Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, published in 1813, is a novel that weaves together a tale in which signals are crossed, and characters wrongly assume or judge others until the truth is revealed. Mrs. Bennet has several daughters, and it is her hope that they all marry someday. We see the story unfold through the eyes of her daughter, Elizabeth, as she attends social gatherings, converses with her sisters and relatives, and has her suspicions of various characters that enter the story.
One of those characters is Mr. Darcy, who comes off as rude and arrogant, although he may be putting on a front–given his circumstance–or to Elizabeth’s judgment, pride. Her sister, Jane, who is more amiable and agreeable by far, is the opposite of Elizabeth, and this contrast allows the story to progress in a way where Elizabeth becomes protective of her.
By the third act of the book, we learn that there are people behind the scenes who are scheming in ways to hinder the outcome of marriage, and this is the most curious aspect of the story, especially through the revelations conveyed through letters. Whether it is for financial reasons, or because of what people judge of another’s character, there are layers to uncover, which make each page feel like you’re learning something new about the dynamics of each character.
By the end, I read the final 50 pages eagerly to learn the fate of the Bennet family. Everything comes together in a way where the tension is finally eased from the suspense of not knowing if things will work out for Elizabeth or Jane. The story is written with an ease in which one page flows to the next, and subtle hints are sprinkled throughout the story as to what may or may not happen, based upon the motives finally being revealed.
Fallton Havenstonne 