English Study Buddy

• Emma experiences several major revelations in the novel that fundamentally change her understanding of herself and those around her. Which two discoveries do you think is most important to Emma’s development as a character in the novel, and why?
• In what ways, if at all, might Emma be considered a feminist novel?
• Frank Churchill and Mr. Knightley represent two different sets of values and two different understandings of manhood. Describe the values that each character represents, and explain how the novel judges these values.
• To what extent does the narrator express approval of Emma, and to what extent does the narrator criticize her? Choose a passage from the novel and analyze the sympathy and/or ironic judgment the narrator expresses in relation to Emma her ‘heroine’..
• Emma is filled with dialogue in which characters misunderstand each other. Choose a scene from the novel and examine in detail how their miscommunication reveals their character.
• Choose two humorous incidents in the novel, and discuss what each reveals about the characters involved.
• Emma both questions and upholds traditional class distinctions. What message do you think the novel ultimately conveys about class in England in Austen’s Regency Period?
• Emma is clever, but is often wrong about people. She can be kindhearted but capable of inconsiderate behavior. Do you find Emma interesting as a heroine? Why or why not?
• How does love transform two of the characters in the novel?
• Discuss the importance of setting in the novel.
• What is your opinion of Frank Churchill? Cite the test to support your answer.
• What do you think of Mr. Elton’s actions after he is refused by Emma?

Questions for Study

• What is the role of letters in Sense and Sensibility?
• Although Elinor Dashwood is not a first-person narrator, most of the story is told through her eyes. Why do you think the author chose this narrative structure and not one of multiple view points?
• Although it ends with two marriages, some readers have claimed that of all of Austen’s novels, Sense and Sensibility has the saddest ending. In what way would you agree or disagree with that assessment.
• Elinor and Marianne’s younger sister Margaret plays a very minor role in the novel. Why do you think Austen took the trouble to include her at all?Could she be said to further the plot of the novel in any way? In what way does she serve as a comparison or contrast with any of the other characters? Can she be seen to enlighten us about any of the other characters?
• Do you find the ending of the novel, when Marianne decides to marry Colonel Brandon, a satisfactory conclusion to the novel as a whole? Why or why not? Please make close reference to the text.
• Comment on Austen’s depiction of children in the novel. Give two specific examples of children in the novel. What do you think Austen is trying to tell us about them?
• What is your opinion of Willoughby? Do we have any hints as to something being amiss with his character before he breaks Marianne’s heart?
• Compare and contrast Willoughby and Colonel Brandon.
• Compare and contrast Elinor and Marianne.
• What is your opinion of Edward Ferrars’ actions throughout the novel.
• Who would you describe as the ‘villain’ of Sense and Sensibility? Why? Make close reference to your text.
• What is your opinion of Lucy Steele’s actions throughout the novel.
• Compare and contrast Mrs. Dashwood’s relationships with her children to that of Mrs. Ferrars’.

Jane Austen Novels

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The death of Mr. Henry Dashwood’s uncle opens the novel. Upon the uncle’s death, Norland estate is inherited by Henry Dashwood, on the condition it should next pass to his son John, and John’s young son, and not to his three daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret.

John Dashwood is wealthy, but at Mr. Dashwood’s death, the Dashwood women are left with only a small pittance to live on. On his deathbed, Mr. Dashwood made his son promise to provide for his stepmother and half sisters, but John is easily persuaded by his selfish wife Fanny that they should use the money for their “real” family, namely their son.

John and his family move into Norland estate, pretty much making them feel in the way and unwanted. He does not fulfil his father’s dying request, and lets the women fend pretty much for themselves.

Feeling like guests in what had been their home, the four Dashwood women seek a new house on their limited budget. In the interim, the family is visited by Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s brother.

He and Elinor get along well, and close young Dashwoods think it romantic and hope they will marry. However, by all accounts, Mrs. Ferrars is as bad as Fanny, and Edward seems to be holding back for some reason. They think it may have to do with him not yet having taking religious orders, so that he is not at present able to support a wife, no matter how much in love they might be.

Their budding courtship is interrupted by a telegram from a distant relative of their mother’s, telling of a cottage they may rent in Southwestern England. With mixed feelings, the Dashwoods leave their home and travel to Barton Cottage.

