Themes in Pride and Prejudice

Written in the 19th century, during the Regency era, Jane Austen’s novel reflects some of the cultural codes and social trends witnessed in her society. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice (first published in 1813), helped to expose society’s flaws to its readers.

Pride and Prejudice

Given that the novel’s title is “Pride and Prejudice”, it’s evident that one of the major themes revolves around understanding and overcoming personal biases. The protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, both journey in a way that allows them to become more mindful and reflective. At the end of the novel (volume III, chapter 16), Mr Darcy shows a full character transformation in a lengthy speech where he admits to Elizabeth:

“You taught me a lesson…most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled.”

It is through this steady recognition of prejudice that characters become more self-aware, instead of letting pride stand in the way. Through this speech, it seems Austen is suggesting that people can attain true marriages and romantic relationships.

Additionally, it is ironic that the character of Mary shows off when she talks to the other girls about Mr Darcy, by saying: “pride…is a very common failing” (chapter 5). However, Austen seems to structure the novel in a way that the irony softens as the improved transformation happens for some of the main characters.

The ‘Institution’ of Marriage

Jane Austen offers a critical examination of marriage as a construct/idea. She presents a concern for marriage being used as a tool for social progression. More traditional views (of the early 1800s) are voiced by the likes of Mrs Bennet and Charlotte Lucas, who feel that marriage is the only way to be financially secure. As readers, Austen presents the dichotomy of this view: can a woman not marry for the sake of love?

Austen shows us the complexities of the marriage system. Women of the time had few rights and were often dependent on their husbands or male relatives for their finances. Through the characters of Elizabeth and Jane, there is a more contemporary portrayal of marrying for love – although arguably they still conform to the role of “regency wife.”

Austen portrays women’s limited rights critically and provides the strong character of Elizabeth to show this. When Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy’s marriage proposals, she has the declarative dialogue:

“You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it” (volume II chapter ii).

This indicates that neither money nor status will persuade her, in the way it does other women.

Love

Austen emphasises the importance of compatibility. For love to be genuine, she suggests that people must enjoy one another’s company. Unfortunately for the Bennet daughters, they have perhaps not witnessed this in their parents’ marriage, evidenced by the narrator’s comment:

“Mr Bennet [had] no respect for his wife, having been initially dazzled by youth, vivacity and beauty, but very soon made painfully aware of her lack of sense and intelligence.”

It is interesting that “youth, vivacity and beauty” are all abstract nouns – aspects that perhaps seem intangible (not physically able to hold on to) for Mr Bennet.  

The characters of Elizabeth and Jane (and arguably Lydia) break the cycle when they pursue relationships out of physical and/or emotional love. The novel features progressively more romantic outbursts towards the ending, stapling this novel into the romantic genre. 

Gender Roles

Austen’s novel highlights women’s agency of her era, with Elizabeth representing a challenge to the stereotype and norm. The opening line of the novel (probably the most famous from the text) is:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (volume I, chapter I).

Structurally, this provides an expectation for Austen’s book, whereby she critically deconstructs (picks apart) society’s message and pressure to marry. Whilst being an unmarried woman in the early 1800s could lead to destitution (poverty or hardship), Jane Austen herself never married. Instead, she kept herself financially supported through her writing career (even though she published anonymously due to societal norms).

Pride and Prejudice was originally published with the line “by the author of Sense and Sensibility”, where her name was not actually featured.  

Class and Criticism

In the novel, Austen displays the social manners and etiquette typical of the upper-class of the era. Whether the characters adhere to following these expectations (or not) provides some of the more humourous and sarcastic moments in the novel. For example, the contrast between Mr and Mrs Bennet serves as a consistent source of humour in the novel.

Mrs Bennet is often characterised by her dramatic anxieties and single-minded pursuit of suitable husbands for her daughters. She frequently finds herself at odds with her more laid-back and often sarcastic husband, Mr Bennet. One example is when Mrs Bennet claims it’d be no use to have “twenty” men in the neighbourhood, since she doesn’t believe her husband would visit them to introduce their daughters. But Mr Bennet, with his dry wit, replies:

“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.”

Austen uses their contrasting personalities – her impulsiveness and his dry wit – to craft scenes filled with comedic tension.

Likewise, Jane Austen shows how people like Lady Catherine, due to pride in their class, act in a way that is pious and rude. She is described by Charles Bingley as “dictatorial and insolent” in chapter sixteen. This leads to the mistreatment of others, which shows a negative critique of people behaving in such a way.

However, there are more positive portrayals of the upper class. For example, Mr Bingley represents ease and likeability despite his wealth and status. Austen seems to suggest that wealth should not justify acting with pride and prejudice towards others.