《傲慢與偏見》是簡· 奧斯丁的代表作，是一部經典的小說。這部作品以日常生活為素材，一反當時社會上流行的感傷小說的內容和矯揉造作的寫作方法，生動地反映了18世紀末到19世紀初處於保守和閉塞狀態下的英國鄉鎮生活和世態人情。這部社會風情畫式的小說不僅在當時吸引着廣大的讀者，時至今日，仍給讀者以獨特的藝術享受。 《傲慢與偏見》以婚姻嫁娶和家庭風波為題材，描寫自己熟稔的鄉間所謂體面人傢的生活與交往，像在“二寸象牙”上“細細地描畫”，看似平凡而瑣碎，小天地卻可映出大世界，因此始終能引起長盛不衰、雅俗共賞的興趣，英國詩人和歷史小說傢司各特曾說，“在描寫人們日常生活中各種錯綜復雜的瑣事，內心情感和人物性格方面，這位姑娘很有才能。這種才能是我所遇到的最令人賞心悅目的。”正是簡.奧斯丁爐火純青的語言描寫功力，使筆下的人物栩栩如生，耐人尋味。
　　傲慢與偏見[小說]-作者簡介
　　
　　簡·奧斯汀簡· 奧斯汀
　　
　　簡· 奧斯汀出生於1775年12月16日，是喬治·奧斯汀傢的第七個孩子。簡·奧斯汀一直過着安靜平和的隱居生活，她一生未婚。英國文學史上出現過幾次趣味革命，文學口味的翻新幾乎影響了所有作傢的聲譽，唯獨莎士比亞和奧斯汀經久不衰。而這位偉大的女性一生衹走過了42個春夏秋鼕。1817年7月8日，她死於溫徹斯特，葬於當地大教堂。
　　
　　她的父親是斯蒂文頓的教區長，也是一位藏書頗豐的博學之土。她的母親名叫卡桑德拉·李·奧斯汀，出身於貴族家庭。簡衹有一個姐姐，叫卡桑德拉，並一生都與她保持着密切的聯繫。簡的同胞兄弟從事着不同的職業：有幾個擔任聖職，一個是銀行傢，其他的則在軍隊服役。儘管她的家庭不是名門望族，也沒有富甲一方，但喬治·奧斯汀很重視教育，甚至對女兒也不例外。簡和卡桑德拉上了幾年學，之後就在傢裏學習，主要是廣泛閱讀各種書籍和資料，並從父兄們與輔導的學生之間有趣的討論中獲益。通過自己的努力，簡熟知18世紀的英國文學。
　　
　　簡· 奧斯汀生前匿名出版了四部小說：《理智與情感》(1811)、《傲慢與偏見}》(1813)、《曼斯菲爾德莊園》(1814) 和《艾瑪》(1815)。另外兩部，《諾桑格修道院》和《勸導》是她去世後於 1817年出版的。她的這些小說以其對英國社會和風俗的諷刺性描述而聞名於世。
　　
　　奧斯汀所處的英國社會是一個階級等級分明的社會。而階級的區分主要源於傢族與財富。奧斯汀在她的作品中經常批評英國上層階級的自負和偏見。簡註意區分人的內在價值 (個人品德)和外在價值(地位和財産)。簡雖然經常諷刺勢利小人，但也嘲笑出身低微的人缺乏教養和舉止不當。總的來說，奧斯汀是一個現實主義作傢，她所描繪的英國是一個缺少變化但階級意識強烈的社會。
　　
　　從18世紀末到19世紀初，“感傷小說”和“哥特小說”充斥英國文壇，而奧斯汀的小說破舊立新，一反常規地展現了當時尚未受到資本主義工業革命衝擊的英國鄉村中産階級的日常生活和田園風光。她的作品往往通過喜劇性的場面嘲諷人們的愚蠢、自私、勢利和盲目自信等可鄙可笑的弱點。奧斯丁的小說出現在19世紀初葉，一掃風行一時的假浪漫主義潮流，繼承和發展了英國18世紀優秀的現實主義傳統，為19世紀現實主義小說的高潮做了準備。雖然其作品反映的廣度和深度有限，但她的作品如“兩寸牙雕”，從一個小窗口中窺視到整個社會形態和人情世故，對改變當時小說創作中的風氣起了好的作用，在英國小說的發展史上有承上啓下的意義，被譽為地位“可與莎士比亞平起平坐”的作傢。 她最喜愛的作傢是18世紀古典主義和理智的典範塞繆爾·約翰遜。奧斯汀的小說表現出一種情感上的模棱兩可，以及對聰明才智與自然美的贊賞，這些特點使其作品和浪漫主義走到一起。遺憾的是，簡·奧斯汀的小說在她生前並未受到好評。但是後來，尤其是在20世紀，她的小說越來越受歡迎。如今，簡·奧斯汀已經躋身於英國真正偉大的作傢之列。簡·奧斯汀是世界上為數極少的著名女性作傢之一，介於新古典主義和浪漫運動的抒情主義之間的“小幅畫傢”和“家庭小說”傢，文學評論傢眼裏堪與莎士比亞在不朽性方面相提並論的英國作傢。
　　傲慢與偏見[小說]-創作背景
　　
　　《傲慢與偏見》是簡·奧斯汀最早完成的作品，她在1796年開始動筆，取名為《最初的印象》，1797年8月完成。她父親看後很感動，特意拿給湯瑪·卡士德爾，請他出版，但對方一口回絶，使得他們十分失望。後來，她重寫了《最初的印象》，並改名為“傲慢與偏見”於1813年1月出版。
　　傲慢與偏見[小說]-內容簡介
　　
　　女主角：：伊麗莎白
　　男主角：達西
　　重要配角：簡（伊麗莎白的姐姐）、賓利（達西的好朋友）
　　內容提要
　　《傲慢與偏見》是描寫伊麗莎白•貝內特和威廉•達西這對青年男女之間的愛情故事，起初他們倆人總是話不投機。故事發生在18世紀後期，距離英國倫敦，效外約50英裏的赫特福德郡（位於英國英格蘭東南部），書中生動地描繪了當時婦女生活的艱難，她們幾乎都不能把握自己的命運。由於18世紀的英國社會十分看重社會地位和個人舉止風度與纔藝，女人們都竭盡所能去尋覓富有的丈夫。
　　詳細內容
　　小鄉紳班納特有五個待字閨中的千金，班納特太太整天操心着為女兒物色稱心如意的丈夫。 新來的鄰居彬格萊(Charles)是個有錢的單身漢，他立即成了班納特太太追獵的目標。在一次舞會上，彬格萊對班納特傢的大女兒簡(Jane)一見鐘情，班納特太太為此欣喜若狂。參加舞會的還有彬格萊的好友達西(Darcy)。他儀表堂堂，非常富有，許多姑娘紛紛嚮他投去羨慕的目光；但他非常驕傲，認為她們都不配做他的舞伴，其中包括簡的妹妹伊麗莎白(Elizabeth)。伊麗莎白自尊心很強，决定不去理睬這個傲慢的傢夥。可是不久，達西對她活潑可愛的舉止産生了好感，在另一次舞會上主動請她同舞，卻遭到伊麗莎白的拒絶，達西狼狽不堪。
　　
　　彬格萊的妹妹卡羅琳(Caroline)一心追求達西，她發現達西有意於伊麗莎白，妒火中燒，决意從中阻撓。而遭到伊麗莎白冷遇的達西也鄙視班納特太太及其小女兒麗迪亞(Lydia)的粗俗。在妹妹和好友達西的勸說下，彬格萊不辭而別，去了倫敦，但簡對他還是一片深情。