They arrive to meet the owners of Barton Park, Sir John Middleton and his wife Lady Middleton. They also meet Mrs. Jennings, Lady Middleton’s mother. She likes the girls very much, as does Colonel Brandon, an older friend of the Middleton’s who takes a liking to Marianne.

Colonel Brandon seems to be the kindest of men, but despite his obvious interest in her, Marianne thinks the Colonel is too old for romance. She prefers the dashing young Willoughby, who assists her after she falls down a hill and injures her ankle.

After carrying her home, the two meet often and discuss their many mutual interests. She is the sensibility part of the title, emotional, sensitive, while her sister is rational and to all outward appearances, unruffled by adversity. However, Elinor does feel things keenly, she just doesn’t emote all over the place like Marianne. She and Willoughby are die-hard romantics, and sit around reading poetry all day while Elinor struggles to help her mother make ends meet.

Marianne and Willoughby seem to be very much in love, and a perfect match, begin to suspect they will be a match, until one day Willoughby suddenly leaves Devonshire for London, upsetting everyone, Marianne most of all.

Soon after Willoughby’s departure, Edward Ferrars makes a belated visit to the Cottage. He seems distant, and Elinor fears he may no longer have feelings for her.

After he leaves, the Dashwoods receive two new guests, the Palmers. When the Palmers leave, they are replaced by two young ladies, Ann and Lucy Steele. Sir John tells the Miss Steeles that Elinor is attached to Mr. Ferrars.

When Lucy Steele asks Elinor for her confidence, Lucy reveals that she is attached to Edward Ferrars. Elinor conceals her own connection while Lucy tells her about their secret four-year engagement.

Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to her London home. Upon arriving in London, Marianne immediately writes Willoughby, but her letters go unanswered. Elinor becomes increasingly suspicious of their supposed engagement. When they encounter Willoughby at a party, he is cold and formal, and accompanied by another woman.

Marianne writes to Willoughby the next day, and soon receives a letter from him. In it, he denies any feelings for her, apologizes for any confusion, and tells her he is engaged to another woman. This woman, they learn, has a large fortune.

Marianne admits there was no formal engagement, but her love for Willoughby is clear. Marianne falls into a terrible emotional and physical sickness, literally pining away for love.

Colonel Brandon reveals to Elinor how Willoughby seduced the Colonel’s young foster daughter Eliza Williams, leaving her alone, penniless, and pregnant. When Elinor repeats this story to Marianne, Willoughby’s poor character is cemented in her mind.

Soon after they hear of Willoughby’s marriage to his heiress, the two Miss Steele’s arrive. John and Fanny Dashwood are also in town.

John tells Elinor that Edward Ferrars is likely to be married soon, to a woman with a large fortune. When Elinor next sees Lucy, it is in the presence of Mrs. Ferrars, Edward’s mother. Mrs. Ferrars, suspecting no connection between Edward and Lucy, treats Lucy wonderfully, while she coolly ignores Elinor, no doubt at the instigation of Fanny, and her being looked down on as not having enough money, not being a good enough match, even though John Dashwood could have fixed that if he and Fanny had been more kind.

Mrs. Jennings has some startling news to tell Elinor. Fanny has learned of Lucy and Edward’s long-standing engagement. Feeling angry and betrayed, Fanny threw the Miss Steeles out of her house.

They learn from John Dashwood that Mrs. Ferrars asked Edward to end the engagement, and when he would not, she disinherited him, leaving him nearly broke, with only the possibility of being ordained and getting a living standing in the way of starvation.

While walking in the park, Elinor runs into Ann Steele. She tells Elinor that Edward offered to end the engagement now that he is no longer his mother’s heir, but that Lucy claims she loved him so much that she wanted it to continue.

Edward continues to work to be ordained, while his younger brother becomes heir.

The next day, Elinor receives a letter from Lucy, telling her what has happened, and that though she urged Edward to end the engagement for his own sake, so that his mother would reinstate him, he would not hear of it. Elinor is miserable at what appears to be the unwavering love of the couple, and certainly Edward’s insistence that he do the right thing and keep his word no matter what.

Elinor and Marianne plan to return to Barton Cottage, but they visit a few weeks at the Palmers’ house in Cleveland first. Before leaving, Colonel Brandon tells Elinor of a parsonage on his estate that Edward could manage. With this prospect of income at last, Edward’s and Lucy’s marriage seems a forgone conclusion. Elinor is glad for the couple, but miserable herself.

