Boekverslag Jane Austen

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Titels van Jane Austen

• Emma (12)

  1816

• Northanger Abbey (1)

  1798

• Persuasion (1)

  1817

• Pride and prejudice (23)

  1813

• Sense and sensibility / Verstand en onverstand (13)

  1811

Book: Pride and Prejudice
Autor: Jane Austen
Published in 1913

1. The theme:

Love is the main theme of the story: The courtship between Darcy and Elizabeth. In every love story ever written the two lovers go through obstacles to be together. And so in this story they must put aside their pride and realize that their prejudices were wrong, in order for them to realize the true character of the other person. They must separate themselves from society’s norms and notions and realize that their true love is right in front of them.
In this novel, the author also shows the contrast between true love and love made because of society’s rules. True love, is that of Darcy and Elizabeth when they overcome all obstacles to be together. Love made because of society’s rules, is that of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, they don’t marry for love but because it suits them. The mind, influenced by society and what society believes people need in life, decides that a marriage between those two (Mr. Collins and Miss Lucas) is suitable and therefore right.

2. The titel:

“Pride and Prejudice” means “Trots en vooroordelen” in Dutch. The title signifies how both Darcy and Elizabeth’s pride as well as their prejudices hold them back from love. Elizabeth’s pride makes her misjudge Darcy on the basis of a first impression; she then forms a prejudice about Darcy. And so also Darcy does so: he is too proud to get to know a woman of such low standing and forms a prejudice in his mind about women of poor social standing.
Through these prejudices you see that society has influenced them. Class and reputation seem more important to them but they overcome these obstacles and so fall in love.

3. Characters:
* Elizabeth Bennet: She is the second daughter of the Bennet family. She is the most intelligent, lovely and clever person. She also has a very sharp tongue, which sometimes gets her in trouble with people who believe in society’s views (women have to behave a certain way). But her honesty and cleverness enables her to rise above the class-bound society. Nevertheless, her tendency to make hasty judgments is what leads her astray in this story. She realizes her prejudices are wrong and finally sees the nobility of Darcy’s character.
The story is mostly being told from Elizabeth’s point of view. The story is told on the third person.
* Fitzwilliam Darcy: He is the son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley. He is intelligent and very frank. He, just as Elizabeth, judges people too hastily. All in all Darcy is Elizabeth’s male counterpart. In the beginning he seems overly proud but as the story advances you see him show humility.
* Jane Bennet: She is the oldest daughter of the Bennet family. She is very cheerful, friendly and good-natured. She is always read to think the best of others. Jane’s gentle spirit is in complete contrasts with Elizabeth’s fiery spirit.
* Charles Bingley: He is Darcy’s considerable wealthy best friend. He is just like Jane. He is friendly and good-natured. He doesn’t care about class differences but is persuaded by Darcy to consider it. Thus you see another aspect of his countenance, he aims to please his friends by listening to their advice and/or criticism.
* Mr. Bennet: He is the head of the Bennet family. He is driven to isolation because of his ridiculous wife and difficult children. He reacts by withdrawing himself from his family: his library becomes his sanctuary. He is a weak father and, at critical moments, fails his family. Ultimately, Mr. Bennet would rather withdraw from the world than cope with it.
* Mrs. Bennet: She is a foolish, noisy woman. The only thing she cares about is seeing her daughters married. But because of her low breeding and her unbecoming behaviour, she often repels the very men she tries to attract for her daughters.
* George Wickham: He is a handsome, fortune-hunting military officer. Wickham’s good looks and charm attract Elizabeth, but after what Darcy tells her about his past, she discovers Wickham’s true nature.
* Lydia Bennet: She is the youngest daughter of the Bennet family. She is gossipy, immature and self-involved. Lydia flings herself into romance, in other words men.
* Mr. Collins: He is a snobby clergyman who stands to inherit Mr.Bennet’s property. Mr. Collins own social status is nothing to brag about but he makes sure that everyone knows that Lady Catherine de Bourgh is his patroness.
· Charlotte Lucas: She is Elizabeth’s dear friend. She does not view love as the most important aspect of a relationship. The most important thing for her is to be well taken care of and to have a comfortable home.
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4. The end of the book:

At the end, Eliza tells Darcy that her feelings for him are the opposite of what she thought of him before. Darcy asks her to marry him again, and now she says yes. When she tells Jane about her engagement to Darcy, she is very surprised, but also very happy for her. Mr Bennet first can't believe it, but when his daughter says she really loves him, he thinks it's alright.
When they're all married, Mr and Mrs Darcy are going to live at Pemberly, and they are very happy, Jane and Bingley too. The marriage of Lydia and Wickham is not very happy because they never have enough money.
The last sentence of the book: “With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the person who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.”
You can see that the end is a little bit too fairy-tale like, everyone lived still long and happy. Maybe it would be more interesting that one of the leading characters died on a tragic dead, but I think that the end is not so important in this book. The really important things are the way of thinking and to know how to get on with people

5. Copy an excerpt

"You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves."
"You mistake, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twelve years at last."
"Ah! You do not know what I suffer."
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."
"It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them."
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all."

You can find this excerpt at the beginning of the book on page 53.
I really like this excerpt because it’s very amusing When I was reading this page, I really enjoyed that Mr. Bingley makes a fool of his wife while he was already visiting Mr. Bingley.
Also the part about Mrs. Bennets nerves was very funny.