　　
　　班納特沒有兒子，他的傢産將由遠親柯林斯(Collins)繼承。柯林斯粗鄙無知，卻善於趨炎附勢，居然當上牧師。他嚮伊麗莎白求婚，遭拒絶後，馬上與她的女友夏洛特(Charlotte)結婚。
　　
　　附近小鎮的民團聯隊裏有個英俊瀟灑的青年軍官威肯(Wickham)，人人都誇他，伊麗莎白也對他産生了好感。一天，他對伊麗莎白說，他父親是達西傢的總管，達西的父親曾給他一大筆遺贈，卻被達西吞沒了。伊麗莎白聽後，對達西更加反感。
　　柯林斯夫婦請伊麗莎白去他們傢作客，伊麗莎白在那裏遇到達西的姨媽凱瑟琳(Catherine)，不久，又見到了達西。同時也認識了威廉少校，從他口中得知達西藏起她姐姐的信，使伊麗莎白對達西的討厭達到頂峰。所以在達西無法抑製自己對伊麗莎白的愛慕之情，嚮她求婚的時候，但態度還是那麽傲慢。伊麗莎白堅决地謝絶了。這一打擊使達西第一次認識到驕傲自負所帶來的惡果，他痛苦地離開了她，臨走前留下一封長信作了幾點解釋：他承認彬格萊不辭而別是他促使的，原因是他不滿班納特太太的輕浮和鄙俗，並且認為簡並沒有鐘情於彬格萊；威肯說的卻全是謊言，事實是威肯自己把那筆遺産揮霍殆盡，還企圖勾引達西的妹妹私奔。伊麗莎白讀信後十分後悔，既對錯怪達西感到內疚，又為母親的行為羞愧，還對自己的偏見深深懊悔。她逐漸改變了對達西的看法。
　　
　　第二年夏天，伊麗莎白隨舅父母來到達西的莊園，與他再次相遇。她發現達西變了，不僅對人彬彬有禮，在當地很受人們尊敬，而且對他妹妹非常愛護。她對他的偏見消除了。正當其時，伊麗莎白接到傢信，說小妹麗迪亞隨身負纍纍賭債的威肯私奔了。這種傢醜使伊麗莎白非常難堪，以為達西會更瞧不起自己。但事實出乎她的意料，達西得知上述消息以後，在舅父母的幫主下，不僅替威肯還清賭債，還給了他一筆巨款，讓他與麗迪亞完婚。自此以後，伊麗莎白往日對達西的種種偏見統統化為真誠之愛。
　　
　　彬格萊和簡經過一番周折，言歸於好，一對情人沉浸在歡樂之中。而一心想讓自己的女兒安妮(Anne)嫁給達西的凱瑟琳夫人匆匆趕來，蠻橫地要伊麗莎白保證不與達西結婚。伊麗莎白對這一無理要求斷然拒絶。此事傳到達西耳中。他知道伊麗莎白已經改變了對自己的看法，誠懇地再次嚮她求婚。到此，一對曾因傲慢和偏見而延擱婚事的有情人終成眷屬。
　　傲慢與偏見[小說]-語言特色
　　
　　《傲慢與偏見》是簡·奧斯丁(Jane Austen)的代表作品，寫於十八世紀九十年代，其影響經歷兩世紀而不衰，並對後代作傢産生影響，其重要的原因之一就是小說的語言魅力。在語言中對話是文學作品塑造人物形象最基本的手段之一，簡.奧斯丁筆下的人物對話鮮明生動，頗具個性，含義豐富，耐人尋味。本文用會話合作原則分析《傲慢與偏見》書中的人物對話風格，解開簡·奧斯丁作品中人物對話語言風格機智幽默妙趣橫生之謎。奧斯丁的語言是經過錘煉的，她在對話藝術上講究幽默、詼諧風趣、諷刺，這種藝術創新使她的作品具有自己的特色，而這種富有特色的語言在《傲慢與偏見》中發揮得尤為淋漓盡致。
　　
　　比如在寫班納特太太時，作者就這樣寫到：“衹要碰到不稱心的事，她就自以為神經衰弱。”又在班納特太太與其丈夫的對話中寫到：“我的好老爺，你怎麽捨得這樣糟蹋自己的親生女兒？你是在故意叫我氣惱，好讓你自己得意吧。你半點也不體諒我的神經衰弱。”“你真錯怪了我，我的好太太。我非常尊重你的神經。它們是我的老朋友。至少在最近二十年以來，我一直聽到你鄭重其事地提到它們。”活靈活現的語言，絶妙的嘲諷與詼諧，立刻使兩個不同的人物形象在讀者腦海中變得立體而清晰。
　　
　　再如另一個片段的描寫：咖苔琳夫人的馬車路過門口，柯林斯牧師全家手忙腳亂出去迎接，伊麗莎白卻說：“就是這麽回事嗎？我還以為是豬玀闖進了花園呢。”直率的挖苦，戳穿了咖苔琳夫人自己吹起來的唬人架勢，也使伊麗莎白這個蔑視權貴的形象在人們腦海中留下了更深的印象，越發覺得她的可愛。奧斯汀還善於通過最普通的語言讓人物自己暴露自己。例如小說開頭時，班納特太太曾說郎格太太“是個自私自利、假仁假義的女人，我瞧不起她。”而到故事的結尾，當其大女兒與彬格萊的婚事已成定局時，她又說“我覺得郎格太太這個人真是太好了。” 這兩段截然相反的話，讓讀者不禁啞然失笑的同時，又多麽生動地表現出班納特太太的反復無常、自我中心。這樣的例子在書中還有很多。一個曾充滿偏見的伊麗莎白、一個曾渾身傲慢的達西、一對有趣的班納特夫婦、一個可笑的柯林斯、衆多出場人物、再加上喜劇效果和特殊寫作技巧，這就是《傲慢與偏見》，卻不是它的全部。奧斯汀的幽默是需要反復咀嚼的。
　　傲慢與偏見[小說]-評價
　　
　　
　　1、奧斯丁在這部小說中通過班納特五個女兒對待終身大事的不同處理，表現出鄉鎮中産階級家庭出身的少女對婚姻愛情問題的不同態度，從而反映了作者本人的婚姻觀：為了財産、金錢和地位而結婚是錯誤的；而結婚不考慮上述因素也是愚蠢的。因此，她既反對為金錢而結婚，也反對把婚姻當兒戲。她強調理想婚姻的重要性，並把男女雙方感情作為締結理想婚姻的基石。書中的女主人公伊麗莎白出身於小地主家庭，為富豪子弟達西所熱愛。達西不顧門第和財富的差距，嚮她求婚，卻遭到拒絶。伊麗莎白對他的誤會和偏見是一個原因，但主要的是她討厭他的傲慢。因為達西的這種傲慢實際上是地位差異的反映，衹要存在這種傲慢，他與伊麗莎白之間就不可能有共同的思想感情，也不可能有理想的婚姻。以後伊麗莎白親眼觀察了達西的為人處世和一係列所作所為，特別是看到他改變了過去那種驕傲自負的神態，消除了對他的誤會和偏見，從而與他締結了美滿姻緣。伊麗莎白對達西先後幾次求婚的不同態度，實際上反映了女性對人格獨立和平等權利的追求。這是伊麗莎白這一人物形象的進步意義。在《傲慢與偏見》中，奧斯丁還寫了伊麗莎白的幾個姐妹和女友的婚事，這些都是陪襯，用來與女主人公理想的婚姻相對照。如夏洛特和柯林斯儘管婚後過着舒適的物質生活，但他們之間沒有愛情，這種婚姻實際上是掩蓋在華麗外衣下的社會悲劇。還有她的姐姐也是完美結局的。不過他們所經歷的遠遠沒有伊麗莎白和達西這樣從討厭誤會到相愛的，一開始就相愛，有點像一見鐘情的味道。從而看出，經歷波折的愛情纔是完美深刻的。
