Jane Austen

1. Jane Austen Author of Pride and Prejudice

2. Her Life • Born Dec. 16, 1775 • Born into England’s country gentry • Turn of the 19th century • Seventh of 8 children (6 boys; 2 girls) • Hampshire (county) village of Steventon • Father: local minister • Parents from old, established families; assisted by rich relatives • Close relationship with her siblings • Steveton

3. Her Life, cont. • She enjoyed dancing and attending balls • She enjoyed taking walks in the countryside • Her family encouraged academic pursuits • Only Jane’s talent let to fame as a writer • Never married (despite offers) • Formed an attachment with a young clergyman who soon died • After father’s retirement, family moved to Bath • Old-fashioned yet elegant spa

4. Her Young Adult Life • Jane did not like living in town; wanted to move back to country • Her father died in 1805 • Was able to move back to country in 1809 when brother inherited a cottage • Hampshire village of Chawton • Chawton • Her "literary home“ • Austen became ill in 1816 and died one year later (41 years old)

5. Her Writing • Began writing to amuse her family • Also an avid letter writer • Began writing novels in 1790 (15 years old) • Early attempts to publish were unsuccessful • 6 novels • “Her innovative use of dialogue and action helped to define the modern English novel” • Very observant writing • Satirical of the society in which she lived

6. More Writing • In Chawton (“literary home”), revised 3 early novels • Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey • Wrote 3 new ones • Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion • All 6 published anonymously • First: Sense and Sensibility in 1811 • Attributed to “A Lady” • Anonymity was not long preserved • An admiring prince regent invited her to his mansion

7. Pride and Prejudice • First version written in 1796 • Originally called First Impressions • Consider the meaning of this original title as we read the novel… • Published as Pride and Prejudice in 1816 • Satirical of the world that Austen knew • Watch for instances of satire and irony…

8. Jane Austen’s Society • Primogeniture • Land, titles, income goes to the eldest son or nearest male relative • Dowries • Moving up in class status • Marrying for status versus love

9. Pride and Prejudice, cont. • She wrote during the Romantic Age; however, her writing is more like that of 18th-century Neoclassism • Satire and Irony • Her writing also has hints of Realism, which would soon be widespread • Great use of dialogue and action • Her characters • Minor characters as caricatures • Main characters very developed, showing thoughts

10. Satire • Satire: a type of writing that ridicules something—a person, a group of people, humanity at large, an attitude or failing, a social institution—in order to reveal a weakness • an attempt to convince us of a point of view or persuade us to follow a course of action • point out how the opposite point of view or action is ridiculous or laughable • Involves exaggeration—the act of overstating something to make it look worse than it is

11. Irony • Irony: contrast between expectation and reality—between what is said and what is really meant, between what is expected to happen and what really does happen, or between what appears to be true and what is really true. • Verbal irony—a writer or speaker says one thing but means something different • Situational irony—occurs when there is a contrast between what would seem appropriate or what we expect to happen and what really happens • Dramatic irony—occurs when the audience or reader knows something important that the character doesn’t know

12. Themes of the Novel • Relations between social classes • Love, courtship, and marriage • Pride and its consequences • Appearance versus reality • The impact of economic status on human lives

13. Themes in Volume I • Relations between social classes: • Mr. Darcy’s condescension toward the Bennet family and others in Hertfordshire • Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst’s condescension toward the Bennet family and others in Hertfordshire • Love, courtship, and marriage: • Development of Jane and Bingley’s relationship • Mr. Darcy’s growing attraction to Elizabeth • Charlotte’s acceptance of Collins’ proposal • The impact of economic status on human lives: • Mrs. Bennet’s anxiety that daughters marry well • Charlotte’s need to marry Mr. Collins • Pride and its consequences: • Mr. Darcy’s pride causes others to dislike him • Appearance versus reality: • Jane takes the Bingley sisters’ friendship for real • Elizabeth sees the Bingley sisters are false and mean

