ENGLISH LITERATURE
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE .
SUMMARY
The news that a wealthy young gentleman named Charles Bingley has rented the manor of Netherfield Park
causes a great stir in the nearby village of Longbourn, especially in the Bennet household. The Bennets have five
unmarried daughters—from oldest to youngest, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennet is
desperate to see them all married. After Mr. Bennet pays a social visit to Mr. Bingley, the Bennets attend a ball
at which Mr. Bingley is present. He is taken with Jane and spends much of the evening dancing with her. His
close friend, Mr. Darcy, is less pleased with the evening and haughtily refuses to dance with Elizabeth, which
makes everyone view him as arrogant and obnoxious.
At social functions over subsequent weeks, however, Mr. Darcy finds himself increasingly attracted to Elizabeth’s
charm and intelligence. Jane’s friendship with Mr. Bingley also continues to burgeon, and Jane pays a visit to the
Bingley mansion. On her journey to the house she is caught in a downpour and catches ill, forcing her to stay at
Netherfield for several days. In order to tend to Jane, Elizabeth hikes through muddy fields and arrives with a
spattered dress, much to the disdain of the snobbish Miss Bingley, Charles Bingley’s sister. Miss Bingley’s spite
only increases when she notices that Darcy, whom she is pursuing, pays quite a bit of attention to Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth and Jane return home, they find Mr. Collins visiting their household. Mr. Collins is a young
clergyman who stands to inherit Mr. Bennet’s property, which has been “entailed,” meaning that it can only be
passed down to male heirs. Mr. Collins is a pompous fool, though he is quite enthralled by the Bennet girls.
Shortly after his arrival, he makes a proposal of marriage to Elizabeth. She turns him down, wounding his pride.
Meanwhile, the Bennet girls have become friendly with militia officers stationed in a nearby town. Among them
is Wickham, a handsome young soldier who is friendly toward Elizabeth and tells her how Darcy cruelly cheated
him out of an inheritance.
At the beginning of winter, the Bingleys and Darcy leave Netherfield and return to London, much to Jane’s
dismay. A further shock arrives with the news that Mr. Collins has become engaged to Charlotte Lucas,
Elizabeth’s best friend and the poor daughter of a local knight. Charlotte explains to Elizabeth that she is getting
older and needs the match for financial reasons. Charlotte and Mr. Collins get married and Elizabeth promises
to visit them at their new home. As winter progresses, Jane visits the city to see friends (hoping also that she
might see Mr. Bingley). However, Miss Bingley visits her and behaves rudely, while Mr. Bingley fails to visit her at
all. The marriage prospects for the Bennet girls appear bleak.
That spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte, who now lives near the home of Mr. Collins’s patron, Lady Catherine de
Bourgh, who is also Darcy’s aunt. Darcy calls on Lady Catherine and encounters Elizabeth, whose presence leads
him to make a number of visits to the Collins’s home, where she is staying. One day, he makes a shocking
proposal of marriage, which Elizabeth quickly refuses. She tells Darcy that she considers him arrogant and
unpleasant, then scolds him for steering Bingley away from Jane and disinheriting Wickham. Darcy leaves her
but shortly thereafter delivers a letter to her. In this letter, he admits that he urged Bingley to distance himself
from Jane, but claims he did so only because he thought their romance was not serious. As for Wickham, he
informs Elizabeth that the young officer is a liar and that the real cause of their disagreement was Wickham’s
attempt to elope with his young sister, Georgiana Darcy.
This letter causes Elizabeth to reevaluate her feelings about Darcy. She returns home and acts coldly toward
Wickham. The militia is leaving town, which makes the younger, rather man-crazy Bennet girls distraught. Lydia
manages to obtain permission from her father to spend the summer with an old colonel in Brighton, where
Wickham’s regiment will be stationed. With the arrival of June, Elizabeth goes on another journey, this time
with the Gardiners, who are relatives of the Bennets. The trip takes her to the North and eventually to the
neighborhood of Pemberley, Darcy’s estate. She visits Pemberley, after making sure that Darcy is away, and
delights in the building and grounds, while hearing from Darcy’s servants that he is a wonderful, generous
master. Suddenly, Darcy arrives and behaves cordially toward her. Making no mention of his proposal, he
entertains the Gardiners and invites Elizabeth to meet his sister.