　　奧斯丁的小說儘管題材比較狹窄，故事相當平淡，但是她善於在日常平凡事物中塑造鮮明的人物形象，不論是伊麗莎白、達西那種作者認為值得肯定的人物，還是威肯、柯林斯這類遭到諷刺挖苦的對象，都寫得真實動人。同時，奧斯丁的語言是經過錘煉的，她在對話藝術上講究幽默、諷刺，常以風趣詼諧的語言來烘托人物的性格特徵。這種藝術創新使她的作品具有自己的特色。
　　
　　2、愛情是小說永恆的主題，《傲慢與偏見》以愛情和婚姻為主要內容，自然是吸引讀者的。但描寫愛情的小說不計其數（言情小說似乎就很多産），要像《傲慢與偏見》這樣在世界文學中占有一席之地，也並不是一件容易的事。《傲慢與偏見》之所以稱得上世界文學名著而不流俗於一般愛情小說，自有它的魅力所在。那麽到底是什麽使它脫穎而出呢？一部好的小說，內容、情節是非常重要的。《傲慢與偏見》的內容並不復雜，情節卻引人入勝。讀過本書的讀者應該對小說開篇的一句話記憶猶新：“凡是有財産的單身漢，必定需要娶位太太，這已經成了一條舉世公認的真理。(It is a true universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.) ” 在英文中in want of 是指客觀需要，而不是主觀想要；這簡簡單單的一句話卻深深反映出資産階級婚姻的實質無非是金錢交易與利益的結合，可見作者的目光之透徹犀利，也正應證了前面所說的細微之處卻能反映大問題。小說開篇就這樣牢牢抓住了讀者，接着通過班納特夫婦風趣的對話，把讀者帶進一個女兒多得發愁的中産階級家庭中。這個家庭傢道已經中落，卻還有5個待嫁的女兒，而且不幸班納特先生又沒有兒子，其財産將由表親柯林斯繼承。在資産階級社會，如果女孩沒有豐厚的嫁妝，就是再有才貌，也難找到體面的丈夫，就像書中達西所說：“她們倘使想嫁給有地位的男人，機會可就大大減少了。”所以處在婚姻要權衡雙方階級地位和金錢利害的情況下，這五位姑娘的出嫁前景確實不太美妙。小說采用古典的現實主義筆法，描寫了四對青年男女的結合，通過班納特五個女兒對待終身大事的不同處理，表現出鄉鎮中産階級家庭出身的少女對婚姻愛情問題的不同態度，也藉此表達了作者本人的婚姻觀，即為財産打算的婚姻是沒有幸福的，結婚不考慮財産是愚蠢的，講究門第的包辦婚姻不堪忍受，把婚姻當兒戲毫不足取，理想的婚姻要以感情為基礎。書中的女主人公伊麗莎白與達西不顧門第和財富的差距，真心相愛，美滿結合，是作者所頌揚的幸福婚姻。從伊麗莎白的身上，我們可以看到女性對人格獨立和平等權利的追求；作者雖然沒有反映出她那個時代的階級矛盾和階級鬥爭，然而她的強烈的階級意識卻表現了出來，對經濟、財産决定婚姻關係乃至生活命運的揭露也可謂入木三分。西方有位馬剋思主義批評傢大衛•戴剋斯曾半開玩笑的說，在“揭露人類行為的經濟原因”方面，奧斯汀“從某種意義上可以說在馬剋思以前就是馬剋思主義者了。”

　　Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen. First published in 1813, as her second novel, she started it in 1796 as her first persevering effort for publication. She finished the original manuscript by 1797 in Steventon, Hampshire, where she lived with her parents and siblings in the town rectory. Austen originally called the story First Impressions, but it was never published under that title; instead, she made extensive revisions to the manuscript, then retitled and eventually published it as Pride and Prejudice. In renaming the novel, Austen may have had in mind the final chapter of Fanny Burney's Cecilia, itself called "Pride and Prejudice" and where the phrase appears three times in block capitals. (She may also have been concerned that the original title might be confused with other works.)
　　
　　The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, moral rightness, education and marriage in her aristocratic society of early 19th century England. Elizabeth is the second eldest of five daughters of a country gentleman landed in the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, not far from London.