14. Major Characters in Vol I • The Bennets: • Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet • Children (in order of age): Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, Lydia • Mr. Collins (Mr. Bennet’s third cousin) • Mr. and Mrs. Phillips (Mrs. Bennet’s sister and brother-in-law, the girls’ aunt and uncle) • The Bingleys: • Mr. Charles Bingley, Miss Caroline Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst • The Darcys: • Old Mr. Darcy (deceased), Lady Anne Darcy (deceased) • Children: Mr. Darcy, Miss Georgiana Darcy • Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Darcy’s aunt—also Mr. Collins’ patroness) • Miss Anne de Bourgh(Lady Catherine’s daughter, Darcy’s first cousin) • The Lucases: • Sir William Lucas • Lady Lucas • Children: Charlotte, Maria, others unnamed • The Wickhams: • Old Mr. Wickham (Old Mr. Darcy’s steward) • Mr. George Wickham

15. Minor Character in Vol I • Staff: • Mrs. Hill (housekeeper at Longbourn) • Mrs. Nicholls (housekeeper at Netherfield) • Neighbors: • The Harringtons • Mrs. Long • Mr. Robinson • Miss Watson • Mr. Jones (apothecary at Meryton) • The Regiment: • Captain Carter • Mr. Chamberlayne • Mr. Denny • Colonel Forster • Mr. Pratt

16. Plot in Volume One (Ch 1-8) • Bennets learn bachelor Bingley has rented Netherfield so they hope for marriage • Bennet visits Bingley, he returns the visit, his sisters and Darcy come to Netherfield • Meryton ball where Darcy is rude and Bingley meets Jane • Everyone likes Bingley • Everyone dislikes Darcy • Jane likes Bingley sisters but Elizabeth doesn’t • Bennet visit Lucases to discuss Meryton ball • Bingley’s sisters exchange visits with the Bennets and attempt to befriend Bennets • Elizabeth and Charlotte discuss Bingley and Jane’s affections and ideals of marriage • Lucases ball where Darcy finds himself attracted to Elizabeth, who won’t dance • Details of the entailment to Mr. Collins • Kitty and Lydia visit Merytonmilitia and Mrs. Philips frequently • Jane visits Netherfield and gets sick and stays several days • Elizabeth visits Jane and stays to care for her • Bingley sisters are rude behind her back, Bingley and Darcy defend the Bennets • There are discussions of marriage prospects and a woman’s accomplishments

17. Plot in Volume One (Ch9-17) • Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia visit Jane and act foolish • Over a few evenings, Miss Bingley attempts to attract and flatter Darcy, who is drawn to Elizabeth but she refuses again to dance, they all discuss Darcy’s flaws • Bennet borrow Bingley’s carriage to go home and Mrs. Bennet is mad • Mr. Collins arrives to visit and annoys the Bennets • Lydia is rude to him • He wants to marry Jane, but Mrs. Bennet says take Elizabeth • Meryton with Collins, Bennet sisters, Philips • They meet Mr. Wickham and he’s charming, especially to Elizabeth • Darcy passes and is cold to Wickham • Dinner at Meryton with Philips and Wickham • Wickham tells Elizabeth about his father, Darcy’s father’s steward and how Darcy kept him from his inheritance • Collins reveals Darcy is Lady Catherine’s nephew and expected to marry her daughter (his cousin) • Elizabeth tells Jane about Wickham, Jane excuses Darcy

