Pride and Prejudice

Arguably Austen’s most popular novel today, the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy has spun out endless adaptations, in print and on screen, and is the source of one of literature’s most quoted lines: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The very rich Mr. Darcy fails that supposition immediately. He is not searching for a wife and is in fact disdainful of most women and certainly of Elizabeth. This suits Elizabeth just fine, as the two are immediately at odds and remain so while their paths cross again and again. But underneath the simmering joint animosity is a growing attraction and slow path to, perhaps, mutual appreciation. Austen’s wit and keen eye are on full display as she skewers the marriage market and writes about the perils women face as they try to navigate their futures in a world that offers few attractive options. The plot is brilliantly managed, as both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy circle each other within the smaller and larger circles of the society in which they engage, colliding in interesting ways that reveal much about themselves and their world.