Pride and Prejudice
Chapter 11
- Jane starts feeling better and joins the group
- Caroline asks Lizzy to walk around the room with her; she then asks Darcy to join in
- He says no, because he knows they either need to share secrets or they just want to walk so he can observe them
- Lizzy says Mr. Darcy doesn’t like to be laughed at but that she dearly loves a laugh
Mr. Darcy says his good opinion is lost forever when it is lost
Chapter 12
- Jane and Lizzy leave Netherfield to go home to Longbourn
- Mr. Darcy is relieved to get a break from hiding his interest in Lizzy
- Caroline is glad they are leaving
- Bingley is of course going to miss Jane
- Mr. Bennet is thrilled to have Lizzy back to talk to
- Mary is busy reading when they return
- Kitty and Lydia have lots of news of the militia to tell
Chapter 13
Mr. Collins
How are we first introduced?
- He sends a letter in ch. 13 that he is coming to visit;
the letter is very formal in language
- He is the cousin from Mr. Bennet’s family who is set to inherit Longbourn
Lizzy (through the narrator) thinks he is:
- tall, heavy-looking, 25, formal manners
- obsessed with his patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who owns Rosings Park, the estate where he is the rector (remember: that means pastor of a church)
- Not sensible; mixture of humble / proud
Other characters think…
- Mr. Bennet thinks he is absurd (meaning odd)
- Kitty & Lydia pay no attention to him because he is not a red coat (not a soldier)
- Mrs. Bennet likes his plan of marrying one of Mr. Bennet’s daughters to make it a smoother transition when he inherits the house
- Mrs. Bennet points him to Lizzy instead of Jane (since she is banking on Jane marrying Bingley)
Lady Catherine De Bourgh
We have not met her yet, but we hear a lot about her from Mr. Collins. She is a wealthy woman who owns an estate called Rosings Park. She had encouraged Mr. Collins to try to get married to be a good example to others. She has a daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh, who is of an age to marry but is sickly. Rosings Park is where Mr. Collins lives and works as the rector. His small cottage on the estate is called Hunsford Parsonage. Parson is another word for rector, pastor, etc.
Mr. Wickham
How are we first introduced?
- On a walk to Meryton, the girls’ friend Mr. Denny introduces them to another soldier, Wickham
- Denny is a minor character we will not discuss again
Lizzy (through the narrator) thinks he is:
- Handsome
- Easy to talk to (example: they invite him to come to a party at their Aunt and Uncle’s house (Mr. and Mrs. Philips who live in Meryton)
Other characters think…
- Kitty & Lydia think he is handsome! The other girls do as well.
- Mr. Darcy seems upset to see him… Lizzy notices
their awkward glances at each other and wonders
how they know each other…
Chapter 14 Quote
- page 66 Mr. Collins describing Miss De Bourgh as “far superior to the handsomest of her sex… She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution…”
Chapter 15 Quote
- Page 69 first paragraph describing Mr. Collins as “a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility”
- This shows that he is really prideful for his role at Rosings park but that he tries to act humble and worships the ground Lady Catherine walks on…
Chapter 16
- The next morning Mr. Collins gets Mrs. Bennet alone and inquires as to the "availability" of Jane, who is his first choice for a wife.
- Mrs. Bennet informs him that Jane is to be very soon engaged. Within moments, his choice of wife changes from Jane to Elizabeth.
- The girls and Mr. Collins walk into Meryton where they meet Mr. Denny and a newcomer to the regiment, a Mr. Wickham.
- They are standing in the street, engaged in pleasant conversation, when Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley ride up on horseback.
- Mr. Darcy is obviously acquainted with Mr. Wickham. Both men are strongly affected by the sight of each other, and Mr. Darcy turns to leave immediately.
- Mr. Wickham singles out Lizzie immediately as a favorite the following evening at the Philips' home, and before long, a mention of Netherfield is made.
- Mr. Darcy Senior had been Mr. Wickham's godfather, and had provided for him in his will.
- Mr. Darcy Junior, however, had seen to it that his father's will was not carried out, leaving Mr. Wickham penniless.
- Mr. Wickham mentions that there are plans for Miss DeBourgh and Mr. Darcy to be married, uniting and strengthening the two massive fortunes.
Chapter 17 and 18
- When Elizabeth tells the story to Jane she is upset that Mr. Bingley could have a friendship with someone like the picture of Mr. Darcy that Wickham has painted.
- Mr. Bingley and his sisters come to personally deliver an invitation to the Bennet family to the Netherfield ball the following week.
- Mr. Collins asks for the honor of dancing the first two dances with Elizabeth, who is disappointed, but cannot refuse her cousin's offer.
- Elizabeth realizes that he intends to propose to her, and is horrified by the thought.
- Elizabeth's hopes are dashed when she arrives at the ball to find that Mr. Wickham is not in attendance.
- Mr. Darcy surprises Lizzie by asking her to dance. She is so startled that she accepts before she realizes what she has done.
- Mr. Darcy understands that Mr. Wickham has told Elizabeth many things about him, and they part company in silence after the set of dances.
- Miss Bingley appears before Elizabeth. She assures her that Mr. Darcy is innocent of whatever Mr. Wickham has accused him of.
- It seems as though her whole family had, that night, conspired to make a poor impression, and Elizabeth is happy when the night ends.
