(Redirected from Mr. Bingley)
'''Pride and Prejudice''', first published on
28 January 1813, is the most famous of
Jane Austen's novels and one of the first
romantic comedies in the history of the
novel.
Its manuscript was first written between 1796 and 1797, initially called ''First Impressions,'' but was never published under that title. Following revisions, it was first published on
28 January 1813. Like both its predecessors, ''
Sense and Sensibility'', and ''
Northanger Abbey'', it was written in
Steventon, Hampshire, where Austen lived in the
rectory.
Plot summary
The novel opens with the famous line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.". The arrival of such a single man "of considerable fortune" in the neighbourhood greatly excites Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Bingley, the man in question, leased the Netherfield estate where he plans to temporarily settle with his two sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, and his sister's husband, Mr. Hurst. Soon after moving in, Mr. Bingley and his party, which now includes his close friend
Fitzwilliam Darcy, attend a
public ball in the village of Meryton. At first, Mr. Darcy is admired for his fine figure and income of £10,000 a year and is far more the subject of attention than Mr. Bingley. However, he is soon regarded contemptuously as the villagers become disgusted with his pride. This is brought home to the Bennet family when
Elizabeth Bennet overhears Mr. Darcy decline Mr. Bingley's suggestion that he dance with her because she is not handsome enough to tempt him. Mr. Bingley, on the other hand, proves highly agreeable, dancing with many of the eligible ladies in attendance and showing his decided admiration for Jane Bennet. Eager to encourage this highly advantageous match, Mrs. Bennet attempts to push Jane and Mr. Bingley together at every opportunity.
Shortly after the ball, Mr. Collins, a cousin who will inherit the Bennet estate because of an
entail, visits the family. Mr. Collins, a pompous buffoon of a clergyman whose idea of a pleasant evening is reading to his female cousins from ''
Fordyce's Sermons'', delights in dropping the name of his great patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, with great frequency. Following Lady Catherine's imperious suggestion that he marry, Mr. Collins has decided to make amends for his role in the Bennets' future impoverishment by
marrying one of his cousins. Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth but she refuses him point-blank. Although Mrs. Bennet tries to promote the marriage, Elizabeth, supported by her father, will not have him. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is introduced to Mr. Wickham, a pleasing, amiable officer in the regiment. Mr. Wickham informs her that he had known Mr. Darcy his entire life, but was dealt a serious wrong after the death of Mr. Darcy's father. After the tale is told, Elizabeth begins to harbour a strong prejudice against Mr. Darcy.
After Elizabeth rejects Mr. Collins, he hurriedly marries her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, and Elizabeth is invited to visit the newlyweds. While she is staying with them, Mr. Darcy visits his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, at the adjoining estate, Rosings. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are therefore thrown daily into each other's company. Elizabeth's charms eventually entrance Mr. Darcy, leading him to finally declare his love for her "against his own will" and his desire to marry her in spite of her objectionable family. Surprised and insulted by Mr. Darcy's high-handed method of proposing, as well as having recently learnt that Mr. Darcy convinced Mr. Bingley to sever ties with Jane and still contemptuous of Mr. Darcy's supposed wrongs against Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth refuses him in no uncertain terms, saying that he is "the last man in the world whom [she] could ever be prevailed on to marry." The next day, Mr. Darcy intercepts Elizabeth on her morning walk and hands her a letter before coldly taking his leave. In the letter, Mr. Darcy justifies his actions regarding his interference in Mr. Bingley and Jane's relationship, and reveals his history concerning Mr. Wickham and Mr. Wickham's true nature. The letter sheds a new light on Mr. Darcy's personality for Elizabeth and she begins to reconsider her opinion of him, particularly in the case of Mr. Wickham.
Later, while on holiday with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, Elizabeth is persuaded to visit nearby Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's estate, but only goes because she is told he is away. She is therefore mortified when she bumps into him unexpectedly while on a tour of the grounds; however, his altered behaviour towards her - distinctly warmer from their last meeting - and his polite and friendly manner towards her aunt and uncle begins to persuade Elizabeth that underneath his pride lies a true and generous nature. Her revised opinion of Mr. Darcy is supported through meeting his younger sister Georgiana, a gentle-natured and shy girl whom Mr. Darcy lovingly dotes upon.
