"Pride and Prejudice" summary

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A short summary of the semi-epistolary novel Pride and Prejudice:

The novel Pride and Prejudice has been written by Jane Austen in 1813. This novel revolves around the life of the members of the Bennet family who live in Longbourn, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Bingley. There are also many other side characters. The characters of this novel are:

1)      The five daughters of the Bennet family:

·        Elizabeth Bennet (the second Bennet sister, beautiful, pretty, intelligent, but prejudiced about upper-class)

·        Jane Bennet (the elder sister, placid in nature)

·        Mary Bennet (the middle sister, bookish and pedantic)

·        Catherine Bennet (the fourth Bennet sister, immature, and girlish)

·        Lydia Bennet (self-centric and insensible)

2)      Mr. Bennet (the father of the daughters, loves his daughters and makes some sarcastic jokes to irritate his wife)

3)      Mrs. Bennet (the mother of the daughters, thick-headed, and craves for her daughter’s marriage with well-established candidates)

4)      Fitzwilliam Darcy (a wealthy, debonair, and arrogant gentleman who owns Pemberley. He is also the nephew of Lady Catherine de Borough)

5)      Charles Bingley (Darcy’s comparatively opulent friend. He is genial and easy-going at the same time)

6)      Mr. Collins (a materialistic and greedy clergyman)

7)      George Wickham (a handsome, double-standard, and fortune-hunting militia officer)

8)      Charlotte Lucas (Elizabeth’s dear friend)

9)      Miss Bingley (Bingley’s snobbish sister)

10 )Catherine de Borough (a rich, bossy, and hypocrite lady)

11 )Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner (the brother and his wife of Mr. Bennet)

12 )Georgiana Darcy (Darcy’s sister, pretty and shy)

 

Mr. Bingley arrives at Netherfield, an estate near the Bennet family, and rents a manor there. This news causes great excitement in Mrs. Bennet. She wants heartily one of her daughters to get married with Mr. Bingley. Bingley throws a ball and the Bennet members attend it. A relationship develops between Bingley and Jane. Bingley’s friend Mr. Darcy mocks at Bingley for falling in love with a below-standard lady.

Later, Jane is invited to Bingley’s mansion. On the way, she is caught in downpour and becomes ill. Hiking through muddy fields, Elizabeth also goes there so that she can take care of Jane. For this reason, her dress gets spoiled. Miss Bingley feels disdainful for seeing Elizabeth at this condition.

When Jane and Elizabeth return home, they see that Mr. Collins has come with a view to inheriting their father’s property after Mr. Bennet’s death since they have no brother. Collins is admired by Elizabeth’s beauty and proposes to marry her. However, Elizabeth rejects his proposal and this rejection wounds Collins’s pride.

In the mean time, the girls grow a friendly relationship with the militia officers who are staying at a nearby town. Elizabeth has become close to Wickham who tells her that Darcy has unjustly inherited him from this own property. This piece of information intensifies Elizabeth’s bitterness against Darcy more.

The Bingleys and Darcy return to London and this news leaves Jane heart-broken. Meanwhile, Collins ties knot with Charlotte as Charlotte is getting older and needs to get married in order to manage some financial issues. Elizabeth promises to visit their home after marriage. Jane also goes to London hoping that she will be able to meet Bingley.  However, she meets Miss Bingley who behaves roughly with her.

Elizabeth meets Charlotte at their new home. Coincidentally, Catherine de Borough is the neighbour of Mr. Collins, the patron of Collins, and also the aunt of Darcy. In Lady Catherine’s house, Elizabeth meets Darcy and Darcy proposes her. Elizabeth refuses him instantly reminding him about his contemptuous attitude towards Bingley and Jane’s relationship and his ruthless behaviour to Wickham. Darcy sends a letter to Elizabeth where he clarifies his behaviour. Wickham was thrown out of home because he wanted to elope with Darcy’s sister and he was never serious about relationship. Elizabeth reads the letter and her heart starts melting for Darcy.

    The dynamic protagonist Elizabeth is on another journey with the Gardiners. They have come to   visit  Pemberley. Darcy behaves cordially with them. Then she receives a shocking news that  Lydia has escaped with Wickham and perhaps they are living together out of wedlock. Hearing this, Elizabeth returns to home immediately.

    Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner go out in search of them but all in vain. Then a letter comes from Mr. Gardiner to the Bennet family where it is told that Wickham will marry Lydia in exchange of annual income. Though the Bennets are convinced that Mr. Gardiner has agreed to give the money to Wickham, Elizabeth comes to know that it is Darcy who has given the money and kept the prestige of the Bennet family unabated.

Bingley comes to Longbourn and proposes Jane to marry. Catherine de Borough secretly forbids Elizabeth to marry Darcy because she does not want anyone low-bred to be Darcy’s wife. Elizabeth negates her and accepts the proposal of Darcy. Finally, they get married.


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