I. Introduction

The author, Jane Austen, is a British novelist who was born in a small country town. Her father was a local vicar. Austen didn’t go to regular schools, but she read many literary works at her parents’ guidance. She started writing about the age of 20, and published six novels. Jane was unmarried all her life. For living in a small country town, contacting the medium and small landlords, pastor as well as their quiet and comfortable living environment, there were no significant social contractions in her works. She described a truthful picture of her world, especially the marriage and love between gentleman and ladies by her meticulous feminine observation. The style of her works is humorous and rich in comic conflicts, so many readers love them. From the late eighteenth to the nineteenth century, vulgar and boring sentimental novels and gothic novels were full in British literary. But Jane’s novel iconoclastic showed mid-class of daily life and pastoral scenery in British countryside at that time which had not been capitalist industrial revolution impacted. Although the breadth and depth of the reflection was limited, it played good effect to change the vulgar atmosphere in novels. Austen’s novels were fairly popular in her lifetime, but it was only after her death that they achieved great success and that she was really given the respect she deserved.

Pride and Prejudice was originally written under the title First Impressions. Austen then rewrote the book as Pride and Prejudice, which appeared in1813 and became probably the most popular of her works. Austen herself loved the book, calling it “my own darling child”, and she was very fond of Elizabeth Bennet, the story’s main character.

II. The Story or A Summary of the Book

Mr. Bennet has five daughters, and Mrs. Bennet worries about her daughters’ marriage all day. The new neighbor Bingley is a wealthy bachelor. He immediately becomes the target of Mrs. Bennet. At a ball, Bingley falls in love with Jane at first sight, who is the eldest daughter of Mrs. Bennet. Bingley's friend Darcy also joins the ball .He is handsome and rich, but he is very proud, thinking that Jane's sister Elizabeth is not beautiful enough to be his partner. Elizabeth’s self-esteem is very strong, so she decides to ignore the arrogant guy. Soon, however, Darcy begins liking her because of her lively manner, while Bingley's sister likes Darcy. But Darcy disdains Mrs. Bennet and her youngest daughter Lydia’s vulgar. Under his sister and Darcy’s persuasion, Bingley goes to London without saying goodbye to Jane, but Jane still loves him deeply. There is a handsome young officer named Wickham, everyone praises him, and Elizabeth also takes a liking to him. One day, he tells Elizabeth that his father is a manager of Darcy’s family, and Darcy’s father gives him a large number of legacies, but the legacy is sucked by Darcy. After hearing this, Elizabeth feels more disgusted to Darcy. Before long, Elizabeth meets Darcy again. Darcy can’t restrain his affection to Elizabeth, so he asks her to marry him, but still in an arrogant attitude. Elizabeth refuses him resolutely. It hits Darcy a lot, and he first learns the consequences brought by the arrogance. He leaves her painfully, leaving a long letter to Elizabeth for explaining why Bingley leaves Jane and Wickham’s rumor. Elizabeth feels very sorry after reading the letter, for both have misjudged Darcy and felt

shameful for her mother's behaviors. She gradually changes her attitude towards Darcy. In the next year’s summer, Elizabeth follows her uncle to Darcy’s manor, and meets him again. She finds that Darcy has changed, not only treats people politely, but also is respected by local people. Her prejudice against him has removed. At that time, Elizabeth receives a letter from home, saying that her sister Lydia has eloped with Wickham who is negative in gambling debts. This bad news makes Elizabeth feel very shameful, and after Darcy learning the news, not only pays off the gambling debt for Wickham, but gives him a small fortune, letting him and Lydia get married. Since then, Elizabeth’s past prejudice on Darcy changes into sincere love. Bingley and Jane are also reconciled, and immerse in joy. When Darcy knows Elizabeth has changed her opinion of him, he asks her to marry him again cordially. And Elizabeth promises to marry him happily this time.

III. Comments or My Views on the Book

The first sentence in this book is impressive. It says:” It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” The undertone is very clear: the foundation of the marriage at that time is not emotion but possession.

As far as I considered, people can’t divide people by rich and poor, everyone is equal on every aspect such as character and knowledge. No one can be arrogant because of wealthy or high status, and also can’t be self-abased with economic poverty. This truth relating to our daily life is like that we should not be proud or produce arrogance mood when we make a few achievements. Learning is endless. We should know that there must be many people clever than ourselves. We should think out a way to study better than others. The vanity is caused by prejudice in the text. One cannot distinguish good and bad just because the beautiful and ugly appearance. Elizabeth hated Darcy because of Darcy’s arrogance generating by wealth and wickham’s rumors.

Without complete understanding, she prejudice against him. As the saying goes,” Men can’t be judged by their looks.” Whether study, life or anything else, one cannot see its essence only from the appearance.

Pride and prejudice are our common weakness and shortcomings. Every person actually is easy to be driven by his own subjective impression. So it can comment easily to other people under incorrectness, then it will cause misunderstandings between each other. A person’s first impression can affect many things. Not he must change, but you should more deeply know about him, then you will have more objective opinion, just like the heroine’s opinion of Darcy in the novel changed because of knowing. Or if the people in the world no longer have pride and prejudice these two bad behavior customs, this world will be more harmonious and friendly. Love seems to be the perpetual theme all over the world. But actually what is love? For most girls in 20s, love may mean everything to them. They seek for love bravely no matter what difficulties they may face. In their eyes, love is pure or even holy. However, those are just an ideal situation, not real life. People tend to find a balance between love and property.

Different people have different ideas upon marriage. By the description and

discussion of the four marriages in the novel, we can see that Austen fully expresses her views on love and marriage. Only by appreciating the marriage founded on the basis of mutual understanding and true love, but also by satirizing the marriage founded on the basis of origin and desire. The marriage based on social position and money can’t bring happiness in life. Aimless marriage and love are unpractical.

Everything goes wrong for poor couples. Marriage based on wealth is not a fault. At least, it can offer us a better condition of life. Property is not everything in the life but without it, we can do nothing. This is called reality. But if you only married for wealth, you sell your liberty. The rest of your life might be miserable, and your marriage will filled with endless bitterness.