　　
　　Though the story's setting is uniquely turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of 'most loved books' such as the Big Read. It still receives considerable attention from literary critics. This modern interest has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters or themes.
　　
　　To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.
　　
　　Plot summary
　　
　　The novel revolves around the Bennet family. The five marriageable daughters and mother will be without a home and income once Mr. Bennet dies: The terms on which Mr. Bennet inherited Longbourn ("fee tail male," now abolished by statute in England) prohibit women from inheriting it, with the effect that instead one of Mr. Bennet's collateral relatives will inherit the estate. The mother worries about this predicament, and wishes to find husbands for them quickly. The father doesn't seem to be worried at all, and Elizabeth, the heroine, has decided to only marry for love, even though she has no real ideas about how she will survive financially. She is of the opinion that her sister Jane, being kind and beautiful, will find a wealthy husband, and that she can then live with her. As the novel opens, Mr Bingley, a wealthy young gentleman, rents a country estate near the Bennets called Netherfield. He arrives in town accompanied by his fashionable sisters and his good friend, Mr Darcy. While Bingley is well-received in the community, Darcy begins his acquaintance with smug condescension and proud distaste for all the 'country' people. Bingley and Elizabeth Bennet's older sister Jane begin to grow close. Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte advises that Jane should be more affectionate to Bingley, as they are both shy, and he may not know that she is indeed interested in him. Elizabeth disregards her friend's opinion, saying that Jane is shy and modest, and that if Bingley can't see how she feels, he is a fool. With that, she never even tells Jane what Charlotte advised. Elizabeth is stung by Darcy's haughty rejection of her at a local dance and decides to match his coldness with her own wit.
　　
　　At the same time Elizabeth begins a friendship with Mr Wickham, a militia officer who relates a prior acquaintance with Darcy. Wickham tells her that he has been seriously mistreated by Darcy. Elizabeth immediately seizes upon this information as another reason to hate Darcy. Ironically, but unbeknownst to her, Darcy finds himself gradually drawn to Elizabeth.
