In 1813, Jane Austen anonymously published her second—and arguably most popular—novel, ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Originally written years earlier as ‘
First Impressions’, a manuscript she tried but failed to sell, the revised novel was met with instant success.
Despite ‘Pride and Prejudice’’s 19th-century setting, its biting wit, sharp eye for the nuances of human relationships, and opposites-attract romance continues to resonate with contemporary readers. The novel has become a fixture in popular culture and has been adapted into countless films, plays, and television series.
Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ centres on the conflict between marrying for love and marrying for economic reasons. None of Mr. Bennet’s five daughters can inherit his estate, so they are pressured into finding security in ‘good’ marriages. Elizabeth Bennet, the main character, struggles with the societal pressures of marriage and resists Mr. Darcy’s advances and proposals. Eventually, however, she finds that she does love him, and for that reason, she decides to marry him.