But soon she has a greater worry, for shortly after arriving at Cleveland, Marianne catches a violent cold. She has been pining for love, starving herself, and becomes feverish and delirious.

Elinor sends Colonel Brandon to fetch her mother while she calls the doctor, and many anxious moments ensue. Willoughby arrives, having heard how ill she was, and anxious to explain himself even though it is too late.

He tells Elinor he did and still does love Marianne, and was going to ask her to marry him, when his benefactress became informed of his behavior towards Colonel Brandon’s foster daughter. He was dismissed, and to keep his wealthy lifestyle, he had to marry well, which he did, to Miss Gray.

He got the money he wanted, but he deeply regrets the way he’s acted, and how he lost the only woman he ever loved as a result. He admits to Elinor that the cruel final letter written to Marianne was actually written by his wife.

He despises himself for his stupidity, and asks Elinor to tell Marianne one day, if she ever thinks she will be well enough to hear the truth. He goes away a bitter, miserable man. Once again, John and Fanny’s selfish actions ruined the Dashwood sisters’ chances.

Mrs. Dashwood arrives with Colonel Brandon, who went to fetch her, fearing Marianne would die. During the journey, the Colonel revealed to her his love for Marianne, and Mrs. Dashwood hopes to have them married.

When Marianne is well enough, the three return to Barton. Several days after their arrival, they learn of the marriage of “Mr. Ferrars to Lucy Steele.”

Elinor is crushed. All her hopes are now gone, and with her standing in society, she feels she is doomed to being an old maid.

The next day, Edward arrives at Barton. When Elinor inquires about Mrs. Ferrars, not his mother, but his wife, he tells her that it was his brother, not he, who wed Lucy Steele.

They are all stunned at the news—Lucy never loved Edward, she had been scheming all along to get the Ferrars’ money. When Edward was disowned she latched onto his brother instead.

Edward ask for forgiveness in trying to do the honorable thing even though he knew he no longer loved Lucy Steele.

He asks Elinor to marry him, and she agrees. Edward attempts to reconcile with his mother, and she gives them a little money. The two are now able to marry, and take up residence at the Colonel’s parsonage.

In the meantime, Marianne has grown to see the error of her ways, and that sense and sensibility are not opposites, but must be finely balanced. She did love Willoughby, but she was in love with the idea of being in love even more.

Colonel Brandon undertakes to improve her reading so she is not constantly indulging in romances, and the more she gets to know him, the more they fall in love. Theirs is a marriage of true friendship and regard, just as Elinor and Edward are well-matched.

Elinor gives her Willoughby’s message at last, and all becomes clear. They would never have been happy, it had been passionate while it lasted but she could never have loved a man she had no respect for.

Marianne is happy to marry to Colonel Brandon. His unfailing kindness and compassion to everyone, including the ward Willoughby ruined, and Eliza’s daughter, show he is a man who can be trust and who possesses the utmost integrity and decency. They are married, and live happily ever after only moments away from Edward and Elinor, and all their new-found friends, who prove far kinder than their own half-brother ever was.

Characters in order of appearance:

Henry Dashwood — a wealthy gentleman who dies at the beginning of the story. The terms of his estate prevent him from leaving anything to his second wife and their children together, the three girls Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret.  He asks John, his son by his first wife, to look after (meaning ensure the financial security of) his second wife and his half-sisters.

Mrs. Dashwood — the second wife of Henry Dashwood, who is left in difficult financial straits by the death of her husband. Much like her daughter Marianne, she is also very emotional (suffers from the sensibility of the title) and often makes poor decisions based on emotion rather than reason.

Elinor Dashwood —represents the sense part of the title. She is hard-working and practical. She becomes attached to Edward Ferrars, whom she meets through her unpleasant and greedy sister in law Fanny, John’s wife. Always feeling a keen sense of responsibility to her family and friends, she places their welfare and interests above her own needs and desires, and suppresses her own sensibility in a way that leads others to think she is indifferent or cold-hearted, when in fact, she suffers far more torment than Marianne over love in this story.

Marianne Dashwood — The romantically inclined girl of ‘sensibility’. She is the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She is the object of the attentions of Mr. Willoughby, and later the serious and reliable Colonel Brandon.. She is attracted to young, handsome, romantically spirited Willoughby and doesn’t think much about older, more reserved Colonel Brandon, until she manages to get beyond superficial appearance and the idea of romance, and sees both men for what they are really worth.

