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Pride and Prejudice: Plot Synthesis

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The novel Pride and Prejudice is a romantic comedy, by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a story about an unlikely pair who goes through many obstacles before finally coming together. Pride is the opinion of oneself and prejudice is how one person feels others perceive them. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, uses plot, the characters of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and the status of women and social standing, to portray the theme of the novel - pride and prejudice.

The plot of the novel follows traditional plot guidelines; although there are many small conflicts, there is one central conflict that sets the scene for the novel. The novel is about an embarrassing; mismatched couple and their five daughters. The …show more content…

Elizabeth Bennet, the other main character of the novel, is just as guilty of being proud, as any of the other characters in the novel. She prides herself on being unprejudiced and rational in the judgment of others. These false qualities are revealed when she is proved wrong in her judgment of not only Mr. Darcy, but of Mr. Wickham also. At the time of Mr. Darcy’s proposal, she turned him down saying, "Your character was unfolded in the recital which I received many months ago from Mr. Wickham. On the subject, what can you have to say? In what imaginary act of friendship can you here defend yourself? Or under what misrepresentation can you here impose on others?" She is stating that she feels Mr. Darcy is cruel to Mr. Wickham, and this example she has is a perfect example of his cruel character. When she receives the letter from Mr. Darcy she realizes that the cruel one is in fact Mr. Wickham, who is now reveled to be a money hungry liar. Also in this same scene it says, "His sense of her inferiority - of its being degradation - of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination were dwelt on with warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding…" In this portion of the scene, Mr. Darcy was cutting down the unsophistication of her family members, that although was true, Elizabeth was much too proud to listen to his accusations and accept the truth.

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