　　
　　Just as Bingley appears to be on the point of proposing marriage to Jane Bennet, he quits Netherfield, leaving Jane confused and upset. Elizabeth is convinced that Bingley's sister has conspired with Darcy to separate Jane and Bingley.
　　
　　Before Bingley leaves, Mr Collins, the male relative who is to inherit Longbourn, makes a sudden appearance and stays with the Bennets. He is a recently ordained clergyman employed by the wealthy and patronizing Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though he was partially entreated to visit by his patroness, Collins has another reason for visiting: he wishes to find a wife from among the Bennet sisters. Mr Bennet and Elizabeth are amused by his self-important and pedantic behaviour. He immediately enters pursuit of Jane; however, when Mrs Bennet mentions her preoccupation with Mr Bingley, he turns to Elizabeth. He soon proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who refuses him, much to her mother's distress. Collins quickly recovers and proposes to Elizabeth's close friend, Charlotte Lucas, who immediately accepts him. Once the marriage is arranged, Charlotte asks Elizabeth to come for an extended visit.
　　
　　In the spring, Elizabeth joins Charlotte and her cousin at his parish in Kent. The parish is adjacent to Rosings Park, the grand manor of Mr Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, where Elizabeth is frequently invited. While calling on Lady Catherine, Mr Darcy encounters Elizabeth. She discovers from a cousin of Darcy that it was he who separated Bingley and Jane. Soon after, Darcy admits his love of Elizabeth and proposes to her. Insulted by his high-handed and insulting manner of proposing, Elizabeth refuses him. When he asks why she should refuse him, she confronts him with his sabotage of Bingley's relationship with Jane and Wickham's account of their dealings.
　　
　　Deeply shaken by Elizabeth's vehemence and accusations, Darcy writes her a letter justifying his actions. The letter reveals that Wickham soon dissipated his legacy-settlement (from Darcy's father's estate), then came back to Darcy requesting permanent patronage; and that he became angry when rejected, accusing Darcy of cheating him. To exact revenge and to make off with part of the Darcy family fortune, he attempted to seduce Darcy's young sister Georgiana—to gain her hand and fortune, almost persuading her to elope with him—before he was found out and stopped. Towards Bingley and Jane, Darcy justifies his actions from having observed that Jane did not show any reciprocal interest in his friend; thus his aim in separating them was mainly to protect Bingley from heartache.
　　
　　Darcy admits he was concerned about the disadvantageous connection with Elizabeth's family, especially her embarrassing mother and wild younger sisters. After reading the letter, Elizabeth begins to question both her family's behaviour and Wickham's credibility. She concludes that Wickham is not as trustworthy as his easy manners would indicate, that he had lied to her previously, and that her early impressions of Darcy might have been inaccurate. Soon after receiving the letter, Elizabeth returns home.
　　Elizabeth tells her father that Darcy was responsible for uniting Lydia and Wickham. This is one of the two earliest illustrations of Pride and Prejudice. The clothing styles reflect the time the illustration was engraved (the 1830s), not the time the novel was written or set.
　　
　　Some months later, during a tour of Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth visits Pemberley, Darcy's estate. Darcy's housekeeper, an older woman who has known Darcy since childhood, presents Elizabeth and her relatives with a flattering and benevolent impression of his character. Unexpectedly, Darcy arrives at Pemberley as they tour its grounds. He makes an effort to be gracious and welcoming to them, thus strengthening Elizabeth's newly favourable impression of him. Darcy then introduces Elizabeth to his sister Georgiana. He treats her uncle and aunt very well, and finds them of a more sound character than her other relatives, whom he previously dismissed as socially inferior.
　　
　　Elizabeth and Darcy's renewed acquaintance is cut short when news arrives that Elizabeth's younger sister Lydia has run away with Wickham. Initially, the Bennets believe that Wickham and Lydia have eloped, but soon it is surmised that Wickham has no plans to marry Lydia. Lydia's antics threaten the family's reputation and the Bennet sisters with social ruin. Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle hurriedly leave Derbyshire, and Elizabeth is convinced that Darcy will avoid her from now on.
　　
　　Soon, thanks to the intervention of Elizabeth's uncle, Lydia and Wickham are found and married. After the marriage, Wickham and Lydia make a visit to Longbourn. While bragging to Elizabeth, Lydia comments that Darcy was present at the wedding. Surprised, Elizabeth sends an inquiry to her aunt, from whom she discovers that Darcy was responsible for both finding the couple and arranging their marriage at great expense to himself.
　　
　　Soon after, Bingley and Darcy return to the area. Bingley proposes marriage to Jane, and this news starts rumors that Darcy will propose to Elizabeth. Lady Catherine travels to Longbourn with the sole aim of confronting Elizabeth and demanding that she never accept such a proposal. Elizabeth refuses to bow to Lady Catherine's demands. When news of this obstinance reaches Darcy, it convinces him that her opinion of him has changed. When he visits, he once again proposes marriage. Elizabeth accepts, and the two become engaged.
　　
　　The final chapters of the book establish the future of the characters. Elizabeth and Darcy settle at Pemberley where Mr Bennet visits often. Mrs Bennet remains frivolous and silly; she often visits the new Mrs Bingley and talks of the new Mrs Darcy. Later, Jane and Bingley move from Netherfield to avoid Jane's mother and Meryton relations and to locate near the Darcys in Derbyshire. Elizabeth and Jane manage to teach Kitty greater social grace, and Mary learns to accept the difference between herself and her sisters' beauty and mixes more with the outside world. Lydia and Wickham continue to move often, leaving their debts for Jane and Elizabeth to pay off. At Pemberley, Elizabeth and Georgiana grow close, though Georgiana is surprised by Elizabeth's playful treatment of Darcy. Lady Catherine stays very angry with her nephew's marriage but over time the relationship between the two is repaired and she eventually decides to visit them. Elizabeth and Darcy also remain close with her uncle and aunt.
