Pride and Prejudice : Summary

Summary

 Summary

Mother’s Concern for Her Daughters: At the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Bennet is very worried. She has five daughters. None of them is married yet. She always worries about their future. Because her husband, Mr. Bennet, is not rich. After his death, the daughters will not get the property. Mr. Collins will get the property because the Bennet family has no son. And in the law of that time in England, daughters could not inherit property. The property would go to a male relative by patriarchal rule. 

So, the property will go to Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins is a distant cousin of the Bennet family. That’s why Mrs. Bennet’s main goal is to marry her daughters into good families. At that time, marriage was the only way for a woman to have a secure future. So, Mrs. Bennet wants her daughters to marry wealthy and respected men. One day, she hears that a rich young man has come to live near their village, Longbourn. His name is Mr. Bingley. He has rented a big house called Netherfield Park. 

Mr. Bingley is handsome, young, and very rich. Hearing this, Mrs. Bennet becomes very excited. She immediately thinks that if one of her daughters can attract this young man, it will be a great chance for a good marriage. So, she starts dressing her daughters in new clothes and sends them to social events. She hopes that Mr. Bingley will like their beauty and manners and will propose to marry one of them.

The Ball Dance: At the beginning of the novel, a grand ball dance is arranged in a town called Meryton. It is a social event where many noble families take part. Mrs. Bennet sees this as a big chance. It’s a great opportunity to find a rich husband for her daughters. The Bennet family, the Bingley family, and Mr. Darcy (Bingley’s close friend) also attend this ball. There, Mr. Bingley sees the beautiful and gentle Jane Bennet. He likes her very much from the first moment. He is impressed by her sweet nature and beauty. They dance together several times. Both start feeling attracted to each other. Everyone enjoys watching them dance.

Mr. Darcy is also present at the ball, but he is very quiet and serious. He does not talk to many people and stands alone. People notice his proud behavior. Mr. Bingley encourages him to dance with Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is smart, lively, and intelligent. But Darcy proudly says that Elizabeth is “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me” and he is not interested in her. Sadly, Elizabeth hears this insulting comment. From that moment, she began to dislike Darcy. She thinks Darcy is proud, selfish, and full of ego.

Mr. Bingley’s two sisters, Mrs. Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, also begin to like Jane. They admire her gentle and polite behavior. So, they want Jane to become close to Bingley. They invite Jane to Netherfield Park for dinner. Mrs. Bennet also wants to use this chance. At this dinner, Bingley and Jane become even closer. Meanwhile, Darcy starts noticing Elizabeth’s strong personality, though Elizabeth still dislikes him.

Mrs. Bennet’s Plan and the Beginning of Darcy’s Attraction Towards Elizabeth: Mrs. Bennet was a very clever and strategic woman. She always tried to build a relationship between her eldest daughter, Jane, and the rich and noble Mr. Bingley. When Bingley’s family invited Jane to a dinner at Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet was very happy. But she looked for more opportunities to keep Jane at Bingley’s house for a few days. She noticed that the weather was bad and it might rain. She planned to use this situation. So she sent Jane to Bingley’s house on horseback, hoping that if it rained, Jane would get wet and fall sick. Then she would have to stay at Netherfield Park, and Bingley’s family would become more impressed with her.

By chance, exactly this happened. On the way, Jane got wet in the rain and became sick. Bingley’s family lovingly kept her in their house and took care of her. When Elizabeth heard about Jane’s illness, she quickly ran to Netherfield to take care of her sister. This incident made Mrs. Bennet’s plan successful. While staying at Netherfield Park, Elizabeth impressed everyone with her good manners, intelligence, and self-respect. Darcy, who had earlier said that Elizabeth was “tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me,” now started to feel attracted to her behaviour and nature.

Darcy silently admitted that he had made a wrong judgment. He began to feel respect and interest toward Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth still thought of Darcy as a proud and rude man because of his earlier comment. After a few days, when Jane recovered, both Jane and Elizabeth returned home to Longbourn. This part of the story clearly shows Mrs. Bennet’s plan, Darcy’s change of heart, and the effect of Elizabeth’s personality.

