Pride and Prejudice | Themes | Jane Austen

[Music] let's review the themes of Pride and Prejudice starting with social class Pride and Prejudice centers around the role of social class and status in romantic life people know their place in society noble and wealthy families were unemployed to marry below themselves since in the upper classes the primary reasons for marriage were status wealth and land love is pitted against marriage therefore social circles are distinguished by old and new money inclusion in the gentry and aristocratic status in the end Darcy and Elizabeth must overcome social class by disobeying the wish of Lady Catherine that Darcy

not marry below him the importance of reputation especially a woman's reputation is woven through the novel for instance Elizabeth's walk through the rain to see her sister is not understood as caring and Noble but rather unladylike another example is Lydia and Wickham scandalous elopement which potentially would have prevented the other Bennet sisters from finding suitable husbands mr. Collins writes to recommend that they disown Lydia and consider her dead this illustrates how Lydia's actions might prevent Elizabeth's ability to marry someone like Darcy love versus marriage at the center of Pride and Prejudice is the love story

between Elizabeth and Darcy however Austen makes it clear this is not love at first sight instead it shows the complexity of marital arrangement in a time when status and wealth played a more significant role many of the couples in the novel marry for practical purposes Charlotte and mr. Collins the Bennett's and even Lydia and Wickham by the end of the novel only three couples marry for love Elizabeth and Darcy Jane and Bingley and the gardener's austan uses these three couples to illustrate what honest relationships look like in the case of Elizabeth and Darcy their first

impressions or prejudices were negative these prejudices act to build tension throughout the novel ultimately leading to a happy ending in this way Austen emphasizes that the road to love is often littered with misunderstandings and complications and does not occur on sight [Music]