Just as her relationship with Mr. Darcy starts to thaw, Elizabeth is horrified by news that, in her absence, her headstrong younger sister Lydia has attracted Mr. Wickham's attentions and eloped with him. When the family investigates, they learn that Mr. Wickham resigned his commission to evade gambling debts. When told of this by Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy takes it upon himself to find Mr. Wickham and bribe him into marrying Lydia, but keeps this secret from Elizabeth and her family. Elizabeth accidentally learns of Mr. Darcy's involvement from Lydia's careless remarks, later confirmed by Mrs. Gardiner. This final act completes a reversal in Elizabeth's sentiments, and she begins to regret having turned down Mr. Darcy's earlier proposal of marriage.
Lady Catherine discovers Mr. Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth, threatening her long cherished ambition for him to marry her own daughter. She pays Elizabeth an unannounced visit and brusquely tries to intimidate her into refusing such an engagement. Unfortunately, Catherine's visit serves to consolidate Elizabeth's intentions. Furthermore, Lady Catherine visits Mr. Darcy later, and relates the entire conversation to him, leading Mr. Darcy to the conviction that if he proposes to Elizabeth again, she may accept him. After ensuring that Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet's relationship is rekindled, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth become engaged.
The book ends with two marriages: Jane and Bingley's, as well as Darcy and Elizabeth's. Both couples live happily ever after.
Role of women in the 18th century
In the late 18th century the role of women in society was very different from what it is today, after the women's liberation movement in the 20th century and with feminism now a dynamic force in society. In 18th-century England women were excluded from most fields of society, expected to keep house. They were not permitted, for example, to visit a newcomer in town (like Mr. Bingley in ''Pride and Prejudice'') until the male person in the house had paid the newcomer a visit first. There were few avenues through which women could be self-sufficient without the aid of a man. Marriage, though romanticised, was in many ways more a financial transaction and social alliance rather than a matter of love. Women were under enormous pressure to make a "good" marriage because this would not only secure their financial futures but make valuable social connections for their families. Although Jane Austen considered loveless marriage a terrible idea (she herself stayed single all her life) and rather approved of an equal match in various respects, such as wealth, social status, love and character, in ''Pride and Prejudice'', wealth, social status, chastity (and the perception of chastity) and physical attractiveness are depicted as factors affecting a woman's chances for a good marriage.
Characters in ''Pride and Prejudice''
The following is a list of the more significant characters of the novel.
Elizabeth Bennet
'Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet' is the protagonist of the novel. Elizabeth is the second of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five daughters, and is an intelligent, bold and mildly attractive twenty year old when the story begins. In addition to being her father's favourite, Elizabeth is characterized as a sensible yet stubborn woman. Misled by Mr. Darcy's cold outward behaviour, Elizabeth originally holds Mr. Darcy in contempt. However, she finds that Mr. Darcy improves on acquaintance, more so than she would expect.
Fitzwilliam Darcy
'Fitzwilliam Darcy' is the central male character and Elizabeth's second love interest in the novel. He is an intelligent, wealthy, extremely handsome and reserved 28-year-old man, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers but possesses an honest and kind nature underneath. Initially, he considers Elizabeth his social inferior, unworthy of his attention, but he finds that, despite his inclinations, he cannot deny his feelings for Elizabeth. His initial proposal of marriage is rejected because of his pride and Elizabeth's prejudice against him; however, at the end of the novel, after their relationship has blossomed, he is happily engaged to a loving Elizabeth.
Mr. Bennet
'Mr. Bennet' is the father of Elizabeth Bennet and head of the Bennet family. His first name is never mentioned. An English
gentleman with an estate in
Hertfordshire, he is married to Mrs. Bennet and has five daughters. Unfortunately, his property is
entailed to a male descendant, meaning it can only be inherited by his closest male heir, Mr. Collins. Mr. Bennet is a very amiable man but he has a bitingly sarcastic humour. Mr. Bennet is a somewhat gentle and eccentric man who can only derive amusement from his "nervous" wife and three "silly" daughters--Mary, Kitty and Lydia. He is close to his eldest daughter Jane, but is particularly attached to his second eldest daughter Elizabeth. Both Jane and Elizabeth have won this approval due to possessing a greater amount of sense than their three sisters. Mr. Bennet prefers the solitude of his study, neglecting the raising of his children, which leads to near-disaster.
