth is attractive, witty and intelligent but is prone to form tenacious and prejudiced first impressions. She was fond of reading. She has her opinions about life and people and she doest not conform to the traditional roles of womanhood, instead, prefers to marry for love. She is Mr. Bennet's favourite daughter.
Mary Bennet : The 18 years old middle/ third Bennet sister, and the plainest of her siblings. Mary has a serious disposition and mostly reads and plays music, although she is often impatient to display her accomplishments and is rather vain about them. She frequently moralises to her family. According to James Edward Austen-Leigh's A Memoir of Jane Austen, Mary ended up marrying one of her Uncle Philips' law clerks and moving into Meryton with him.
Catherine "Kitty" Bennet :The 17 years old fourth Bennet daughter . Though older than Lydia, she is her shadow and follows her in her pursuit of the officers of the militia. She is often portrayed as envious of Lydia and is described as a "silly" young woman. However, it is said that she improved when removed from Lydia's influence. According to James Edward Austen-Leigh's A Memoir of Jane Austen, Kitty later married a clergyman who lived near Pemberley.
Lydia Bennet :The 15 years old youngest Bennet sister. She is frivolous, headstrong, irresponsible, and spoiled, and is her mother's favorite. Her main activity in life is socialising, especially flirting with the officers of the militia. This leads to her running off with George Wickham, although he has no intention of marrying her. Lydia shows no regard for the moral code of her society; as Ashley Tauchert says, she "feels without reasoning"
Mr.& Mrs. Phillips::
Mrs. Phillips is Mrs. Bennet's sister, and like her, she is portrayed as shallow and gossipy. Mr. Phillips is a Meryton attorney, a position that places him in a lower social class than the wealthy landowners like the Darcys and Bingleys.
Mr. Edward Gardiner and Mrs. Gardiner : Edward Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet's brother and a successful tradesman of sensible and gentlemanly character. Aunt Gardiner is genteel and elegant and is close to her nieces Jane and Elizabeth. The Gardiners are the parents of four children. They are instrumental in bringing about the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth.
Mr. William Collins: Mr. Collins is Mr. Bennet's distant second cousin. A tall, heavy looking young man of twenty-five, Collins is a clergyman, and the current heir presumptive to his estate of Longbourn House. Therefore, Mrs Bennet wants at least one of her daughters to marry him to secure some of the fortune for the family. He is a pompous man, prone to making long and tedious speeches, He is excessively devoted to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and to impress her he is looking for a wife.
- Bennet Neighbours
- Bingleys
- Darcy Family and relatives
- Other
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