Margaret Dashwood — the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood. Also romantic and well-tempered but not expected to be as clever as her sisters when she grows older. Yet another responsibility Elinor willingly takes on in this close-knit family.

John Dashwood — the son of Henry Dashwood by his first wife. He is generally good-natured and charitable, but easily swayed by his less-likeable wife, Fanny, who is greedy and judgemental. All the misfortunes of the novel could have potentially been avoided if he had obeyed his father’s dying wishes.

Fanny Dashwood — the wife of John Dashwood, and sister to Edward and Robert Ferrars. She is vain, selfish and snobbish, just like her mother, the terrifying  Mrs. Ferrars.

Sir John Middleton — a distant relative of Mrs. Dashwood who, after the death of Henry Dashwood, invites her and her three daughters to live in a cottage on his property. Described as a wealthy, sporting man who served in the army with Colonel Brandon, he is very amiable and outgoing, kind, and keen to throw frequent parties, picnics and other social gatherings to bring together the young people of their village. He and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings, make a jolly, teasing and gossipy pair.

Lady Middleton — The genteel, but cold and reserved wife of Sir John Middleton, she is more quiet and introverted than her husband, and is primarily concerned with mothering her four spoilt children.

Mrs. Jennings — mother to Lady Middleton and Charlotte Palmer. A widow who has married off all of her children, she spends most of her time visiting her two daughters and their families, especially the Middletons.

She and her son-in-law, Sir John Middleton, take an active interest in the romantic affairs of the young people around them and seek to encourage suitable matches, often to the particular embarrassment of Elinor and Marianne, whom they see as very worthy and deserving, and whom they want to help as much as possible without wounding their pride by offering too much charity.

This new little family circle are a deliberate contrast to the Dashwoods.

Edward Ferrars — The elder of Fanny Dashwood’s two brothers. He forms an attachment to Elinor Dashwood. Years before meeting the Dashwoods, Ferrars proposed to Lucy Steele, the niece of his tutor at the time. The engagement has been kept secret owing to the expectation that Ferrars’s family would object to his marrying the poor Miss Steele. He is studying to become a clergyman, which his mother does not approve of.

Robert Ferrars — the younger brother of Edward Ferrars and Fanny Dashwood, he is most concerned about status, fashion and his new barouche. Their mother will play the two boys off against one another, with pretty unpleasant results.

Mrs. Ferrars — Fanny Dashwood and Edward and Robert Ferrars’ mother. A bad-tempered, unsympathetic woman who embodies all the foibles demonstrated in Fanny and Robert’s characteristics. She is determined that her sons should marry well, and will do anything she can to bring it about, even blackmail Edward with disinheritance. She is so vain she takes Lucy Steele’s flattery as humility and ‘knowing her place’ and being grateful, and Fanny takes the same attitude. Their attitude causes total misunderstandings for Lucy, and misery for Elinor, and their  egos will also help bring about pretty unpleasant results.

Colonel Brandon — a close friend of Sir John Middleton. In his youth, Brandon had fallen in love with his father’s ward, but was prevented by his family from marrying her because she was intended for his older brother.

He was sent abroad to be away from her, and while gone, the girl suffered numerous misfortunes partly as a consequence of her unhappy marriage, finally dying penniless and disgraced, and with a natural daughter, Eliza Williams, who becomes the ward of the Colonel.

John Willoughby — a nephew of a neighbour of the Middletons, a dashing figure who charms Marianne and shares her artistic and cultural sensibilities. They constantly indulge in romantic poetry and idleness, while Elinor is left with all the drudgery.

Charlotte Palmer — the daughter of Mrs. Jennings and the younger sister of Lady Middleton, Mrs. Palmer is jolly but empty-headed and laughs at inappropriate things, such as her husband’s continual rudeness to her and to others.

Mr. Palmer — the husband of Charlotte Palmer who is running for a seat in Parliament, but is idle and often rude. He is an example of an unhappy marriage because not well matched with his wife. Sir John is not either, but he does not let himself get bitter. Sir John tries to help people, while Mr. Palmer, for all he wants to get into Parliament, just seems to find them a damned nuisance.