Mrs. Bennet
'Mrs. Bennet' is the querulous, excitable and ill-bred wife of Mr. Bennet and mother of Elizabeth and her sisters. Her first name is never mentioned. She is particularly indulging towards Lydia. Her main concern in life is seeing her daughters married well to wealthy men, so that they will be taken care of following Mr. Bennet's death. However, her foolish nature and frequent social ''
faux pas'' often impede her efforts towards this end. Her single-minded pursuit of future husbands for her daughters can also blind her in several ways to their welfare and best interests in the present. Mrs Bennet can be very two-faced in her opinions of people.
Jane Bennet
'Jane Bennet' is the eldest Bennet sister. She is twenty-two years old at the start of the novel, and is generally considered to be the most beautiful amongst her sisters. The depth of her feelings is difficult to discern by those who do not know her well, due to her reserved manner and pleasantness to all. She is incapable of suspecting the worst of people, seeing only the good. She falls in love with Charles Bingley, and is devastated when he abruptly breaks off their developing relationship without explanation. Eventually however, the misunderstanding on his part is cleared up and she accepts his hand in marriage. Together, they live at Netherfield for about a year before moving to a new estate in Derbyshire and a mere 30 miles away from her favourite sister and brother-in-law.
Lydia Bennet
'Lydia Bennet' is the youngest of the Bennet sisters. Fifteen years old when the narrative begins, Lydia is extremely flirtatious, naive, headstrong and reckless. She is described as being idle and indulging in frivolous pursuits, especially chasing after the officers stationed at Meryton. Her father often calls her 'silly'. She is seduced by Mr. Wickham and runs away with him without much thought for the consequences to her family, but Mr. Darcy convinces Mr. Wickham to marry her.
Charles Bingley
'Charles Bingley' is the closest friend of Mr. Darcy, despite the differences in their personalities. He is an outgoing, extremely good-natured, and wealthy young man who leases property near the Bennets' estate at the beginning of the novel. Unlike many of those in his circle, he is approachable and mingles easily in company the others consider beneath them. He is attracted to Jane Bennet, who reciprocates his feelings but is too shy and reserved to fully express them.
William Collins
'William Collins' is the 25-year-old cousin of Mr. Bennet. A clergyman, he is the closest male relation to the Bennet family, and as such stands to inherit Longbourn on Mr. Bennet's death. Mr. Collins is a pompous, narrow-minded sycophant who is excessively devoted and flattering to his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Advised by Lady Catherine to find a wife, he initially eyes Jane, only to instantly transfer his affections to Elizabeth upon learning of Jane's impending match with Mr. Bingley. After being rejected by his second choice, he proposes to Charlotte Lucas, who accepts him.
George Wickham
'George Wickham' is the enemy of Mr. Darcy. He is a dashing, charming and handsome young soldier who attracts the attention of Elizabeth Bennet. His father was the manager of the Darcy estate, so he grew up with Mr. Darcy and his sister and was a favourite of Mr. Darcy's since-deceased father. Mr. Wickham's charm skillfully conceals a more conniving and dishonourable nature, and there is bitter enmity between him and Mr. Darcy due to his attempt to elope with Georgiana Darcy for her substantial inheritance. He later runs off with Lydia Bennet, but is tracked down by Mr. Darcy and he marries her where Mr. Darcy pays for the marriage.
Mary Bennet
'Mary Bennet' is the most serious of all the Bennet girls, partly because she is the least attractive sister. Mrs. Bennet had hoped that she could be persuaded to marry Mr. Collins on his next visit, as she found him somewhat interesting, and suitably serious, but otherwise she is not very interested in society, seeing balls as a duty rather than a pleasure.
She is rather dull and around the age of 18 in the beginning of the novel.
Kitty Bennet
'Catherine Bennet' (called "Kitty"), although older than her sister Lydia, is somewhat of a sidekick to her. She follows everything that Lydia does, and becomes insanely jealous when only Lydia is invited to go to Brighton with the troops, as she wishes to go herself. However, once Jane and Elizabeth marry Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, respectively, Kitty's personality and ways change due to the change in society that she experiences by staying often with two eldest sisters and by the absence of Lydia's corrupting influence.
Charlotte Lucas
'Charlotte Lucas' is the neighbour and best friend of Elizabeth. She is 27 years old and when Mr. Collins, having been rejected by Elizabeth, proposes to her she instantly accepts him - thereby losing Elizabeth's respect - as this is probably her final opportunity to get married. She enjoys her marriage by staying away from Mr. Collins as much as possible and taking care of her household and poultry.