Arrival of Two New Characters: Mr. Collins and Wickham: When Jane and Elizabeth returned home after recovering at Netherfield, they saw that a new person had arrived at their house. His name was Mr. Collins. He was a distant cousin of the Bennet family. He was a clergyman by profession and had a very serious and proud personality. Mr. Collins came mainly to find a bride. He wanted to marry one of the Bennet girls. Another reason for his visit was that he was the only heir to the Bennet family’s property. Since the Bennet family had no sons, and at that time in England, daughters could not inherit property, all of it would go to Mr. Collins. But he wanted to handle the matter kindly, so he wished to marry one of the Bennet daughters.

One day, Jane, Elizabeth, and Mr. Collins went for a walk together. They were walking toward the town of Meryton. On the way, they met a young man named Mr. Wickham. He was handsome, polite, and sweet-spoken. Elizabeth felt attracted to him at first sight. They talked for some time. Suddenly, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley appeared on the same road. Darcy looked at Wickham with a harsh expression. Elizabeth noticed this and wanted to know the reason.

Later, Elizabeth talked to Wickham separately. Wickham told her that Darcy was a hypocrite and a cruel man. He claimed that Darcy’s father and his own father were close friends. Darcy’s father gave Wickham some money and property to take care of him. But Darcy did not keep his father’s promise. Instead, he deprived Wickham of his rights and threw him out. Hearing this story, Elizabeth felt sad and became even more annoyed with Darcy. She now thought that Darcy was not only proud but also selfish. In this part, the arrival of Mr. Collins and Wickham, and Elizabeth’s misunderstanding about Darcy, are clearly shown.

The Grand Party Hosted by Bingley, the Dance Between Darcy and Elizabeth, Collins’ Proposal, and Bingley’s Departure to London: Mr. Bingley arranged a grand party at Netherfield Park. Almost all the noble and respected people of the area attended this event, including the Bennet family. There, Bingley and Jane were seen spending a lot of time together. They looked very close, which made Mrs. Bennet extremely excited. She even told everyone openly that Bingley and Jane would get married very soon. Hearing this, Mr. Darcy felt a bit uncomfortable.

During the party, Mr. Darcy himself invited Elizabeth to dance. Elizabeth accepted the invitation, but she was not happy in her heart. She had already formed a negative opinion about Darcy, especially because of what Mr. Wickham had told her. So, during the dance, she felt uncomfortable and could not really enjoy it.

Seeing Darcy and Elizabeth dance together made Mr. Collins feel worried. He thought he should propose to Elizabeth immediately. The next day, Mr. Collins proposed marriage to Elizabeth. But Elizabeth politely rejected his proposal. This made Mr. Collins feel a bit insulted. Later, he married Elizabeth’s 27-year-old close friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte accepted the marriage mainly for social security and stability.

After this, Bingley and Darcy decided to go to London for business purposes. Before leaving, Bingley’s younger sister, Caroline, sent a letter. In that letter, she wrote that Bingley did not love Jane and that he planned to marry Darcy’s sister, Georgiana. It was also written in the letter that they would not return to Netherfield for at least six months. Reading this letter, Jane felt deeply hurt, and Elizabeth became sure that Darcy was responsible for this separation. She believed that Darcy had convinced Bingley to stay away from Jane. This increased Elizabeth’s anger and hatred towards Darcy even more.

Arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Jane’s Journey to London, Elizabeth’s Visit to Mr. Collins’ House, Darcy’s Proposal and Letter, and Wickham’s Truth Revealed: Jane was passing her days in deep sadness and disappointment because Mr. Bingley had left for London. At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth and Jane’s uncle and aunt, came to visit their home. Seeing Jane’s sorrow, they became concerned and decided to take her to London for a change of environment. Elizabeth supported this idea. She was hoping that in London, Jane might meet Bingley again and clear the misunderstandings between them.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s friend Charlotte Lucas, who had married Mr. Collins, invited Elizabeth to stay at their home for a few days. Elizabeth accepted the invitation and went to Mr. Collins’ house. Mr. Collins lived near Rosings Park, a grand estate owned by Lady Catherine de Bourgh—Darcy’s rich and arrogant aunt. After Elizabeth arrived, Lady Catherine invited them to dinner. Mr. Darcy was also present at that dinner.