Lucy Steele — a young, distant relation of Mrs. Jennings, who has for some time been secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars. She cultivates friendships with Elinor Dashwood and Mrs. John Dashwood in order to try to get them on her side when the time comes to try to marry Edward, once he is ordained or settled in a proper career. Limited in formal education and financial means, she is nonetheless attractive, clever, manipulative and scheming. She lives to flatter and her ‘confidences’ are calculated—she knows Elinor and Edward are well matched and does everything she can to split them up.

Anne/Nancy Steele — Lucy Steele’s elder, socially inept and less clever sister. She helps her in her efforts to win a rich husband for the sale of the whole family.

Miss Sophia Grey — a wealthy heiress who Mr. Willoughby marries in order to retain his comfortable lifestyle after he is disinherited by his aunt. She is bitter and angry to find he loves another, but determined to have him for herself.

Lord Morton — the father of Miss Morton

Miss Morton — a wealthy woman whom Mrs. Ferrars wants her eldest son, Edward, to marry

Mr. Pratt — the uncle of Lucy and Anne Steele. He was Edward’s tutor. 

This is one of the most famous starting sentences in all of literature:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

It sets the tone for the whole of the book, marriage, and material considerations, and gets us right into the middle of the action, for we are about to discover that a single man has moved into the main characters’ district, causing all sorts of romantic feminine hopes–and more mercenary designs as well.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

The word property is deliberate as well, once again reminding us of the main reason why marriage was entered into, for property and family considerations.

‘My dear Mr. Bennet,’ said his lady to him one day, ‘have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?’

We thus find out that two of the main characters are Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and she is very excited to  discover a local house has been rented and new tenants have arrived. The new tenant is  hoped to be a good addition to their small society, but it is also obvious from the opening two sentences that she has already checked out the new neighbor with an eye to who the person is, has family, material circumstances, and so on.

She has “Googled” him to the best of her ability according to the neigbourhood gossip, and is overjoyed he is a bachelor. Her scheming mind is already working out which of her daughters is entitled to him. As we will soon discover, she has 5.

Therefore, while she might seem embarrassing and gauche and even mercenary to us, she is a realistic woman who knows that marriage is the only way her daughters can function fully in a male-dominated society. A husband gives respectibility, reputation, material comfort and protection. Of course, a bad husband can destroy all of these.

But the opening line suggests a gentle comedy rather than tragedy, though Austen skirts quite close to it at times. It is also interesting that if there are to be multiple daughters, there are going to be multiple heroes in the novel, at least 3 in this case.

This novel is also masterful because of the multiple viewpoints. We can see Mrs. Bennet’s point of view, her excitement, right from the start of the novel, but we can also get the sense of ‘be careful what you wish for’ as well.

This single gentleman, Mr. Bingley, is the first of our ‘heroes’ and it is because of him that the other two main male protagonists will appear, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Wickham.

This opening is therefore masterful in terms of plot, characterisation and narrative, bringing us right into the middle of the action and giving us characters we can care about and engage with.

Mr Bennet, a gentleman in moderate circumstances living in a small town in Hertfordshire, north of London.

Mrs Bennet, his wife.

Jane

Elizabeth

Mary

Catherine

Lydia

The five  daughters of Mr. And Mrs. Bennet

Sir William Lucas, an affable knight, formerly in trade.

Lady Lucas, his wife.

Charlotte

Maria

Master Lucas

Children of Sir William and Lady Lucas.

Mr Charles Bingley, a rich and amiable young man of leisure.

Mr Hurst, brother-in-law of Mr. Bingley.

Mrs Hurst

Miss Caroline Bingley, sisters of Mr. Bingley

Fitzwilliam Darcy, a friend of Mr. Bingley and a young man of wealth and high station.

Georgiana Darcy, younger sister of Mr. Darcy, who serves as her guardian jointly with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Colonel Forster, of the ——shire regiment.

Mrs Forster, his wife.

Mr Philips, successor to Mrs. Bennet’s father in business.

Mrs Philips, his wife, sister to Mrs. Bennet.

Mr Gardiner, in business in London, a brother of Mrs. Bennet.

Mrs Gardiner, his wife.

Several young children of the Gardiners, not mentioned specifically by name

Rev William Collins, a pompous and obsequious clergyman, cousin to the Bennets, and Mr. Bennet’s male heir

Lady Catherine De Bourgh, a domineering, rich old lady, aunt of Mr. Darcy.

Miss De Bourgh, invalid daughter of lady catherine.

Mr Wickham, a worthless young officer in the ——shire regiment, with a deep dark secret or two.