Georgiana Darcy
'Georgiana Darcy' is Fitzwilliam Darcy's younger sister. She is immensely pretty and more than 10 years his junior, only 16 years old. Georgiana is quiet and shy but amiable and good natured, and shows great skill at playing the pianoforte. Mr. Wickham stole her affections some time ago, hoping to gain possession of the great fortune which she will inherit when she comes of age. She was just 15 at the time, the same age as Lydia is when Wickham gets involved with her. Mr. Darcy saves her from an imprudent elopement with Mr. Wickham.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
'Lady Catherine de Bourgh' is Mr. Darcy's aunt and Mr. Collins' patron. Despite her self-conscious sophistication, she is inconsistent and arrogant. She doesn't play a musical instrument, yet boasts of being a musical expert. Another example of her "ill breeding" is her announcement (in the drawing room of her manor house Rosings, at Hunsford) that Elizabeth may play on the piano in the housekeeper's (Mrs. Jenkinson's) room. "She would be in nobody's way, you know, in that part of the house." Elizabeth Bennet visits Hunsford, and becomes increasingly friendly with Darcy there. Later, Lady Catherine shows up at the Bennets' home to forbid Elizabeth from marrying Darcy. That ill-advised action actually encourages Elizabeth and Darcy to pursue their courtship. Ultimately, Lady Catherine's main purpose is to be an example of the upper-class snobbery which the novel satirizes.
Interrelationships
A comprehensive web showing the relationships between the main characters in ''Pride and Prejudice''
Artistic depictions of and related to Pride and Prejudice
Main articles: List of artistic depictions of and related to Pride and Prejudice
Film, television, and theatrical adaptations
''Pride and Prejudice'' has engendered numerous adaptations. Some of the notable film versions include
that of 1940 starring
Greer Garson and
Laurence Olivier, and
that of 2005 starring
Keira Knightley (in an Oscar-nominated performance) and
Matthew Macfadyen. Notable television versions include two by the
BBC:
1995 version starring
Jennifer Ehle and
Colin Firth, and
1980 version starring
Elizabeth Garvie and
David Rintoul. ''
First Impressions'' is a
Broadway musical version.
Related works of film and literature
''Pride and Prejudice'' has inspired a number of other works. ''
Bride and Prejudice,'' starring
Aishwarya Rai, is a
Bollywood adaptation of the novel, while '' (2003) places the novel in contemporary times. Books inspired by ''Pride and Prejudice'' include: ''
Mr Darcy's Daughters'' and ''The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy'' by Elizabeth Aston; ''Pemberley : Or Pride & Prejudice Continued'' and ''An Unequal Marriage: Or Pride and Prejudice Twenty Years Later'' by
Emma Tennant; ''
The Book of Ruth'' by
Helen Baker; and ''Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife'' by Linda Berdoll. The novel ''
Bridget Jones's Diary'' by
Helen Fielding (and the
film made of it) were inspired by the
then-current BBC adaptation. For instance, the protagonist finds herself choosing between a charming, but sleazy man and an honourable, but uncouth man named Mr. Darcy, played by
Colin Firth (who also played Mr. Darcy in the 1995 ''Pride and Prejudice'' mini-series). Also, the mother is trying to fix her daughter up with a husband, but the father remains gloriously detached from the whole process.
Awards and nominations
★ In 2003 the BBC conducted the largest ever poll for the "
UK's Best-Loved Book" in which ''Pride and Prejudice'' came second, behind ''
The Lord of the Rings''.
External links
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Chronology/Calendar for ''Pride and Prejudice''
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''Reflections on the truths of human life'' in ''Pride and Prejudice'' from Humanscience wikia
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''Pride and Prejudice'' PDF eBook
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''Pride and Prejudice'' Microsoft Reader eBook
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Free audiobook from
LibriVox
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Filmography of Jane Austen Adaptations
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''Pride & Prejudice'' timeline
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List and map of real and imaginary places in ''Pride and Prejudice''
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Detailed paragraph by paragraph commentary on Volume 1, Chapter 8 of ''Pride and Prejudice''
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Original line by line commentary of ''Pride and Prejudice''
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A new approach to literary criticism
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