Chapter 19
- The following day, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. It is formal and comic, as is to be expected from him.
- She stops him as he begins to be carried away with plans for their marital bliss and courteously declines his proposal.
- He is unable to grasp the fact that she is truly refusing him, so she runs to her father for protection from further proposals.
- Mrs. Bennet is vexed to hear that Mr. Collins has been refused, and appeals to her husband to talk some sense into Lizzie.
- Mr. Bennet tells her that her mother has threatened never to speak to her again if she does not marry Mr. Collins, and he swears that he himself will never speak to her if she does.
- Charlotte Lucas comes over and is present when Mr. Collins withdraws his offer and wishes that nothing further be said of the matter.
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Chapter 20
- The following day, Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth. It is formal and comic, as is to be expected from him.
- She stops him as he begins to be carried away with plans for their marital bliss and courteously declines his proposal.
- He is unable to grasp the fact that she is truly refusing him, so she runs to her father for protection from further proposals.
- Mrs. Bennet is vexed to hear that Mr. Collins has been refused, and appeals to her husband to talk some sense into Lizzie.
- Mr. Bennet tells her that her mother has threatened never to speak to her again if she does not marry Mr. Collins, and he swears that he himself will never speak to her if she does.
- Charlotte Lucas comes over and is present when Mr. Collins withdraws his offer and wishes that nothing further be said of the matter.
Chapter 21 and 22
- The following morning sees both Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins as angry and hurt as the previous day.
- Mr. Wickham says to Elizabeth when they are alone together that he thought it wise to avoid social encounters between himself and Mr. Darcy.
- A note arrives from Miss Bingley which contains the news that the entire Netherfield party has left for London, and have no plans to return any time soon.
- The following day, the Lucases and the Bennets dine together, and Charlotte Lucas is so kind as to listen patiently to Mr. Collins.
- Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte. She accepts gratefully, knowing that her plain appearance and average family status makes the possibility of her dying an old maid a real one.
- When Elizabeth hears the news from Charlotte, she is shocked and there appears a huge rift between the two friends.
Jane Austen
1775-1817, lived in different parts of Hampshire, England
Austen Family
- Seventh of eight children
- George, her father, was rector* of the local Anglican church (rector, parson = words for preacher at that time)
- Cassandra, her mom, was from a wealthy family
- Jane’s family was never as wealthy as earlier generations
- Family home was "an open, amused, easy
intellectual atmosphere"
Jane’s education
- Jane tried going off to school twice but came home either sick or out of funds…and by age 11, Jane "never again lived anywhere beyond the bounds of her immediate family environment"
- Educated at home through her father’s library and her own interests
- Literary family - wrote and performed
plays and stories
Early writings
- 3 notebooks of her teen writings became known as “Juvenilia” when they were published after her death
- Novel called Love and Freindship* and other early writings mocked the style of “sentimental novels”
- 18th-century genre which celebrates everything emotional and is overly dramatic in its sentimentality
Tom Lefroy
- The man Jane fell in love with at age 20 but could not marry due to money… His family intervened and sent him away
Jane’s Young Adulthood
- Dad retired and moved family to Bath when Jane was 25
- Period with little writing / potential depression
- Accepted proposal from a family friend… but changed her mind the next day…
- Later wrote, “Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without Affection"
- George died suddenly so Jane, her siblings, and her mother lived in poverty / moved often for a few years
- Jane’s best companion her whole life was her sister Cassandra
Published Author!
- First published in 1811 - Sense and Sensibility
- Novel was a hit and sold out, giving Jane financial freedom and confidence
- 1813 - Pride and Prejudice which also sold out and had great reviews
- The Prince Regent (later King George IV) was even a fan of Jane Austen
End of Jane’s life
- Published Mansfield Park and Emma
- Became very sick in 1816 but kept writing
- Wrote Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (along with parts of other stories…)
- “Put down her pen” on 18 March 1817, making note of it in her journal…
- Died on July 18, 1817
Siblings had her last 2 novels (NA & P) published with a note identifying Jane as the author of all 6
Style of Austen
- criticizing sentimental novels
- part of the transition to literary realism
- characters were realistic, complex
- dialogue was realistic and showed tone of voice
- plots focused on women's dependence on marriage to secure social standing and economic security
- used wit / humor
- first English novelist to use free indirect speech- presenting a character's thoughts directly to the reader through a narrator
- “The hair was curled, and the maid sent away, and Emma sat down to think and be miserable.—It was a wretched business, indeed!—Such an overthrow of everything she had been wishing for!—Such a development of every thing most unwelcome!”
Setting of Pride and Prejudice
- Rural England during the Regency period**,** a period when King George III was unfit to rule so his son ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent
Landed gentry
- a historical British social class consisting of landowners who could live entirely from rental income. It was socially "below" the aristocracy, although some of the landed gentry were as rich as aristocrats
Marriage in Austen’s time
- marriage involved both emotions and financial security
- landed gentry made money by rental income on property, not work
- estates were passed down to an oldest son or another male relative
- younger sons often had to work to provide for themselves (clergy, military, law)
- daughters might receive money on their father’s death but not an estate
- parents (fathers) had to give permission to marry
- marriages had to be performed through the Church of England after an official engagement period \n