PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
JANE AUSTEN
The elegant anonymously published pen work of
Jane Austen follows around the tumultuous relationship between the daughter of
Mr. Bennet who is not so rich, and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, an unmarried
aristocratic landowner. It's the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five
distinct nature daughters. They live in the state of Longbourn in
Hertfordshire, a rural district about 30 miles away from London. Mr. Bennet's
family is not so rich and as he is the father of only five daughters, not
having any son, after his death his wealth is necessitating to pass to the
nearest male heir in the family as per according to that time's law (Law of
Entailment). After Mr. Bennet's death, his property will go to his far-away
cousin, Mr. Collins, a stupid priest. The main anxiousness of Mrs. Bennet is to
see her five daughters marry, preferably with wealthy men.
When a wealthy rich man Charley Bingley, has
attained the Netherfield Park's land on lease, the neighboring people are thrilled,
especially Mr. Bennet's wife, who covets to marry one of her five daughters
with him as to know him the aristocratic personality. On the very first day of
Mr. Bingley's arrival, in her excitement, she insists her husband to go to Mr.
Bingley and asked him to have some hangout in Mr. Bennet's residence with their
family. As to already knowledgeable to his wife's and daughters' bewilderment,
he tells that he has already paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Bingley.
After a short period, Mr. Bingley goes on a short
excursion to London and returns with his two sisters Caroline Bingley(single)
and Louisa Hurt(married), and the very near to his heart, a close friend of
him, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a single handsome landowning aristocrat, who has a
rumored income of FPK(Falkland Islands Pound) 10,000 a year.
Once in a local ball, arranged by Elizabeth's
best friend Charlottes parents, Bennet's daughter get a chance to meet Bingley
along with his snobbish friend Darcy. Bingley leaves his impression as a
sociable person and his friend Darcy leaves his impression as the proudest
personality, the one who rejects to dance with Elizabeth because at the time
Mr. Bingley asked him to dance with Elizabeth he refuses by saying:
"She is not handsome enough to tempt me"
Elizabeth overhears the remark by Darcy and
develops a strong aversion toward Darcy. Bingley proves himself profoundly
agreeable to dance with many of the single ladies. Especially, he shows his
interest in Bennet's eldest and shy daughter Jane. He dances twice the time
with Jane and they both soon form an attachment.
The time Bingley's sister gets to know his
attachment with Jane, Caroline Bingley invites Jane to have dinner with them in
Netherfield. As Jane's mother always wishes to marry her daughters to wealthy
men, it's likely to rain when Jane is about to leave. Mrs. Bennet instead of
sending Jane by coach sends her on a horse-back so that she should be caught in
the rain and get a chance to stay there and the same happens as she thinks.
When Elizabeth visits that site, she gets Miss Bingley's attitude as so perfect
because she thinks Elizabeth's family lower class with lack of manners. The
time Mrs. Bennet and her younger daughters come to visit Jane, Elizabeth is
mortified by their stupidity and total reduction of habits. Darcy also visits
there in Mr. Bingley's residence, and at a gathering, Darcy invites Elizabeth
for a dance but declines because she has not neglected her earlier insult by
him.
One day, Mr. Bennet informs the family about the
arrival of the only heir, to whom his whole property will be inherited. Mr.
Collins, the stupid clergyman comes to their home with the intention to propose
one of Bennet's daughters. His arrogant manners and bloated wordiness disgust
everyone, except Mrs. Bennet and she is the only one who thinks him respectable
because she wishes to marry one of her daughters to him. First, Collin is
attracted to Jane and thinks to propose to her but Mrs. Bingley tells him that
she is about to be engaged. Collin changes his mind and selects Elizabeth but Elizabeth
rejects his proposal.
Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte, 27-years old
comes to see Elizabeth, there she meets Collin and after knowing the whole
situation, starts talking frankly with Collins. Later on, finding a better
chance, Collins proposes to Elizabeth's friend and she gladly accepts. Soon
they are married, and she invites Elizabeth to her town, Hunsford.