18. Plot in Volume One (Ch18-23) • Bingley’s ball • Wickham doesn’t attend and Elizabeth must dance with Collins • Elizabeth dances with Darcy but doesn’t enjoy it • Miss Bingley warns Elizabeth not to trust Wickham, but Elizabeth thinks she’s spiteful • Mr. Collins embarrasses them all by introducing himself to Darcy • All Bennets and Collins embarrass themselves and family, except Jane and Elizabeth • Collins proposes to Elizabeth • She rejects him and asserts her idea of marriage for love • Mrs. Bennet asks Mr. Bennet to make Elizabeth marry Collins, but he won’t • Elizabeth talks to Wickham in Meryton and introduces him to her parents • Miss Bingley announces they have all left Netherfield indefinitely for London • She also implies Bingley might marry Miss Darcy • Elizabeth comforts Jane and blames Bingley sisters for the sudden leave • Mr. Collins proposes to Miss Charlotte Lucas • Elizabeth and Charlotte talk about her marrying for comfort and security, not love • Mrs. Bennet is furious with Elizabeth

19. Themes in Volume II • Appearance versus reality: • Elizabeth’s realization that she has mistaken Wickam’s affability for good character • Jane’s realization that the Bingley sisters are mean • Love, courtship, and marriage: • Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth • Pride and its consequences: • Anger shown by Darcy and Elizabeth, each misled by pride, during the proposal scene • Relations between social classes: • Darcy’s condescension during proposal • Lady Catherine’s constant condescension • The impact of economic status on human lives • Bennet’s lack of money drives away Wickham and Colonel Fitzwilliam

20. Characters Added to Vol II • Major Characters: • Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy (Darcy’s cousin) • Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner (Mrs. Bennet’sbrother and sister-in-law, the girls’ uncle and aunt) • Minor Characters: • Mrs. Annesley (companion to Miss Darcy) • Mrs. Younge (former companion to Miss Darcy) • Mrs. Jenkinson (Miss de Bourgh’s companion) • Mr. Jones (apothecary at Meryton) • Miss Mary King (heiress that draws Wickham’s attention away from Elizabeth) • Mrs. Reynolds (housekeeper at Pemberley)

21. Plot in Volume Two (Ch1-10) • Miss Bingley sends another letter saying they’ll stay in London for winter and praising Miss Darcy • Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Mr. Gardiner, comes to stay with the family • They invite Jane to London to cheer her up and she hopes to see Bingley • Mrs. Gardiner warns Elizabeth off from Wickham, as he has little • Collins marries Charlotte at Lucas Lodge, Elizabeth promises to visit • Jane writes to Elizabeth that Miss Bingley is rude when visiting her • Mrs. Gardiner writes to Elizabeth to ask about Wickham, and Elizabeth replies he’s now interested in the heiress Miss King • Elizabeth travels with Sir Lucas and Maria to visit Charlotte and the Gardiners, who invite Elizabeth to travel with them • Charlotte’s place is nice and she is content • They dine with Lady Catherine and her daughter at Rosings • Estate is grand and everyone is awed except Elizabeth • At dinner, Lady Catherine dominates the conversation and condenscends to everyone, telling Eliabeth she and her sisters were badly raised • Sir William departs after a week and Darcy and a cousin named Colonel Fitzwilliam visit Rosings, then they visit Collinses and Elizabeth • They dine at Rosings again and Colonel Fitzwilliam pays special attention to Elizabeth, who pokes fun at Darcy • Darcy visits Elizabeth alone, then several times with Col Fitzwilliam and Charlotte thinks Darcy likes Elizabeth

22. Plot in Volume Two (Ch11-13) • Elizabeth meets Colonel Fitzwilliam on a walk and he reveals Darcy drove Bingley from Jane and she gets very upset • Darcy proposes to Elizabeth • His speaks at length of her social inferiority • Elizabeth accuses him of sabotaging Jane’s romance with Bingley; he admits it • She repeats Wickham’s accusations and declares Darcy is proud and selfish and that marriage to him is utterly unthinkable • He departs angrily • Darcy finds Elizabeth on a walk and gives her a letter • It states that he drove Bingley from Jane because he truly believed Jane didn’t love him and the Bennet family lack wealth and proper manners • It explains that Wickham was given a settlement of money because he didn’t enter the clergy, but he asked for more and Darcy refused • If reveals that Wickham nearly tricked Miss Darcy into an elopement at age 15 and Darcy intervened just in time to prevent it and drive him off • Colonel Fitzwilliam can confirm all of this • Elizabeth is stunned but realizes that she was wrong about Wickham and about Darcy, as well as about herself