, Shortly thereafter, however, a letter arrives from home, telling Elizabeth that Lydia has eloped with Wickham
and that the couple is nowhere to be found, which suggests that they may be living together out of wedlock.
Fearful of the disgrace such a situation would bring on her entire family, Elizabeth hastens home. Mr. Gardiner
and Mr. Bennet go off to search for Lydia, but Mr. Bennet eventually returns home empty-handed. Just when all
hope seems lost, a letter comes from Mr. Gardiner saying that the couple has been found and that Wickham has
agreed to marry Lydia in exchange for an annual income. The Bennets are convinced that Mr. Gardiner has paid
off Wickham, but Elizabeth learns that the source of the money, and of her family’s salvation, was none other
than Darcy.
Now married, Wickham and Lydia return to Longbourn briefly, where Mr. Bennet treats them coldly. They then
depart for Wickham’s new assignment in the North of England. Shortly thereafter, Bingley returns to Netherfield
and resumes his courtship of Jane. Darcy goes to stay with him and pays visits to the Bennets but makes no
mention of his desire to marry Elizabeth. Bingley, on the other hand, presses his suit and proposes to Jane, to
the delight of everyone but Bingley’s haughty sister. While the family celebrates, Lady Catherine de Bourgh pays
a visit to Longbourn. She corners Elizabeth and says that she has heard that Darcy, her nephew, is planning to
marry her. Since she considers a Bennet an unsuitable match for a Darcy, Lady Catherine demands that
Elizabeth promise to refuse him. Elizabeth spiritedly refuses, saying she is not engaged to Darcy, but she will not
promise anything against her own happiness. A little later, Elizabeth and Darcy go out walking together and he
tells her that his feelings have not altered since the spring. She tenderly accepts his proposal, and both Jane and
Elizabeth are married.
CHARACTERS
Elizabeth Bennet - An intelligent and spirited young woman who possesses a keen wit and enjoys studying
people's characters. Although she initially dislikes Darcy, circumstances cause her to reassess her negative
impression of him, and she eventually falls in love with him.
Fitzwilliam Darcy- A wealthy, proud man who falls in love with Elizabeth and reveals a generous, thoughtful
nature beneath his somewhat stiff demeanor.
Mr. Bennet - Elizabeth's ironic and often apathetic father. Unhappily married, he has failed to provide a secure
financial future for his wife and daughters.
Mrs. Bennet - Elizabeth's foolish and unrestrained mother who is obsessed with finding husbands for her
daughters.
Jane Bennet - A gentle and kind-hearted young woman who is Elizabeth's confidant and the oldest of the
Bennet daughters. She falls in love with Bingley but is cautious about revealing the depth of her feelings for
him.
Mary Bennet - The pretentious third Bennet daughter, who prefers reading over socializing.
Catherine (Kitty) - Bennet The Bennet's peevish fourth daughter, who joins her sister Lydia in flirting with
soldiers.
Lydia Bennet - The Bennet's immature and irresponsible youngest daughter. Mrs. Bennet's favorite, she shocks
the family by running away with Wickham.
Charles Bingley - A good-natured and wealthy man who falls in love with Jane. He is easily influenced by others,
especially by his close friend Darcy.
Caroline Bingley - Bingley's shallow and haughty sister, who befriends Jane and later snubs her. She attempts to
attract Darcy's attentions and is jealous when Darcy is instead drawn to Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurst - Bingley's snobbish sister and brother-in-law. Mrs. Hurst spends most of her time gossiping
with Caroline, while Mr. Hurst does little more than play cards and sleep.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE .
SUMMARY
The news that a wealthy young gentleman named Charles Bingley has rented the manor of Netherfield Park
causes a great stir in the nearby village of Longbourn, especially in the Bennet household. The Bennets have five
unmarried daughters—from oldest to youngest, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennet is
desperate to see them all married. After Mr. Bennet pays a social visit to Mr. Bingley, the Bennets attend a ball
at which Mr. Bingley is present. He is taken with Jane and spends much of the evening dancing with her. His
close friend, Mr. Darcy, is less pleased with the evening and haughtily refuses to dance with Elizabeth, which
makes everyone view him as arrogant and obnoxious.
At social functions over subsequent weeks, however, Mr. Darcy finds himself increasingly attracted to Elizabeth’s
charm and intelligence. Jane’s friendship with Mr. Bingley also continues to burgeon, and Jane pays a visit to the
Bingley mansion. On her journey to the house she is caught in a downpour and catches ill, forcing her to stay at
Netherfield for several days. In order to tend to Jane, Elizabeth hikes through muddy fields and arrives with a
spattered dress, much to the disdain of the snobbish Miss Bingley, Charles Bingley’s sister. Miss Bingley’s spite
only increases when she notices that Darcy, whom she is pursuing, pays quite a bit of attention to Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth and Jane return home, they find Mr. Collins visiting their household. Mr. Collins is a young
clergyman who stands to inherit Mr. Bennet’s property, which has been “entailed,” meaning that it can only be
passed down to male heirs. Mr. Collins is a pompous fool, though he is quite enthralled by the Bennet girls.
Shortly after his arrival, he makes a proposal of marriage to Elizabeth. She turns him down, wounding his pride.
Meanwhile, the Bennet girls have become friendly with militia officers stationed in a nearby town. Among them
is Wickham, a handsome young soldier who is friendly toward Elizabeth and tells her how Darcy cruelly cheated
him out of an inheritance.
At the beginning of winter, the Bingleys and Darcy leave Netherfield and return to London, much to Jane’s
dismay. A further shock arrives with the news that Mr. Collins has become engaged to Charlotte Lucas,
Elizabeth’s best friend and the poor daughter of a local knight. Charlotte explains to Elizabeth that she is getting
older and needs the match for financial reasons. Charlotte and Mr. Collins get married and Elizabeth promises
to visit them at their new home. As winter progresses, Jane visits the city to see friends (hoping also that she
might see Mr. Bingley). However, Miss Bingley visits her and behaves rudely, while Mr. Bingley fails to visit her at
all. The marriage prospects for the Bennet girls appear bleak.
That spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte, who now lives near the home of Mr. Collins’s patron, Lady Catherine de
Bourgh, who is also Darcy’s aunt. Darcy calls on Lady Catherine and encounters Elizabeth, whose presence leads
him to make a number of visits to the Collins’s home, where she is staying. One day, he makes a shocking
proposal of marriage, which Elizabeth quickly refuses. She tells Darcy that she considers him arrogant and
unpleasant, then scolds him for steering Bingley away from Jane and disinheriting Wickham. Darcy leaves her
but shortly thereafter delivers a letter to her. In this letter, he admits that he urged Bingley to distance himself
from Jane, but claims he did so only because he thought their romance was not serious. As for Wickham, he
informs Elizabeth that the young officer is a liar and that the real cause of their disagreement was Wickham’s
attempt to elope with his young sister, Georgiana Darcy.
This letter causes Elizabeth to reevaluate her feelings about Darcy. She returns home and acts coldly toward
Wickham. The militia is leaving town, which makes the younger, rather man-crazy Bennet girls distraught. Lydia
manages to obtain permission from her father to spend the summer with an old colonel in Brighton, where
Wickham’s regiment will be stationed. With the arrival of June, Elizabeth goes on another journey, this time
with the Gardiners, who are relatives of the Bennets. The trip takes her to the North and eventually to the
neighborhood of Pemberley, Darcy’s estate. She visits Pemberley, after making sure that Darcy is away, and
delights in the building and grounds, while hearing from Darcy’s servants that he is a wonderful, generous
master. Suddenly, Darcy arrives and behaves cordially toward her. Making no mention of his proposal, he
entertains the Gardiners and invites Elizabeth to meet his sister.