When Mr. Collins and Bennet siblings go for a
walk to Meryton, they meet an attractive and charming army officer Mr. Wickham
(who is in fact a cunning man). They also come in front of Darcy, and when
Darcy and Mr. Wickham come in front of each other, both feel uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth starts feelings attraction
for George Wickham. After having a friendly conversation, and getting to
acknowledge Elizabeth s’ hate for Darcy, the wicked nature Wickham tells
Elizabeth a tale that increases her hate for Darcy because now he appears not
only arrogated but brutal too. However, Jane does not believe lies about Darcy
but Elizabeth believes all of them just because of his first bad impression in
front of her. Elizabeth feels bad for Wickham and takes sympathy for him. She
almost falls in love with Wickham, but Mrs. Gardiner (Elizabeth's aunt) warns
her about the malicious nature of Wickham.
At the same time, the Bingley family return to
London, and Caroline Bingley(Charles Bingley) addresses a letter to Jane in
which tells her that they don't expect to return and she also predicts that
Bingley might marry Georgiana(Darcy's sister) who is also in London. Jane
abdicates herself quietly to a life without Bingley. Gardiners invite Jane to
London and on their invitation, she plans to go to have some rest and change of
air. She also hopes to have an accidental meeting with Bingley but Caroline (Bingley's
sister) does not even tell her brother about Jane's presence in London. Jane
feels dishearten and accepts her refusal.
On the invitation of Charlotte, Elizabeth along
with Charlotte's father and his younger daughter Maria, go to Hunsford and on
the way the stops at the Gardiners' to see Jane. In Hunsford Elizabeth also
meets Mr. Collins' patroness and Darcy's overbearing aunt. Darcy visits his
aunt's residence and grows more involved in Elizabeth. He even proposes to
Elizabeth but Elizabeth declines his proposal by saying that he is:
"The last man in the world whom she could
ever be prevailed on to marry"
On the next morning, Darcy hands Elizabeth a
letter and leave. In the letter, he justifies his interference in Jane and
Bingley's connection, he also acknowledges his story concerning Wickham. This
takes all of Darcy's past action in front of Elizabeth and her cracks her
prejudice about him.
The time comes, when Elizabeth goes on a trip
with her aunt and Uncle Gardiner there she meets Darcy, he invites her to his
inn and introduces her to his sister, and invites her for a dinner. Darcy is
still in love with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth observes that underneath his
arrogance, lies a true and noble nature man and she begins to have similar
feelings for him.
Elizabeth's relationship with Darcy takes a new
turn, the route towards love. Elizabeth receives two letters from her sister
Jane telling her that her headstrong youngest sister Lydia has eloped with
wicked Wickham. Elizabeth fears that Lydia and Bennet family are enduringly
disgraced and her new love for Darcy is hopeless. Darcy helps Wickham
financially and by knowing Darcy's involvement and when Lydia lets slip that Darcy
attended her marriage, Elizabeth's love for Darcy increases and she regrets to
refuse Darcy's earlier marriage proposal.
Bingley returns to Netherfield, and Darcy
confesses to him about his misconception of Bennet girls. Bingley proposes to
Jane for marriage and she accepts his proposal happily. Lady Catherine who
wants to marry her daughter with Darcy gets to know Darcy's love for Elizabeth.
She demands that Elizabeth should promise to not accept the proposal of Darcy,
Elizabeth refuses. Darcy again thinks it is a chance to propose to Elizabeth
for marriage and the time he proposes to Elizabeth she accepts his proposal
happily, later he speaks to Mr. Bennet and he also agrees to their marriage.
Thus, the pride and prejudice of both dominating
characters vanish and Elizabeth opens her heart to Darcy. The novel ends
happily with Jane marrying Bingley and Darcy marrying Elizabeth by disappearing
her prejudice against him and turn it into love.
No comments:
Post a Comment