Pride and Prejudice

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

9:20 AM

Socio-Historical Context
a females entrance into the public sphere results to a reprehensible loss of femininity.
Additionally, Austen may have sought anonymity because of the more general atmosphere of
repression pervading her era. As the Napoleonic Wars (18001815) threatened the safety of
monarchies throughout Europe, government censorship of literature proliferated
The social milieu of Austens Regency England was particularly stratified, and class divisions were
rooted in family connections and wealth, she depicts social mobility is limited and class-
consciousness is strong
the chief method of self-improvement for women was the acquisition of wealth. Women could
only accomplish this goal through successful marriage.

Relate to Philippine Context

Marriage is considered one of the most important and sacred event in the Filipino culture. It is crucial in
the part of the couple because they need to determine if their partner is the right one for them.
Marrying a person is also marrying their family, in the Filipino culture where being family-centered is
greatly valued, the family's opinion towards to whom to get married is very much considered in the
decision-making process. In the so called "Pamamanhikan", the male and his family shall go to visit the
woman's house to offer and convince the family of marrying their daughter. Both families have the
chance to know more of each other. When the woman's family approved the proposal, they can now
settle wedding details.

Plot

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 daughtersfrom oldest to youngest, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and
Lydiaand Mrs. Bennetis 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
Elizabeths charm and intelligence. Janes 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 Bingleys sister. Miss Bingleys 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. Bennets 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
Janes dismay. A further shock arrives with the news that Mr. Collins has become engaged to Charlotte
Lucas, Elizabeths 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. Collinss patron, Lady
Catherine de Bourgh, who is also Darcys aunt. Darcy calls on Lady Catherine and encounters Elizabeth,
whose presence leads him to make a number of visits to the Collinss 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 Wickhams 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 Wickhams 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, Darcys estate. She visits Pemberley,
after making sure that Darcy is away, and delights in the building and grounds, while hearing from
Darcys 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 hopPe 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 familys 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 Wickhams 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 Bingleys 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.

Issues raised by the Story

1. Pride exemplified by Elizabeth

2. Prejudice. Exemplified by Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Ms. Bingley
As implied from the title , Pride and Prejudice, is the issue of the story. Elizabeth's refusal from
Darcy's marriage proposal was because of her pride, remember in the social gathering where
Darcy refused to dance with Elizabeth. Her pride urged her to re-evaluate her feelings to Darcy
that is why she made her way to Pemberly to convince herself. Upon finding out that Darcy is not
what she thought she'd make up her mind about accepting the proposal. Lady Catherine and Ms.
Bingley's disparity in Elizabeth-Darcy and Jane-Mr. Bingley relationship without being logical
caused them to treat irrationally the Bennet Sisters.