Miss King, courted by Mr. Wickham in the earlier part of the novel.

Mrs Jenkinson, a governess of Georgina Darcy’s and friend of the feckless Wickham

Colonel Fitzwilliam, a cousin of Mr. Darcy and nephew of Lady Catherine De Bourgh.

Mrs Reynolds, Darcy’s Housekeeper at his great estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire, northwest of London and Hertfordshire, in the Midlands of England.

Pemberley, Modeled on the great home Chatsworth in Derbyshire, owned by the Duke of Devonshire

(click here for Part 1)Once in Kent visiting the now-married Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, Lizzie enjoys the countryside around Kent and the quiet of the countryside and life without her rambunctious younger sisters. She has high hopes of Jane having a wonderful time in London, and making things up with Bingley once the more rowdy members of the family are out of the way.

She does not get the best view of marriage possible, but she does see that it does have a fair amount of freedom compared to the life of a single woman. Charlotte tells her that the ideal marriage is to have as little to do with one’s partner as possible. Lizze, however, dreams of something more passionate and intellectually stimulating. She has no real hope of Wickham’s love now that the regiment has moved to fashionable Brighton, and he has shown his true colors by chasing after unattractive Miss King for her fortune, but she does at least clarify in her own mind that there are a lot worse things than being single.

While in Kent, she is surprised to be invited often to Lady Catherine De Bourgh’s house to entertain with her wit and fine playing. Mr. Collins is delighted that his cousin has made such a favorable impression. Save for her ladyship’s kindness and endowment of his living at the Church, he would not have many prospects.

She is stunned when Mr. Darcy comes into the district to stay with his aunt, and his charming cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. The fact that his is his given name too shows how close the family ties are. Lizzie despises Darcy for lack of proper family feeling due to the tale she has been told by Mr. Wickham, that he really wanted to be a clergyman like Mr. Collins, at Darcy’s estate, but Darcy cheated him out of it.

She decides to ask Colonel Fitzwilliam about it, but he can’t say a word wrong about Darcy. In fact, no one can. However, a chance remark by Colonel Fitzwilliam about Mr. Darcy having recently rescued Mr. Bingley from an unfortunate match due to there “being strong objections to the lady” totally infuriates her.

In a masterpiece of dramatic timing, she has only just made this discovery, and has declined an invitation to Lady Catherine’s because she has been so upset, when in walks Darcy, to actually propose marriage to her.

The whole time they have been in Kent, he has silently observed her, and she has taken it as nothing but fault-finding. Indeed, while he professes to love her, he also spells out that he will be lowering himself considerably in taking her to wife.

Her own pride wounded, she lets her prejudices against him have full rein, revealing that she is under the impression that Darcy ruined Wickham, and that he meddled between Bingley and Ajne and has destroyed her happiness forever. That it was not simply a way to get a husband on Jane’s side, but there seemed genuine feeling for both of the young people.

Darcy Is stunned at her outrage, and withdraws his marriage proposal in embarrassment and shame over his lack of gentlemanly actions. He writes a letter to explain himself, and Elizabeth is embarrassed in return to learn that she had been mislead about Darcy’s character.

Wickham squandered his living, and every education opportunity which was given to him, until Darcy finally agreed to give him the sum of the living he was to have had as a clergyman (which he was clearly unsuited for) and bought him as a commission as an officer in the Army.

She is stunned at this, but even worse is to come—Wickham had been brought up with the family though only the son of Darcy’s steward of the estate, and tried to use his charm with Darcy’s young sister, only 15 at the time, to get her to elope so he could get his hands on her money. In this he was helped by Georgiana’s own governess—both of them unscrupulously trying to make their way in the world like parasites rather than do an honest day’s work, willing to marry for money, but no love.

Lizzie is horrified at this tale of Wickham’s bad character, and is sorry for ever having misjudged Darcy, though she can’t entirely forgive him for his meddling with Jane’s life. But now she is forced to re-look at Darcy, and see all his actions in a different light-that of a man in love almost from the moment he met her, but naturally reluctant to link himself with Mrs Bennet and her younger daughters, who cause scandal wherever they go.

She begins to think that had she known the truth, she would have loved Darcy as he loved her. Darcy leaves that part of the country before she can sort out her feelings and make amends with him. She tells Jane and no one else, and is secretly heart-broken at the idea that she might never see him again, and that he must hate her now for all the things she said and did, and despise her for being so stupid as to fancy herself in love with Wickham the worthless when she could have had Darcy the heir to Pemberley.