, Shortly thereafter, however, a letter arrives from home, telling Elizabeth that Lydia has eloped with Wickham
and that the couple is nowhere to be found, which suggests that they may be living together out of wedlock.
Fearful of the disgrace such a situation would bring on her entire family, Elizabeth hastens home. Mr. Gardiner
and Mr. Bennet go off to search for Lydia, but Mr. Bennet eventually returns home empty-handed. Just when all
hope seems lost, a letter comes from Mr. Gardiner saying that the couple has been found and that Wickham has
agreed to marry Lydia in exchange for an annual income. The Bennets are convinced that Mr. Gardiner has paid
off Wickham, but Elizabeth learns that the source of the money, and of her family’s salvation, was none other
than Darcy.
Now married, Wickham and Lydia return to Longbourn briefly, where Mr. Bennet treats them coldly. They then
depart for Wickham’s new assignment in the North of England. Shortly thereafter, Bingley returns to Netherfield
and resumes his courtship of Jane. Darcy goes to stay with him and pays visits to the Bennets but makes no
mention of his desire to marry Elizabeth. Bingley, on the other hand, presses his suit and proposes to Jane, to
the delight of everyone but Bingley’s haughty sister. While the family celebrates, Lady Catherine de Bourgh pays
a visit to Longbourn. She corners Elizabeth and says that she has heard that Darcy, her nephew, is planning to
marry her. Since she considers a Bennet an unsuitable match for a Darcy, Lady Catherine demands that
Elizabeth promise to refuse him. Elizabeth spiritedly refuses, saying she is not engaged to Darcy, but she will not
promise anything against her own happiness. A little later, Elizabeth and Darcy go out walking together and he
tells her that his feelings have not altered since the spring. She tenderly accepts his proposal, and both Jane and
Elizabeth are married.
CHARACTERS
Elizabeth Bennet - An intelligent and spirited young woman who possesses a keen wit and enjoys studying
people's characters. Although she initially dislikes Darcy, circumstances cause her to reassess her negative
impression of him, and she eventually falls in love with him.
Fitzwilliam Darcy- A wealthy, proud man who falls in love with Elizabeth and reveals a generous, thoughtful
nature beneath his somewhat stiff demeanor.
Mr. Bennet - Elizabeth's ironic and often apathetic father. Unhappily married, he has failed to provide a secure
financial future for his wife and daughters.
Mrs. Bennet - Elizabeth's foolish and unrestrained mother who is obsessed with finding husbands for her
daughters.
Jane Bennet - A gentle and kind-hearted young woman who is Elizabeth's confidant and the oldest of the
Bennet daughters. She falls in love with Bingley but is cautious about revealing the depth of her feelings for
him.
Mary Bennet - The pretentious third Bennet daughter, who prefers reading over socializing.
Catherine (Kitty) - Bennet The Bennet's peevish fourth daughter, who joins her sister Lydia in flirting with
soldiers.
Lydia Bennet - The Bennet's immature and irresponsible youngest daughter. Mrs. Bennet's favorite, she shocks
the family by running away with Wickham.
Charles Bingley - A good-natured and wealthy man who falls in love with Jane. He is easily influenced by others,
especially by his close friend Darcy.
Caroline Bingley - Bingley's shallow and haughty sister, who befriends Jane and later snubs her. She attempts to
attract Darcy's attentions and is jealous when Darcy is instead drawn to Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurst - Bingley's snobbish sister and brother-in-law. Mrs. Hurst spends most of her time gossiping
with Caroline, while Mr. Hurst does little more than play cards and sleep.
