What would the world be like if everyone is normal and everyone follows the rules? There would be no fun and no one would ever be happy. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen demonstrates through Elizabeth and Darcy that in man's pursuit of the joys in life, those who stick too strictly or not at all to the existing social norms face the danger of never finding their place in life or ever finding personal happiness. The significance of the title helps determine the actions of the two main characters, Darcy and Elizabeth, and thereby the course of the plot. Pride is an unrealistic exaggeration of one's importance and prejudice prevents people from judging others according to their real merits. Both are moral distortions and prevent the individual from seeing things as they really are. Pride and prejudice encompasses the primary theme that maturity is achieved through the loss of illusion, particularly pertaining to the relationships between the witty yet prejudice Elizabeth Bennet and the cultured yet prideful Fitzwilliam Darcy. .
Mr. Darcy, the leading male character in the novel, possesses an ancient family name, magnificent estate, and a sizable fortune which may seem to contribute to his pride. He is responsible for all of these, as well as his sister, Georgiana. Although seen as excessively proud in a negative way, Charlotte Lucas defends Darcy by saying that a man of his wealth and family background has a right to be proud. Mr. Darcy " drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features till his manners gave a disgust which turned his tide of popularity; for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company; and above being pleased" (106). Although wealthy and of noble learning, his pride awareness of his own superiority to the company at the ball and his willingness to reveal his contempt lead the reader to agree that he is unbearably proud and disagreeable.