The Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice is a spirited period piece that clearly illustrates the importance of women being able to find a suitable husband to settle down with; for the sake of both herself and her family. This is a particularly sensitive matter in the Bennet household, where five daughters need to find husbands before the passing of their own father to avoid being left homeless due to the rules of entail in 19th century England. .
This set of circumstances makes a series of relationships experienced by the Bennet girls of critical importance, however none more so than that between Elizabeth and Darcy. Not only does their own future happiness depend on their ability to navigate through their own pride and prejudices regarding one another, but the fate of Elizabeth's family is squarely placed on their shoulders as well. .
Darcy is a wealthy aristocrat from Northern England who comes across as rather rude and arrogant due to his subdued nature when outside of his comfort zone. Elizabeth is the fiery second daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth is a very sharp and outspoken woman for the times. She is somewhat opinionated and illustrates early on a tendency to pass lengthy judgment on first impressions. .
As these qualities collide at a town ball, fireworks erupt between these equally blunt characters, setting the stage for a lengthy and spirited courtship that results in both characters finally finding the elusive truth about their feelings for one another.
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Darcy is a wealthy businessman seemingly interested in settling down with the right woman. He appears to be quite used to women throwing themselves at him, and would be considered quite a good catch due to his wealth and social status. We learn throughout the book that Darcy is thoughtful and reserved, though he comes across as arrogant and rude. He is quickly taken with Elizabeth's feisty nature, but equally torn by the fact that to marry her would be to marry beneath his status.