　　Main characters
　　[show]Character genealogy
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Hurst
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mrs Hurst
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Philips
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Caroline Bingley
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mrs Philips
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Charles Bingley
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mrs Gardiner
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Jane Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Gardiner
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Elizabeth Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mrs Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mary Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Catherine "Kitty" Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr William Collins
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Lydia Bennet
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Charlotte Lucas
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr George Wickham
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 (Old) Mr Darcy
　　
　　
　　
　　 Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Lady Anne Darcy
　　
　　
　　
　　 Georgiana Darcy
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Lady Catherine De Bourgh
　　
　　 Anne De Bourgh
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 Lord ——
　　
　　 Colonel Fitzwilliam
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　 * Elizabeth Bennet is the main character and protagonist. The reader sees the unfolding plot and the other characters mostly from her viewpoint. The second of the Bennet daughters at twenty years old, she is intelligent, lively, attractive, and witty, but with a tendency to judge on first impressions and perhaps to be a little selective of the evidence upon which she bases her judgments. As the plot begins, her closest relationships are with her father, her sister Jane, her aunt Mrs Gardiner, and her best friend Charlotte Lucas.
　　
　　 * Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is the main male character. Twenty-eight years old and unmarried, Darcy is the wealthy owner of the famous family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Handsome, tall, and intelligent, but not convivial, his aloof decorum and moral rectitude are seen by many as an excessive pride and concern for social status. He makes a poor impression on strangers, such as the gentry of Meryton, but is valued by those who know him well.
　　
　　 * Mr Bennet has a wife and five daughters, and seems to have inurred himself to his fate. A bookish and intelligent gentleman somewhat withdrawn from society, he dislikes the indecorous behaviours of his wife and three younger daughters; but he offers little beyond mockery by way of correcting them. Rather than guiding these daughters to more sensible understanding, he is instead content to laugh at them. He relates very well with his two elder daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, showing them much more love and respect than his wife and younger daughters.
　　
　　 * Mrs Bennet is the wife of her social superior Mr Bennet, and mother of Elizabeth and her sisters. She is frivolous, excitable, and narrow-minded. She is susceptible to attacks of tremors and palpitations; her public manners and social climbing are embarrassing to Jane and Elizabeth. Her favourite daughter is the youngest, Lydia.
　　
　　Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth about Darcy, on the title page of the first illustrated edition. This is the other of the first two illustrations of the novel.
　　
　　 * Jane Bennet is the eldest Bennet sister. Twenty-two years old when the novel begins, she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood. Her character is contrasted with Elizabeth's as sweeter, shyer, and equally sensible, but not as clever; her most notable trait is a desire to see only the good in others. Jane is closest to Elizabeth, and her character is often contrasted with that of Elizabeth.
　　
　　 * Mary Bennet is the only plain Bennet sister, and rather than join in some of the family activities, she reads, although is often impatient for display. She works hard for knowledge and accomplishment, but has neither genius nor taste. At the ball at Netherfield, she embarrasses her family by singing badly.
　　
　　 * Catherine "Kitty" Bennet is the fourth Bennet sister, aged seventeen. She is portrayed as a less headstrong but equally silly shadow of Lydia.
　　
　　 * Lydia Bennet is the youngest Bennet sister, aged fifteen. She is repeatedly described as frivolous and headstrong. Her main activity in life is socialising, especially flirting with the military officers stationed in the nearby town of Meryton. She dominates her older sister Kitty and is supported in the family by her mother. After she elopes with Wickham and he is paid to marry her, she shows no remorse for the embarrassment that her actions caused for her family, but acts as if she has made a wonderful match of which her sisters should be jealous.
　　
　　 * Charles Bingley is a young gentleman without an estate. His wealth was recent, and he is seeking a permanent home. He rents the Netherfield estate near Longbourn when the novel opens. Twenty-two years old at the start of the novel, handsome, good-natured, and wealthy, he is contrasted with his friend Darcy as being less intelligent but kinder and more charming, and hence more popular in Meryton. He lacks resolve and is easily influenced by others.
　　
　　 * Caroline Bingley is the snobbish sister of Charles Bingley. Clearly harbouring romantic intentions on Darcy herself, she views his growing attachment to Elizabeth Bennet with some jealousy, resulting in disdain and frequent verbal attempts to undermine Elizabeth and her society.
　　
　　 * George Wickham is an old acquaintance of Darcy from childhood, and an officer in the militia unit stationed near Meryton. Superficially charming, he rapidly forms a friendship with Elizabeth Bennet, prompting remarks upon his suitability as a potential husband. He spreads numerous tales about the wrongs Darcy has done to him, colouring the popular perception of the other man in local society. It is eventually revealed that these tales are distortions, and that Darcy was the wronged man in their acquaintance.
　　
　　 * William Collins, aged twenty-five, is Mr Bennet's clergyman cousin and, as Mr Bennet has no son, heir to his estate. Austen described him as "not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society." Collins boasts of his acquaintance with — and advantageous patronage from — Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr Bennet, Jane, and Elizabeth consider him pompous and lacking in common sense. Elizabeth's rejection of Collins' marriage proposal is welcomed by her father, regardless of the financial benefit to the family of such a match. Elizabeth is later somewhat distressed — although understanding — when her closest friend, Charlotte Lucas, consents to marry Collins out of her need for a settled position and to avoid the low status and lack of autonomy of an old maid.
