Pride and Prejudice: click below for the link.
Podcast
Pride and Prejudice: script
Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen. Reader’s response read by Julia S. The background music is “Dawn” by Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Pride and Prejudice…
*15 seconds of music
This elegant novel opens with a famous quote that sets the mood of the story well. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1).
Yes, ladies and gents, the main topic of this story is marriage. And Mrs. Bennet, our protagonist Elizabeth’s embarrassing mother, wants nothing more than to have her daughters married as soon as possible. As long as a man has money, he is good enough for her. Not for Elizabeth, though. While she is not entirely sure she is out for love, she knows that she can’t settle for just any man.
Elizabeth’s older sister Jane, however, is very romantic. She soon finds love when a new group arrives in their neck of the woods. Coming from London, the Netherfield group, as they are called, includes the handsome Mr. Bingley, our main antagonist Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Bingley’s wicked sister, Miss Caroline.
Mr. Bingley and Jane hit it off immediately as one of the best-suited couples in literary history. Mr. Darcy, though, is not planning of falling in love with a low-class country girl. He has a little something called pride that prevents him from forming any friends in the area. Actually his pride is a big thing—big enough that it is half of the title.
Here’s what Mary, Elizabeth’s sister has to say about Darcy’s pride: "Pride," observed Mary, “is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
The other major theme of this novel is just as obvious—prejudice. Since Mr. Darcy represents pride, it makes sense that Elizabeth should represent prejudice.
Pride and Prejudice is about Elizabeth’s inner struggles with the world and with Mr. Darcy. Initially coming off as very prideful, Mr. Darcy has been the victim of pretty much anything life could throw at you in the early 1800’s. Death, betrayal, and a young woman with a repulsive personality trying to ensnare him-- and that is just the beginning. Elizabeth does not like Mr. Darcy from the start and, thus, allows herself to believe anything bad about him, no matter how extreme. In order for the story to progress and for her to evolve as a character she must look past the rumors to see the truth. Can she overcome this disgust and see the truth or will she let herself be blinded?
Jane Austen does an excellent job with this novel, keeping her reader on the edge of their seat. Woven in with the light, fun exploits of all the Bennets are deeper messages. Many of these messages are still prevalent today; the wish to marry whoever you want, wealth affecting a person’s choices, and how prejudice can cloud your eyes from the truth. If you like romance novels with complex characters and deeper meanings, or 1800’s English novels, then Pride and Prejudice is the book for you.
Citation:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library, 1995. Print.
Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen. Reader’s response read by Julia S. The background music is “Dawn” by Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Pride and Prejudice…
*15 seconds of music
This elegant novel opens with a famous quote that sets the mood of the story well. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1).
Yes, ladies and gents, the main topic of this story is marriage. And Mrs. Bennet, our protagonist Elizabeth’s embarrassing mother, wants nothing more than to have her daughters married as soon as possible. As long as a man has money, he is good enough for her. Not for Elizabeth, though. While she is not entirely sure she is out for love, she knows that she can’t settle for just any man.
Elizabeth’s older sister Jane, however, is very romantic. She soon finds love when a new group arrives in their neck of the woods. Coming from London, the Netherfield group, as they are called, includes the handsome Mr. Bingley, our main antagonist Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Bingley’s wicked sister, Miss Caroline.
Mr. Bingley and Jane hit it off immediately as one of the best-suited couples in literary history. Mr. Darcy, though, is not planning of falling in love with a low-class country girl. He has a little something called pride that prevents him from forming any friends in the area. Actually his pride is a big thing—big enough that it is half of the title.
Here’s what Mary, Elizabeth’s sister has to say about Darcy’s pride: "Pride," observed Mary, “is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
The other major theme of this novel is just as obvious—prejudice. Since Mr. Darcy represents pride, it makes sense that Elizabeth should represent prejudice.
Pride and Prejudice is about Elizabeth’s inner struggles with the world and with Mr. Darcy. Initially coming off as very prideful, Mr. Darcy has been the victim of pretty much anything life could throw at you in the early 1800’s. Death, betrayal, and a young woman with a repulsive personality trying to ensnare him-- and that is just the beginning. Elizabeth does not like Mr. Darcy from the start and, thus, allows herself to believe anything bad about him, no matter how extreme. In order for the story to progress and for her to evolve as a character she must look past the rumors to see the truth. Can she overcome this disgust and see the truth or will she let herself be blinded?
Jane Austen does an excellent job with this novel, keeping her reader on the edge of their seat. Woven in with the light, fun exploits of all the Bennets are deeper messages. Many of these messages are still prevalent today; the wish to marry whoever you want, wealth affecting a person’s choices, and how prejudice can cloud your eyes from the truth. If you like romance novels with complex characters and deeper meanings, or 1800’s English novels, then Pride and Prejudice is the book for you.
Citation:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library, 1995. Print.