Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

The Bennet family lives in the Longbourn estate. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are the parents of five
daughters: Jane, Elizabeth (Lizzy), Mary, Catherine (Kitty), and Lydia. The Bennets have no
male heir, and according to the law, the Longbourn estate will pass to a distant relative, Mr.
Collins, upon Mr. Bennet’s death. This causes great anxiety for Mrs. Bennet, who is
determined to see her daughters married well to secure their futures.

The news that Mr. Bingley, a wealthy and attractive bachelor, has arrived at the nearby
estate of Netherfield creates excitement in the Bennet family. Mrs. Bennet immediately
hopes that he will marry one of her daughters, especially the eldest, Jane. At the first ball,
Mr. Bingley shows interest in Jane, while his friend, Mr. Darcy, makes a negative impression
on the society. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth, remarking that she is "not handsome
enough to tempt him."
This statement sparks hostility between Darcy and Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, Jane is invited to visit the Bingley household. Mrs. Bennet deliberately advises
Jane to go on horseback, even though it is raining, hoping this will force her to stay at
Netherfield longer. Jane indeed catches a cold and becomes seriously ill. Elizabeth goes to
take care of her and spends several days at Netherfield. During this time, she notices that
Darcy gradually begins to pay attention to her, although she still sees him only as an
arrogant aristocrat.

Bingley’s sisters, Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Louisa Hurst, as well as Louisa’s husband, Mr.
Hurst, are also living in the Bingley household. Caroline looks down on the Bennet family
and tries to win Darcy’s attention, constantly emphasizing her own virtues and superiority.
Louisa, being married, is less active but supports her sister in her condescending remarks.
Mr. Hurst is an indifferent man who is primarily interested in comfort and good food, and he
plays no significant role in the events.

Mr. Collins, a distant relative of the Bennet family and the heir to Longbourn, arrives for a
visit with the intention of choosing one of the daughters as his wife. He is a clergyman under
the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an influential and aristocratic woman.
Mr. Collins comes across as awkward, self-important, and excessively devoted to his
benefactress, which makes him seem comical to Elizabeth. Initially, Collins plans to propose
to Jane, but Mrs. Bennet advises him to consider Elizabeth instead, as Jane is, in her
opinion, destined for Mr. Bingley.

At the same time, a new character, George Wickham, a militia officer, appears in Meryton
and quickly wins the society’s favor with his charm and looks. Wickham tells Elizabeth that
Darcy treated him unfairly, depriving him of an inheritance left to him by Darcy’s father. This
story strengthens Elizabeth’s dislike for Darcy.

Mr. Collins decides to propose to Elizabeth, assuming she will not refuse. However, his
proposal is so devoid of romance that it comes across as insulting. He emphasizes the
advantages of such a marriage, highlighting his connection to Lady Catherine and his role as
the heir to Longbourn. Elizabeth firmly declines, despite her mother’s insistence and
Collins’s confidence that her refusal cannot be serious.
Mrs. Bennet is distraught, but Mr. Bennet supports his daughter, saying, “If you do marry Mr.
Collins, I shall never see you again.” Although Collins is hurt by the rejection, he quickly
recovers and soon proposes to Elizabeth’s friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte, knowing she
has little chance of marrying otherwise, accepts the proposal for the sake of financial
security, despite the lack of love. This decision shocks Elizabeth, who genuinely believed in
the romantic ideal of marriage.

At the Netherfield ball, Mr. Darcy unexpectedly invites Elizabeth to dance. She reluctantly
agrees, but her attitude toward him does not change. Although Darcy begins to show her
more and more attention, Elizabeth still sees him as a proud and arrogant man. The Bingley
sisters continue to express disdain for the Bennet family. Caroline tries to dissuade Darcy
from any thoughts of Elizabeth, pointing out her low birth and undesirable family
connections. Mr. Hurst, as usual, stays out of all intrigues, preferring the comfort of the
dining table.

Shortly after the ball, Mr. Bingley unexpectedly leaves for London, leaving Jane heartbroken.
The Bingley sisters (especially Caroline) insist that Bingley will not return and hint that he is
likely to marry another, more suitable woman. Jane is deeply upset by this.

Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte Lucas, now Mrs. Collins, in her new home, and soon they
visit Rosings Park, where Lady Catherine de Bourgh resides. Lady Catherine is Mr. Darcy’s
aunt. She is a domineering and haughty woman who openly belittles Elizabeth, emphasizing
her own superiority. Darcy, who is visiting his aunt, begins to show even more interest in
Elizabeth, frequently visiting her at the Collins household.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. He confesses his feelings but

The next day, Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter explaining his actions. In the letter, he details
the reasons for his interference in Jane and Bingley’s relationship. He explains that he
believed Jane did not have genuine feelings for Bingley and felt it was his duty to protect his
friend from potential heartache. Darcy also reveals the truth about Wickham, who tried to
elope with Darcy’s sister Georgiana to gain access to her inheritance.
Elizabeth begins to reassess her feelings toward Darcy. She realizes she was wrong in her
judgment of both Darcy and Wickham. However, she is still not ready to fully forgive Darcy.

Meanwhile, Lydia Bennet goes to Brighton with the wife of Colonel Forster, which worries
Elizabeth. She knows Lydia’s reckless nature and the fact that Wickham is also there, which
could lead to trouble.

Later, Elizabeth goes on a trip to Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.
As part of their journey, they decide to visit Pemberley, Darcy’s estate. Elizabeth does not
expect to see him there, believing he is in London, and agrees to the visit out of curiosity.
During the tour of the house, she is struck by its elegance and beauty and is particularly
impressed by the way the servants speak of their master.
Unexpectedly, Darcy returns to Pemberley and meets Elizabeth and her relatives. However,
his behavior surprises Elizabeth: Darcy shows politeness, friendliness, and even
attentiveness to her aunt and uncle, despite their lack of high social standing. This once
again makes Elizabeth reconsider her opinion of him.

Terrible news arrives: Lydia has eloped with Wickham, and it seems they are not planning to
marry. Elizabeth and her family are devastated. They fear that if Lydia does not marry, it will
irreparably damage the family’s reputation. However, soon Mr. Gardiner reports that
Wickham and Lydia have been found in London and will marry if Mr. Bennet pays Wickham
a substantial sum of money. Mr. Gardiner claims he negotiated with Wickham and paid the
necessary amount himself.
Elizabeth suspects that her uncle could not have done this alone and soon learns the truth: it
was Darcy who arranged Lydia and Wickham’s marriage by paying Wickham’s debts and
convincing him to marry. Elizabeth is stunned by Darcy’s actions. She realizes that his
behavior was driven not only by a sense of duty but also by his deep feelings for her.

After Lydia and Wickham’s marriage, the couple arrives at Longbourn. Lydia, as usual,
behaves frivolously and carelessly, unaware of the gravity of her actions or the danger she
brought upon her family.

Mr. Bingley returns to Hertfordshire and resumes his visits to Longbourn. He finally
confesses his feelings to Jane and soon proposes to her. Jane is overjoyed, and Mrs.
Bennet cannot hide her delight that her eldest daughter is marrying a wealthy and worthy
man.

Soon, Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives at Longbourn, furious about rumors of a potential
engagement between Elizabeth and Darcy. She demands that Elizabeth promise never to
marry Darcy, but Elizabeth refuses to comply.

A few days later, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth again, this time fully recognizing her virtues
and expressing his love with respect and tenderness. Darcy no longer mentions the social
disparity between them and instead focuses on his sincere feelings. Elizabeth agrees to
marry him, acknowledging that her own views have changed and that she no longer sees
Darcy as the arrogant man she initially thought he was.

The weddings of Elizabeth and Darcy, as well as Jane and Bingley, take place almost
simultaneously. Mr. Bennet proudly declares that he could not have found a better husband
for his daughter than Darcy, despite his initial doubts.

Darcy and Elizabeth move to Pemberley, where they begin their life together. Jane and
Bingley also move to a neighboring estate. Mrs. Bennet is overjoyed that her two eldest
daughters have made such fortunate marriages.