When Charles Bingley, an unmarried and rich man, arrives to Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet, family’s Bennet mother, is very happy because she wants to marry one of her five daughters. When Bennet daughters meet Mr. Bingley the eldest daughter, Miss. Jane, starts falling in love with him. Even though Mr. Bingley seems a nice man, the impression about his friend, Mr. Darcy, is completely opposite. Bennet family thinks that Mr. Darcy is a vain, conceited and proud man. One of the daughters, Miss. Elizabeth, listens to Mr. Darcy when he refuses to dance with her. At that moment, Mr. Darcy starts falling in love with a person that he considers socially inferior.
Even though Mr. Bingley’s and Miss. Jane’s love seems that can become an important relationship, Mr. Bingley’s single sister , Miss. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy don’t approve their love because Miss. Bingley thinks that a socially inferior person like Miss. Jane can’t marry a young and rich man as Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy thinks that Miss. Jane isn’t truly in love with Mr. Bingley.
Mr. Darcy is still in love with Miss. Elizabeth but Miss. Elizabeth despises his love. The real love of Miss. Elizabeth starts being George Wickham, an attractive military official. Wickham explains to Miss. Elisabeth that her father used to work for Mr. Darcy’s father so Mr. Darcy and him growed up together. Mr. Wickham explains that Mr. Darcy disobeyed his father legacy when he denied Mr. Wickham’s income related to the inheritance. That story obviously points out Mr. Darcy not only as a proud person but also as a cruel one, and in consequence Miss. Elizabeth despises Mr. Darcy.
Between all this, the cousin of Mr. Bennet and the hire of the family house , William Collins, visit Bennet family. Mr. Collins explains to Bennet parents his intentions on marrying one of their daughters. Mr. Collins proposes marriage to Miss. Elizabeth but she refuses, he gets offended and proposes marriage to Charlotte Lucas, who accepts it to oreserve her security.
At that time, Mr. Bingley leaves Netherfield and Miss. Jane receives a letter from Miss. Bingley confirming their nule intentions to return and insinuating a possible romance between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy’s sister.
Miss. Elizabeth starts suspecting about Mr. Bingley’s and Mr. Darcy’s sisters intentions on keeping Mr. Bingley far away from Miss. Jane.
Miss. Elizabeth travels to Hunsford to visit William and Charlotte Collins and she meets Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Then appears Mr. Darcy with his cousin, the coronel Mr. Fitzwilliam. Mr. Darcy proposes marriage to Miss. Elizabeth but she refuses and she complains about his pride, the fact that he kept Me. Bingley away from her sister and also the story of Mr. Wickham. The next day Mr. Darcy explains in a letter to Miss. Elizabeth his influence in Miss. Jane and Mr. Bingley love and the truth about Mr. Wickham story. When Miss. Elizabeth returns home she decides to travel with her uncle Mr. Gardiner, they visit Mr. Darcy property hoping that he wouldn’t be there. But, unexpectedly, they find him and they get surprised for his good treatment. During these days Miss. Elizabeth gets in love with Mr. Darcy but she receives two letters from Miss. Jane explaining that Miss. Lydia, the youngest sister, has escaped with Mr. Wickham, causing the immediate return of Miss. Elizabeth and the Gardiners to their place. Miss. Elizabeth is afraid that Miss. Lydia and all the Bennet family get dishonoured and she is also afraid for a possible failure of her love with Mr. Darcy. At the end, Miss. Lydia marries Mr. Wickham. After the wedding Miss. Elizabeth discovers that Mr. Darcy was decisive on the marriage by saving Bennet’s reputation.
Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield and proposes marriage to Miss. Jane and she obviously accepts. Meanwhile, Lady Catherine De Brough, visits Bennet family. She tries to explain to Miss. Elizabeth the imprudence that would be her marriage with Mr. Darcy. The attempts of Lady Catherine De Bourgh fail and Miss. Elizabeth accepts Mr. Darcy’s purpose of marriage.
Mr. Bennet: He hasn’t made any plans for his family after his death, mainly because of his frustration based on having a son who would have taken care of Mrs. Bennet and lately because of habit.
Mrs. Bennet: She is practically obsessed on marrying her daughters and is always worried for this reason.
Miss. Jane Bennet: She is the most beautiful daughter and the most beautiful woman in Meryton. She becomes the wife of Charles Bingley. She is the eldest of her sisters.
Miss. Elizabeth Bennet: She is the main character. Jane Austen shows her “ideal” view of a woman by this character, a woman that isn’t really beautiful or successful but that thanks to her abilities she reaches to marry the most important man, Mr. Darcy.
Miss. Kitty Bennet: She is jealous of her sister Lydia because she thinks that Lydia is their mother’s favourite daughter. She is the fourth daughter of the Bennet family.
Miss. Mary Bennet: She is the only daughter with any romantic story. She is the third daughter.
Miss. Lydia Bennet: She is obsessed on getting married with a handsome man. She is the youngest daughter, she’s just sixteen.
Mr. Bingley: He is a handsome young gentleman who rents Netherfield Park. He is quite easily influenced. He gets married to Miss. Jane.
Miss. Caroline Bingley: She is quite selfish and wishes to marry Mr. Darcy. She only acts in order to her interests. She is the younger sister of Mr. Bingley.
Mr. Darcy: He’s the Mr. Bingley friend’s, and he is a vain, conceited and proud man.
Mr. Wickham: He cares too much about his money. He is a young and handsome man who knows Mr. Darcy from their childhood.
Mr. Collins:
Mr and Mrs Gardiner: They have four children, two boys and two girls. Mr Gardiner is the brother of Mr. Bennet and her wife is younger than Mrs. Bennet.
Lady Catherine De Bourgh: She is really perfectionist. She is Mr Darcy’s aunt.
Miss. Charlotte Lucas: She is the wife of Mr. Collins and a friend of Miss. Elizabeth.
Even though the society shown in the book is awful, I really liked the book. Jane Austen relates an exciting story of loves and unexpected plot twists.
The book shows the medieval Great Britain, a very sexist and patriarchal world. Marriages were only important for the familiar economical benefit. Men ruled over women’s life.