Good fortune seems to come in the form of a trip to Derbyshire with her Aunt Gardiner, who grew up there. She persuades Lizzie to go see Pemberley and they are greeted graciously by the house-keeper, who has known Darcy since he was a child, and Wickham too. Everything she says confirms what Lizzie has discovered. That has is an amazing man, devoted guardian and brother, son, and master of the estate, the exact opposite of the debauched Wickham in every way.

She has the sinking feeling she has made the biggest mistake of her life. Then she meets him again when she is touring the gardens of his estate with her aunt and uncle.

To her surprise, after his initial shock in finding her there, Darcy treats her with kindness, and goes out of his way to get to know her aunt and uncle even though they are in trade. From the invitations he gives and the way he introduces her to Georgiana, she believes he may still love her. But before anything can be done about it, she learns that one of her younger sister, Lydia, the youngest at only 15, has eloped with Wickham from Brighton. Elizabeth blurts out the news to Darcy when he comes to pick her up early for a day at his estate. He is horrified, and runs for her aunt and uncle. She returns home immediately, miserable at the thought that she could have prevented it had she warned people of Wickham’s true character, though she did not because she did not want to betrays Darcy’s confiding in her and leave young Georgiana open to scandal.

She is also disturbed because she is sure Darcy will never want anything to do with her or her family-after all, how could he possibly ever bear to be a brother-in-law to Wickham of all people.

Her father has gone to London to see if he could find the couple, for they have not actually got married thus far. He and her uncle have no luck and Mr Bennet comes home dejected and with no idea what to do next. All Wickham’s debts are now revealed, and his bad character generally made known. He is ruined in Hertfordshire and Brighton, and the fear they will never get him to marry Lydia because they will never have enough money to clear his debts and survive.

Just as they are giving up hope, Uncle Gardiner writes to say he will take Lydia with $1000 a year. Everyone is relieved, but Mr Bennet confides in Lizzie that he is sure it is Mr Gardiner’s money and he must have had to give Wickham a huge bribe and pay off all his debts. He is miserable that he will never be able to repay him.

When the scandal of her sister’s elopement and wedding is sorted out, Elizabeth is surprised that Darcy returns to the district with Bingley. She expected that the shame of her sister’s actions had ruined any chances of a relationship with Mr. Darcy, or between Jane and Bingley.

Lydia comes to see them all to lord it over the girls that she is the youngest but now married. She lets drop that Darcy was at the wedding in London.

Elizabeth is stunned, and demands to know from her aunt what it could mean. She learns from her aunt that Darcy did a great part in getting her younger sister properly married; he hunted them down hiding with Georgiana’s former governess. Lizzie regretted ruining her chances with Darcy by telling him of the elopement. In fact, if she had not told him, the whole family would have been destroyed.

Darcy helped Lydia because he loves Lizzie, and they admit their love, and are married.

Bingley has been given his blessing by Darcy, who admits he should never have interfered. Lady Catherine is not too happy that Elizabeth and Darcy are to be married—she had intended him for her daughter. Caroline Bingley too, acted out of spite because she wanted Darcy for herself, and for Bingley to marry Georgiana.

But the virtuous if poor Bennet girls are rewarded, even if the naughty one and Wickham are as well. They all live happily ever after except for Lydia and Wickham. From pride to humility, from prejudice to love and compassion, Lizzie and Darcy make the greatest journey of all, and we feel that all the couples get their just reward in the end.

Elizabeth Bennet is a country gentleman’s daughter in early 19th Century England around the time of the Napoleonic War if we are to judge from the amount of soldiers and troop movements which are mentioned throughout the novel.

Elizabeth is the second of five daughters, a plight that her father bears as best he can with common sense and a general disinterest in what he deems the silliness of all his daughters except the two eldest.

Elizabeth is his favorite because of her level-headed approach to life and love. She is not absurdly romantic or impetuous. Jane, Elizabeth’s eldest sister, commonly referred to as Miss Bennett throughout the novel, is nearly as sensible and practical as Elizabeth, but Jane is also the beauty of the family, and therefore, Mrs. Bennet’s highest hope for a good match. And once Jane makes a good match, it is hoped that their society will be widened enough that she can try to find good husbands for all her girls.

