Pride and Prejudice : Key info

Key info

“Pride and Prejudice” is a novel written by English author Jane Austen. It was first published in 1813 and has since become one of the most well-known and beloved works of English literature. Here are some key facts about the novel:

Key Facts

• Full Title: Pride and Prejudice
• Original Title: First Impressions
• Author: Jane Austen (1775–1817)
• Title of the Author: The First Lady of English Fiction & Anti-Romantic Novelist of the Romantic Age
• Source: Inspired by Austen’s own unpublished work titled First Impressions (1796–1797)
• Written Time: 1796–1797 (as First Impressions), revised in 1811
• First Published: 1813
• Publisher: Thomas Egerton of London. (Publishing House)
• Genre: Novel of Manners / Romantic Novel
• Point of View: Third-Person Omniscient (mainly from Elizabeth Bennet’s perspective)
• Climax: Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter and realizes she was prejudiced and wrong about him
• Structure: Divided into 61 chapters
• Tone: Witty, Satirical, Ironic, Reflective
• Significance: One of the most famous romantic novels in English literature, known for its sharp commentary on society and relationships.
• Setting:
• Time Setting: Early 19th century (Regency Era)
• Place Setting: Rural England — Longbourn, Netherfield Park, Rosings Park, Hunsford, and Pemberley

Key Notes

• The First Lady of English Fiction: Jane Austen is called “The First Lady of English Fiction” because she portrayed society, love, marriage, and the realities of life from a woman’s perspective. Although her writings contain romance, they are firmly rooted in realism.
• Original Title – First Impressions: The original title of this novel was First Impressions. Jane Austen wrote it between 1796 and 1797, but in 1813, the title was changed to Pride and Prejudice before publication.
• Meaning of the Title – Pride and Prejudice: “Pride” refers to arrogance, seen in the character of Darcy. “Prejudice” means bias, prejudice, or preconceived notions – seen in Elizabeth’s mistaken judgment of Darcy. These two words symbolize the inner conflicts of the main characters and their transformation over time.
• Novel of Manners: This novel is a Novel of Manners, meaning it is based on social customs and etiquette. It reflects the lives of the British middle class, especially in matters of marriage, property, gender roles, and social status.
• Anti-Romantic Novelist of the Romantic Age: Although Jane Austen wrote during the Romantic era, she emphasized realism over excessive emotion or imagination. That is why she is known as the “Anti-Romantic Novelist of the Romantic Age.”

Background

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was written against the social backdrop of early 19th-century England during the Regency Era. At that time, society was strictly divided by class, and women’s social status and financial security largely depended on marriage. Because inheritance laws favored men, women did not inherit property and had very limited opportunities for employment or income. Therefore, for middle-class and landed families, marriage was considered the main goal in a woman’s life. Jane Austen herself lived in such a society and closely observed the realities of relationships between men and women, class consciousness, and a marriage-dependent social system. These experiences inspired her to write Pride and Prejudice.

In this novel, she showed how pride, prejudice, social status, and personal growth affect human relationships. Through characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Austen aimed to teach readers that true love, self-respect, and moral values are more important than social conventions. The novel not only provided entertainment but also questioned established social ideas and encouraged, especially women, to think about freedom, personal dignity, and self-reflection.