23. Plot in Volume Two (Ch14-19) • Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam leave Rosings, and a week later Elizabeth goes to the Gardiner’s • Elizabeth returns home with Jane to Longbourn • Kitty and Lydia ask parents if they may travel to Brighton for the summer with the regiment and reveal that Wickham has lost interest in Miss King • Mr. and Mrs. Bennet welcome their daughters home • Lydia insists that the girls go to Meryton but Elizabeth refuses so as to avoid Wickham • She tells Jane about Wickham and they decide not to expose him • Mrs. Bennet bemoasn the failure of the promised marriages and Colonel Forster’s wife invites Lydia to Brighton, so she is allowed to go • Elizabeth sees Wickham again and discusses Darcy briefly but not what she has learned • The soldiers leave Meryton for Brighton and Lydia goes with them, distressing Kitty • Elizabeth travels with the Gardiners to the Derbyshire countryside, close to Darcy’s manor, Pemberley, and since he’s not home, she agrees to take a tour of it.

24. Chatsworth House

25. Interior of Chatsworth House

26. Themes in Volume III • Relations between social classes: • Lady Catherine’s condescension toward Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage • Appearance versus reality: • Reversal of Elizabeth’s opinions of Wickham and Darcy • Love, courtship, and marriage: • Happy marriage of Jane to Bingley • Happy marriage of Elizabeth to Darcy • Pride and its consequences • Darcy’s pride nearly drives Elizabeth away • Elizabeth’s prejudice nearly prevents her from accepting him • The impact of economic status on human lives • Lydia’s escapades nearly ruin the marriage chances of all of her sisters, which were low already due to lack of fortune • Darcy has to pay off Wickham to marry Lydia • Since Jane and Elizabeth marry rich men, they have to help support Lydia and Wickham

27. Plot in Volume Three (Ch 1-3) • Elizabeth and the Gardiners tour Darcy’s home, Pemberley, • She imagines what it would be like to be mistress there, as Darcy’s wife • The housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, tells them what a sweet child and now good master Darcy is • Darcy himself suddenly appears he joins them in their walk, proving remarkably polite • Elizabeth is immediately embarrassed at having come to Pemberley • Darcy’s manners are much different than before • He asks to bring his sister, Georgiana, to meet Elizabeth • Darcy, Georgiana, and Bingley visit Elizabeth at her inn • The Gardiners think Darcy is in love with Elizabeth • The next day, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner visit Miss Darcy and Bingley’s sisters, • Miss Bingley is rude, but Elizabeth diverts the conversation from Wickham for Georgiana’s benefit • After they leave, Miss Bingley attempts to criticize Elizabeth to Darcy, but makes a fool of herself instead

28. Plot in Volume Three (Ch4-7) • Elizabeth receives two letters from Jane • First: Lydia has eloped with Wickham; Second: they can’t be found and may not have married • If Wickham doesn’t marry Lydia, the reputations of Lydia and the family will be ruined • Darcy appears, she tells what happened, they blames themselves for not exposing Wickham • Elizabeth and the Gardiners hurry back to Longbourn • Mr. Gardiner attempts to reassure his niece that Wickham will certainly marry Lydia to save his reputation • Elizabeth replies by telling them generally about Wickham’s past behavior • Mr. Bennet has gone to London in search of Lydia and Wickham; Mrs. Bennet is hysterical • Jane assures Elizabeth that there was no way anyone could have known about their sister’s attachment to Wickham. • Mr. Gardiner follows Mr. Bennet to London and writes periodcially to say they have no success • Mr. Collins’ letter says the Bennetsare poor parents and Lydia’s behavior shames the family • Mr. Bennet returns home then gets a letter from Mr. Gardiner saying they found the couple • Wickham will marry her if the Bennets will guarantee him a small income • Mr. Bennetagrees to save reputation, but feels indebted to Mr. Gardiner, assuming he paid • Mrs. Bennet is very happy and foolish

