Key Themes (Pride and Prejudice)

This section looks at the Key Themes in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Pride

Pride is a key Theme in the Novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Pride is a constant presence in the characters' attitudes and treatment of each other throughout the book being shown primarily through the character of Darcy. Darcy's pride about his social status makes him look down on anyone not in his class, he displays this most blatantly during his proposal to Elizabeth as His pride causes him to struggle against his feelings for her as he feels ashamed of the Bennet family's lower connections. Jane Austen uses Darcy to show how pride can damage even love. Elizabeth takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she refuses to change her opinion even in the face of clear evidence.  Darcy and Elizabeth are able to overcome their pride by helping each other see their respective failings. Darcy discards his snobbery, while Elizabeth learns not to rely too much on her own judgments.

Prejudice

Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another based on presumptions. The theme is displayed mostly through the character of Elizabeth, who is quick to judge others upon meeting them. These judgements turn into prejudice, even though they are often incorrect. This is shown especially through Wickham and Darcy. Elizabeth’s early judgements of each character are wrong. She sees Wickham as charming and handsome. She finds out over time that he is despicable and he is not what he seems. Elizabeth sees Darcy as rude and superior. Although he is prideful, he is more caring than he appears. He usually has the best intentions in his deeds. Darcy is not trying to be rude when she first meets him. He is simply a shy man who does not see the value in dealing with strangers. Jane Austen presents Prejudice in the novel as a stage in a person's moral development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion.

Love and Marriage

The ideas of love and marriage are presented in different ways by Jane Austen throughout the novel. Elizabeth's goal is marriage for love, not wealth. Austen shows the value of falling in love instead of for money throughout the book. We see this in Elizabeth's rejection of Mr Collins and instead marrying Mr Darcy. Austen contrasts this with the character of Charlotte Lucas who decides to marry Mr Collins for financial security rather than love.

The Family

The family is the prime unit of social life in Pride and Prejudice and forms the emotional centre of the novel. Not only does it provide (or fail to provide, as in the case of Lydia) the Bennet daughters with their education and manners, but the social ranking of the family determines how successful they may expect to be in later life.  Jane Austen reveals how individual characters are moulded within the family by presenting Jane and Elizabeth as mature, intelligent adults, and Lydia as hapless. The conflict between Elizabeth and her mother on the one hand and the sympathy she shares with her father on the other display the family's overall character. The influence of Elizabeth's aunt and uncle shows how the family works in an extended sense, with the Gardiners acting as substitute parents, providing much needed emotional support at key moments of stress.

Interdependence

There are many examples of interdependence in this novel. One is Mrs Bennet and her neighbours’ dependence on each other for rumours and gossip. Jane and Elizabeth are interdependent. Since their characters are in such opposition, their opinions often balance each other out. Jane thinks good of everyone, while Elizabeth is cynical and judges too quickly. They depend on each other comprehend each situation. Their opposing views on life help each other see what is really going on and what their true feelings are. Another example of interdependence is between Lady Catherine and Mr Collins. Mr Collins depends on her for his job. Without her, he would be poor and likely work in a factory. Lady Catherine depends on Mr Collins for company and to run her parish. Throughout the novel, the characters depend on each other to support themselves in various ways.

Class, Reputation and wealth

Class and reputation are linked throughout the novel. We see that class lines are intransigently drawn. While it’s true that the middle-class Bennets may socialize with the Bingleys and Darcys, who are upper class, they are always treated as social inferiors. We see Mr Collins’ bizarre behaviour in fawning up to Lady Catherine, he is an extreme example of someone who looks up to the upper-classes. His overall view of the importance of class is shared by many in the novel, including Mr Darcy. Miss Bingley also has a strong dislike for anyone who is not as high in the social class system as herself. Wickham, too, will go to any lengths to obtain more money and status. To contrast them, Austen offers more positive examples in Mr Bingley and the Gardiners. Bingley is someone from the upper class who holds his position graciously who is genuine towards others and unassuming in his manner. The Gardiners represent the honest, generous, and industrious middle class and are examples of how to be wealthy without being pretentious.

The power of happiness and love to overcome the boundaries of class and prejudice is evident in the marriages of Darcy and Elizabeth, and Jane and Bingley. It is clear that class prejudices are hollow and unfeeling. While the exploration of class in this novel is a significant one, we must however understand it in the context of the fact that Jane Austen is herself criticized as being too complacent about the class system. She fails to really represent characters from the lower classes. When she does portray servants, they are generally depicted as being happy with their lot. Austen’s critique of the class system is useful but it is only limited in scope.