Anybody shed some light to the characters+connection of Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet in Pride and Prejudice?

Question

I've just read the book for the first time and loved it! I'm just looking for something deeper- as the appendix was very disappointing!

Answer 1

My favorite Austen book is actually Persuasion, but I've re-read Pride & Prejudice several times. Miss Bennett and Mr Darcy make up one of the most interesting couples in fiction.

She is a a wonderful character; the kind of person you would like to have for a friend (or a sister) and completely human (sometimes heartbreakingly so). She is honest, intelligent, and warm-hearted, and her virtues are balanced by her faults, most notably her temper. In many ways she's a very modern young woman; certainly not afraid to speak her mind.

He is a STICK! Most of the men he meets probably want to kick him, and finding Lizzy is by far the luckiest thing that has ever happened to him. His innate integrity and deep love of family and friends redeems him from being too much of a pompous prig.

You might be interested in two websites for fans of Jane Austen's works. You can find discussions of this relationship on both.

Answer 2

The problem is that before reading a book I've seen the latest movie... There - the caracters are more... modern and it is easier to understand them. Mr Darcy is just shy, and that is why he has problems in the society - he pretends being proud, he has to be according to his birth, but it is not connected with his real nature... And Lizzy is even more smart than in the book...

But - talking closely of Austen's work... I think Darcy is proud and treats other people unfairly, however when he meets Lizzy , something begins to happen with him, sth that he sees he cannot overcome. I think he is suprised how strong the feeling is and all in all he just follows his heart. Well, in my opinion it appears that he doesn;t change into a great, nice man, but just love changes some of his behaviour... We would like to think that love can everything, but... that period of history is different than our time. The girls had to do their best to get a husband. When Lizzy falls in love with Darcy? When she sees Pemberley and realizes that it could have been hers. What a materialist! But these are conditions of those days. Jane Austen by herself had similiar situation to that one with Mr Collins! As I remember - she had to accept him...
And - sth more. As we know, the rules and customs did not allow any things connected with sex there. But... actually the book is full of it. It is somewhere-everywhere, just under the skin, under words...

Answer 3

The title of the book says it all. She (Elizabeth) is Pride and he (Darcy) is Prejudice.
Mr. Darcy is prejudiced against the Bennet family as they are poor and Elizabeth is proud and refuses to swallow that pride when she overhears Mr Darcy talking about her family and describes her as "passable". Elizabeth gets a bit of a cob on (rightly so) and won't admit that she is falling in love with him.
The book is all about how first impressions are not always correct. I think the books working title was just that "First Impressions"
Its a great book, way ahead of its time. I loved it.