It is essential she do so, for Mr. Bennet’s property has been ‘entailed’ to a male cousin, since people in that period of time felt women would be unable to manage an estate or business affairs. When they father dies, their future will be very uncertain unless they are married.

So when Mr. Bingley, a wealthy young gentleman of London, takes a country estate near to the Bennet’s home, Mrs. Bennet begins her match-making schemes without any trace of subtlety or dignity. And with all the strategy of a master general, throwing Jane and Bingley together from the outset.

Despite Mrs. Bennet’s embarassing interference, Mr. Bingley and Jane become fond of one another.

However, this budding love affair is interfered with by Mr. Darcy, who has accompanied Bingley to the country. He begins his acquaintance with Elizabeth, her family, and their neighbors with a smug condescension and proud distaste for the all of the country people. He is inflexible and insulting, and by the time he starts taking an interest in the people around him as human beings, his pride is plain for all to see and will prove a difficult obstacle for everyone to overcome.

Elizabeth, seeing his pride and hating being slighted, makes it a point to match his seeming disgust with everyone in Hertfordshire with her own prejudice against him. She also hears from new soldier in the regiment, Mr. Wickham, that Darcy has misused him dreadfully, basically cheating him out of an inheritance that Darcy’s father had intended for him

This story seems to match Darcy’s arrogance and conceit, and so she draws closer to Wickham, even though they would both be poor as church mice if they ever dared marry.

Without thinking through the story or checking her facts, Elizabeth immediately seizes upon it as another, more concrete reason to hate Mr. Darcy and abuse him to her sister Jane. She contradicts and argues with Mr. Darcy each time they meet, but somewhere along the way he begins to like Elizabeth.

When Bingley leaves the countryside suddenly and makes no attempts to contact Jane anymore, Jane is heartbroken. Elizabeth, who had thought well of Bingley, believes that there is something amiss in the way that he left Jane in the lurch. She knows it is partly to do with Mr Bingley’s superior sisters, Miss Caroline, and Mrs. Hurst, but she feels sure it is something to do with Darcy as well, and how he always seems to sneer at her and her family.

His sneering is actually fondness for her and being tongue-tied, but at a ball that Bingley’s give in Netherfield, her family act as if the couple is already married, even though they hardly know each other. Her father’s sarcasm and carelessness and her mother’s mercenary and outspoken nature have embarrassed Elizabeth, but family pride forces her to side with them even though she is ashamed and wishes in particular that her sister, Lydia, the youngest at only 15, would not chase after every man in a uniform.

Adding to the embarrassing family debacle is a visit from Mr. Collins, their pompous cousin who will inherit the estate one day simply by virtue of being male. He is a contrast to Darcy’s pride, for he will not make a move without the express permission of his benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Darcy’s own aunt.

He comes to marry a cousin so the family will not be thrown out on the father’s death—also very presumptuous of him. Mrs Bennet tells him Jane is spoken for with Bingley, but he can have Lizzie, though it is clear from the outset their lives would be miserable. Far better to give him to dowdy, bookish Puritan sister Mary, but Mr Collins persists in his embarrassing attentions until Lizze must reject his proposal with less that a polite manner.

Mr Collins is determined to go back to Lady Catherine with a wife, so he lights on Lizzie’s best friend, Charlotte Lucas, and she accepts. Elizabeth is stunned, but her friend is resigned to making the best marriage she can considering she is old and plain, wealthy enough, but her father only a tradesman.

She makes Lizzie promise to come visit her in Kent. Thus we see in this first part of the novel that despite all of the excitement at the beginning, none of the girls are married, and none look to be. Jane has lost Bingley, Lizzie has lost Mr. Wickham because he is chasing after wealthy heiress Mary King, and Mr Collins has chosen one of the Lucas girls and so Mrs Bennet is even more desperate to get them married off. She does not realize that her actions have and will have fateful consequences. She partly chased off Mr Bingley, and Mr Collins—after all, who would want her as a mother in law living in the same house?

She decides to let Lydia go off with the regiment with no sister for protection, only the Colonel’s worldly wife, and Jane goes off the London to try to see the Bingleys and figure out what went wrong. Lizzie is sure it is the sisters doing and once Bingley knows she is in Town and can see her without the Bennet clan all interfering, all will be well. Lizzie heads for her own adventures in Kent.

(Click here for Part II)