“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
Mary Bennet
Summary
The proud and wealthy Mr. Darcy and spirited Elizabeth Bennet dislike each other at first sight. While Elizabeth's mother schemes for suitable husbands for her five daughters, his pride and her prejudice just might keep them apart.
Review
"Pride and Prejudice". This title in of it self, is Jane Austen's hint to the reader about the characteristics of her two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth, "Pride" and Mr. Darcy, "Prejudice". Elizabeth is extremely proud throughout the story which at times makes her seem conceited; though this mistaken characteristic is just really her overconfidence in herself. On the other hand when tried by Mr. Bingley's sisters Elizabeth's quick tongue is what causes a strong resentment between them. While Mr. Darcy is always prejudice against everything. Its this stuborness, for lack of a better word, that stops him from ever experiencing different things. It also hurts him when he starts to realize he might be in love, and in his cowardence that is masqueraded by a pigheadedness that really hurts his realtionships with others.
It's Elizabeth and Darcy that really drive the plot through a combination of their seeming compatibility and their total inability to get together, thanks to their mutual low opinions of one another--or at least the belief on the part of each that the other has a low opinion of them.
In the novel if you are of lower wealth then therefore you are of lower rank in society. The rich overlook the poor and see them as unimportant enough to converse with. Much as you see Mr. Collins trying to get on the good side of Mr.Darcy only because of his high stature you see the true humility of the social classes at this time. If you were not rich you basically were kept to but a minimal life with few social interaction and little adventure. Luckily for Miss Elizabeth Bennet she proves that true class is not obtained from the clothes you wear or the materrialistic objects you possess but by wearing your heart on your sleeve and treating everyone as equal. This is why she misconceives Mr. Darcy at first impression. Her rich person stereotypes forever spoiled their realtionship at first glance. But as you see his true benevolence you the reader, as well as Elizabeth begin to understand that only the true rich people are willing to share the wealth and not change their demeanor just because of an unbearable pride. Love emerges from the irony of social mobility at the time. We see Jane and Bingley's union is in jeopardy as is the theme of social mobility and class.