　　
　　 * Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who has wealth and social standing, is haughty, domineering and condescending. Mr Collins, among others, enables these characteristics by deferring to her opinions and desires. Elizabeth, however, is duly respectful but not intimidated. Darcy, whilst respectful of their shared family connection, is offended by her lack of manners, especially towards Elizabeth, and later — when pressed by her demand that he not marry Elizabeth — is quick to assert his intentions to marry whom he wishes.
　　
　　 * Mr Gardiner is Mrs Bennet's brother, and a businessman. He is quite sensible and gentleman-like. He tries to help Lydia when she elopes with Wickham. His wife has close relationships with Elizabeth and Jane. Jane stays with the Gardiners in London for a while, and Elizabeth travels with them to Derbyshire, where she again meets Darcy.
　　
　　 * Georgiana Darcy is Mr Darcy's quiet and amiable younger sister, aged sixteen when the story begins. In a letter from Mr Darcy to Elizabeth, he describes that Wickham tried to persuade her to elope with him and inherit her 30,000 pounds. Later on, Elizabeth meets her at their home at Pemberly, where she is amiable and sweet. She is very happy with her brother's choosing of Elizabeth and maintains an extremely close relationship to both of them.
　　
　　Interrelationships
　　A comprehensive web showing the relationships between the main characters in Pride and Prejudice
　　
　　
　　Major themes
　　
　　Many critics take the novel's title as a starting point when analysing the major themes of Pride and Prejudice; however, Robert Fox cautions against reading too much into the title since commercial factors may have played a role in its selection. "After the success of Sense and Sensibility, nothing would have seemed more natural than to bring out another novel of the same author using again the formula of antithesis and alliteration for the title. It should be pointed out that the qualities of the title are not exclusively assigned to one or the other of the protagonists; both Elizabeth and Darcy display pride and prejudice."
　　
　　A major theme in much of Austen's work is the importance of environment and upbringing on the development of young people's character and morality. Social standing and wealth are not necessarily advantages in her world, and a further theme common to Jane Austen's work is ineffectual parents. In Pride and Prejudice, the failure of Mr and Mrs Bennet (particularly the latter) as parents is blamed for Lydia's lack of moral judgment; Darcy, on the other hand, has been taught to be principled and scrupulously honourable, but is also proud and overbearing. Kitty, rescued from Lydia's bad influence and spending more time with her older sisters after they marry, is said to improve greatly in their superior society.
　　Style
　　
　　Pride and Prejudice, like most of Jane Austen's works, employs the narrative technique of free indirect speech. This has been defined as "the free representation of a character's speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character's thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke". By using narrative which adopts the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth), Austen invites the reader to follow events from Elizabeth's viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. "The learning curve, while undergone by both protagonists, is disclosed to us solely through Elizabeth's point of view and her free indirect speech is essential ... for it is through it that we remain caught, if not stuck, within Elizabeth's misprisions."
　　Publication history
　　Modern paperback editions of Pride and Prejudice
　　
　　The novel was originally titled First Impressions by Jane Austen, and was written between October 1796 and August 1797. On 1 November 1797 Austen's father gave the draft to London bookseller Thomas Cadell in hopes of it being published, but it was rejected. The unpublished manuscript was returned to Austen and it stayed with her.
　　
　　Austen made significant revisions to the manuscript for First Impressions between 1811 and 1812. She later renamed the story Pride and Prejudice. In renaming the novel, Austen probably had in mind the "sufferings and oppositions" summarized in the final chapter of Fanny Burney's Cecilia, called "Pride and Prejudice", where the phrase appears three times in block capitals. It is possible that the novel's original title was altered to avoid confusion with other works. In the years between the completion of First Impressions and its revision into Pride and Prejudice, two other works had been published under that name: a novel by Margaret Holford and a comedy by Horace Smith.
　　
　　Austen sold the copyright for the novel to Thomas Egerton of Whitehall in exchange for £110 (Austen had asked for £150). This proved a costly decision. Austen had published Sense and Sensibility on a commission basis, whereby she indemnified the publisher against any losses and received any profits, less costs and the publisher's commission. Unaware that Sense and Sensibility would sell out its edition, making her £140, she passed the copyright to Egerton for a one-off payment, meaning that all the risk (and all the profits) would be his. Jan Fergus has calculated that Egerton subsequently made around £450 from just the first two editions of the book.
　　
　　Egerton published the first edition of Pride and Prejudice in three hardcover volumes in January 1813, priced at 18s. Favourable reviews saw this edition sold out, with a second edition published in November that year. A third edition was published in 1817.
　　
　　Foreign language translations first appeared in 1813 in French; subsequent translations were published in German, Danish and Swedish. Pride and Prejudice was first published in the United States in August 1832 as Elizabeth Bennet or, Pride and Prejudice. The novel was also included in Richard Bentley's Standard Novel series in 1833. R. W. Chapman's scholarly edition of Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1923, has become the standard edition from which many modern publications of the novel are based.