One day, quite unexpectedly, Darcy proposed to Elizabeth. But his proposal was rude and full of pride. Darcy said she is far below me in social status, yet I have fallen in love with her and wish to marry her. Elizabeth became furious and rejected his proposal. She accused him of separating Jane and Bingley and of falsely defaming Wickham.

This rejection deeply affected Darcy. That night, he could not sleep, and the next day, he handed Elizabeth a long letter. In the letter, Darcy explained that he believed Jane did not love Bingley because she was very calm and quiet and didn’t show any emotions. So, he thought Bingley’s love for Jane was not returned. Based on this misunderstanding, he advised Bingley to stay away from Jane. 

Darcy also explained the truth about Wickham. He said Wickham had once received £3,000 from his (Darcy’s) father to study law, but Wickham wasted it on drinking and gambling. Later, Wickham tried to elope with Darcy’s 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, to take her money. Darcy then forced him out of their lives. Through this letter, Elizabeth discovered the true character of Wickham. She was shocked and began to realize that she had misjudged Darcy. Slowly, her opinion about Darcy started to change.

Some days later, Elizabeth went on a trip to Pemberley, Darcy’s large and beautiful estate, with her uncle and aunt. There, she unexpectedly met Darcy again. This time, he behaved very politely. He showed great respect to Elizabeth and her relatives and introduced Elizabeth to his younger sister, Georgiana. Elizabeth was impressed by Georgiana’s kindness, and they formed a good friendship.

But in the midst of this peaceful moment, Elizabeth received a letter. It said that Wickham had run away with her 15-year-old sister, Lydia. This shocking news greatly disturbed Elizabeth. Such a scandal could destroy a family’s reputation. She felt helpless and terrified. This part of the novel marks several turning points and shows important changes in the characters.

Revelation of Wickham’s True Character and the Novel’s Joyful Conclusion through Two Happy Unions: Upon hearing the news that Lydia had eloped with Wickham, Elizabeth became extremely anxious and immediately returned to Longbourn. Everyone in the family was worried about their reputation and honour. Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner went out in search of Lydia. After much searching, Mr. Gardiner sent a letter saying that Lydia and Wickham had been found and would soon be married. Everyone assumed that Mr. Gardiner had paid a large sum of money to convince Wickham to marry Lydia.

However, later Elizabeth discovered that it was actually Mr. Darcy who had secretly paid all of Wickham’s debts and compelled him to marry Lydia, only to protect Elizabeth’s family’s honour. Darcy did not want anyone to know about his generous act. Elizabeth was shocked upon hearing this, and her feelings for Darcy completely changed.

Soon after, Lydia and Wickham returned to Longbourn as a married couple. Lydia was excited and full of joy, but no one truly welcomed her because of her reckless behaviour. Some days later, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley came to visit Longbourn again. This time, Bingley gathered the courage to propose to Jane, and she gladly accepted. Preparations for the wedding between the two families began.

Meanwhile, Darcy said nothing to Elizabeth, although his love for her had grown deeper than ever. Suddenly, one day, Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, came to Elizabeth’s house. She rudely insulted Elizabeth, saying Elizabeth cannot marry Darcy. Elizabeth is from a lower-class family. But Elizabeth, maintaining her dignity, replied firmly, She is not trying to marry Darcy. But Lady Catherine de Bourgh cannot stop her either.

Later, this response reached Darcy’s ears. He realized that Elizabeth no longer hated him. Then he proposed to her once again, this time with humility, love, and respect. Elizabeth did not refuse him this time. She accepted his proposal. At the end of the novel, two happy couples, Bingley and Jane, and Darcy and Elizabeth, get married. The love between Elizabeth and Darcy rises above pride and prejudice and transforms into a noble and soulful bond. Thus, Pride and Prejudice ends with a joyful and satisfying conclusion.