Summary Of Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

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Jane Austen (1775-1817) was one of the greatest English novelists in a century distinguished by great novelists. In six works characterized by keen perception, comic genius, and an unequalled prose style, Austen depicts both the nobility and the folly of human beings, especially as they fall in and out of love, in upper-class British society at the turn of the nineteenth century. Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1813, is Austen’s most popular work. A sparkling comedy of manners and morals, the novel describes the collision between two superbly crafted characters: the aristocratic, prideful, but honourable FitzwilliamDarcy, and the intelligent, witty, vital Elizabeth Bennet, whose initial prejudice against Darcy gives way to respect, love, and, as is typical of Austen’s novels, a happy marriage at the end. It is a remarkably happy novel that we continue to enjoy in part because Austen’s characters fulfill fairy-tale expectations; admirable, smart, and engaging characters are rewarded, and stupid, trite, and rude characters are ridiculed and banished. In addition, the narrative allows us to enjoy the unlikely marriage of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as a possibility because of their wonderful romantic love—a love that defies social conventions, class demarcations, and the decrees of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. And yet, while readers revel in this wonderful romance, this novel remains a valuable cultural document that reflects the historical turbulence of the