　　Reception
　　
　　The novel was well received, with three favourable reviews in the first months following publication. Jan Fergus calls it "her most popular novel, both with the public and with her family and friends", and quotes David Gilson's A Bibliography of Jane Austen (Clarendon, 1982), where it is stated that Pride and Prejudice was referred to as "the fashionable novel" by Anne Isabella Milbanke, later to be the wife of Lord Byron. However, others did not agree. Charlotte Brontë wrote to noted critic and reviewer George Henry Lewes after reading a review of his published in Fraser's Magazine in 1847. He had praised Jane Austen's work and declared that he, "... would rather have written Pride and Prejudice, or Tom Jones, than any of the Waverley Novels". Miss Brontë, though, found Pride and Prejudice a disappointment, "... a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but ... no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck."
　　Modern popularity
　　
　　 * 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.
　　 * In a 2008 survey of more than 15,000 Australian readers, Pride and Prejudice came first in a list of the 101 best books ever written.
　　
　　Adaptations
　　Film, television, and theatre
　　
　　Pride and Prejudice has engendered numerous adaptations. Some of the notable film versions include that of 1940 starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, that of 2003 starring Kam Heskin and Orlando Seale (which placed the characters of Pride and Prejudice in a Mormon university, and was directed by Andrew Black and that of 2005 starring Keira Knightley (in an Oscar-nominated performance) and Matthew Macfadyen. Notable television versions include two by the BBC: the 1995 version starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and a 1980 version starring Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. A 1936 stage version was created by Helen Jerome played at the St. James's Theatre in London, starring Celia Johnson and Hugh Williams. First Impressions was a 1959 Broadway musical version starring Polly Bergen, Farley Granger, and Hermione Gingold. In 1995, a musical concept album was written by Bernard J. Taylor, with Peter Karrie in the role of Mr Darcy and Claire Moore in the role of Elizabeth Bennet. A new stage production, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, The New Musical, was presented in concert on 21 October 2008 in Rochester, New York with Colin Donnell as Darcy. The popular film Bridget Jones's Diary is a contemporary retelling, starring Renee Zellweger as a modern day Elizabeth, and Colin Firth, once again, as Mr Darcy.
　　
　　Bride and Prejudice, starring Aishwarya Rai, is a Bollywood adaptation of the novel, while Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003) places the novel in contemporary times. The off-Broadway musical I Love You Because reverses the gender of the main roles, set in modern day New York City. The Japanese comic Hana Yori Dango by Yoko Kamio, in which the wealthy, arrogant and proud protagonist, Doumyouji Tsukasa, falls in love with a poor, lower-class girl named Makino Tsukushi, is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. A 2008 Israeli television six-part miniseries set the story in the Galilee with Mr Darcy a well-paid worker in the high-tech industry.
　　
　　Pride and Prejudice has also crossed into the science fiction and horror genres. In the 1997 episode of science fiction comedy Red Dwarf entitled "Beyond a Joke", the crew of the space ship relax in a virtual reality rendition of "Pride and Prejudice Land" in "Jane Austen World". The central premise of the television miniseries Lost in Austen is a modern woman suddenly swapping lives with that of Elizabeth Bennet. In February 2009, it was announced that Elton John's Rocket Pictures production company was making a film, Pride and Predator, based on the story, but with the added twist of an alien landing in Longbourne.
　　Literature
　　
　　The novel has inspired a number of other works that are not direct adaptations. 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 and Prejudice Continued and An Unequal Marriage: Or Pride and Prejudice Twenty Years Later by Emma Tennant; The Book of Ruth (ASIN B00262ZRBM) by Helen Baker; Jane Austen Ruined My Life and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo; Precipitation - A Continuation of Miss Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Helen Baker; Searching for Pemberley by Mary Simonsen and Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and its sequel Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberly by Linda Berdoll. In Gwyn Cready's comedic romance novel, Seducing Mr. Darcy, the heroine lands in Pride and Prejudice by way of magic massage, has a fling with Darcy and unknowingly changes the rest of the story. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, which started as a newspaper column before becoming a novel and a film, was inspired by the then-current BBC adaptation; both works share a Mr. Darcy of serious disposition (both played by Colin Firth), a foolish match-making mother, and a detached affectionate father, as well as the protagonist overhearing Mr. Darcy speaking about her disparagingly, followed by the caddish character gaining the protagonist's affections by telling lies about Mr. Darcy. The self-referential in-jokes continue with the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
　　
　　In March 2009, Quirk Books released Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which takes Austen's actual, original work, and laces it with zombie hordes, cannibalism, ninjas, and ultra-violent mayhem. Scheduled for publication in March 2010, Quirk Books has announced that it will produce a prequel which deals with Elizabeth Bennett's early days as a zombie hunter, entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls.
　　
　　Yet another angle was introduced by Monica Fairview, who wrote about Miss Caroline Bingley in The Other Mr Darcy, published in October 2009. Pride and Prejudice has also inspired many scholarly articles and books including: So Odd a Mixture: Along the Autism Spectrum in 'Pride and Prejudice' by Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer, Forewords by Eileen Sutherland and Tony Attwood.
　　
　　Marvel has also published their take on this classic, releasing a short comic series of five issues that stays true to the original storyline. The first issue was published on 1 April 2009 and was written by Nancy Hajeski.
　　
　　Author Amanda Grange wrote Mr. Darcy's Diary in 2007 that tells the original story of Pride and Prejudice from the view of Mr Darcy. In 2009, she wrote Mr. Darcy, Vampyre which reimagines Darcy as a vampire after he has married Elizabeth. Following the same premise is Regina Jeffers' "Vampire Darcy's Desire", which retells Pride and Prejudice on the basis that Darcy is a dhampir (part-human, part-vampire) joined by his lover Elizabeth to fight the evil vampire George Wickham.