29. Plot in Volume Three (Ch8-13) • Elizabeth has changed her opinion of Darcy and would now accept his proposal but now Lydia has disgraced the family and brought Wickham into it so she assumes he won’t ask again • Wickham has accepted a commission in the army and Lydia asks to be allowed to visit her • Mr. Bennet refuses to allow the visit, then caves to family’s pressure • Lydia and Wickham are rude and behave as if they have done nothing wrong • Lydia slips to Jane and Elizabeth that Darcy was at her wedding • Elizabeth writes to Mrs. Gardiner who says Darcy found Lydia and Wickhamand paid off Wickham and hints Darcy loves Elizabeth • Bingley returns to Netherfield and Mr. Bennet refuses to visit him again until Bingley and Darcy come to Longbourn and Mrs. Bennet is overly gushing to Bingley and rude to Darcy • Darcy and Bingley come to dinner • Bingley pays attention to Jane, Darcy watches the two of them • Elizabeth accepts that since she refused Darcy, he won’t ask her to marry him again • Bingley visits the Bennets a few times then finally asks Mr. Bennet for her hand, Mr. Bennet happily agrees and Jane is ecstatic • Bingley comes to visit often • Jane learns that he had no idea that she was in London over the winter • She realizes that his sisters were attempting to keep him away from her

30. Plot in Volume Three (Ch14-18) • Lady Catherine de Bourgh visits Elizabeth to says she’s heard a rumor that Darcy is planning to marry her, which is impossible given her low class and Darcy’s arranged engagement to Miss de Bourgh • Elizabeth admits that she and Darcy are not engaged but refuses to promise not to do become so • Lady Catherine points out Elizabeth’s inferior status and Elizabeth asserts her independence, saying she’ll marry according to her own happiness and not according to anyone else’s rules • Lady Catherine leaves, furious and frustrated, and Elizabeth keeps their conversation secret • Mr. Collins writes to Mr. Bennet to warn Elizabeth from marrying Darcy because Lady Catherine is against it and Mr. Bennet laughs about it to Elizabeth • Darcy visits Netherfield and visits the Bennets with Bingley and they all go for a walk • Elizabeth thanks Darcy for saving Lydia and he says he did it for her • Darcy says his feelings haven’t changed and based on what Elizabeth said to Lady Catherine, he hopes she has changed her mind • Elizabeth says her feelings have changed and she now wants to marry him • Elizabeth tells Jane of her engagement and must reassure Jane she really loves Darcy • Darcy ask Mr. Bennetfor consent and Elizabeth must convince him she loves and respects Darcy, then all the Bennets are very happy for them • Darcy and Elizabeth discuss the development of their love, then he writes to inform Lady Catherine, Mr. Bennetwrites to Mr. Collins, and Elizabeth writes to Mrs. Gardiner • The Collinses, the Lucases, and Mrs. Phillips come to congratulate them

31. Plot in Volume Three (Ch19) • Jane marries Bingley, Elizabeth marries Darcy • Bingley purchases an estate near Pemberleyso Jane and Elizabeth visit often • Kitty is kept away from Lydia and her bad influence, and she matures by spending time at her elder sisters’ homes. • Mary is happy to stay at home with her parents • Lydia and Wickham do not change, asking sisters for money regularly, and are unlikely to have a happy marriage • Elizabeth becomes close with Georgiana and even comes to decent terms with Miss Bingley • Lady Catherine eventually accepts the marriage and visits them at Pemberley • Darcy and Elizabeth continue to consider the Gardiners close friends, grateful for the fact that they brought Elizabeth to Pemberley the first time and helped to bring the two together.