Five themes to think about: Pride and Prejudice
Ahead of our discussion on March 2nd...
Hello!
I hope you’re all well and managing to get started with Pride and Prejudice, if you haven’t completed it yet. Two weeks today and we’ll be meeting for our next discussion!
This will be on 2nd March at 8pm GMT/3pm EST in the Substack chat.
To help prepare, I’m sharing five themes for you to think about while you’re reading (or to reflect on if you have finished).
I’m going to be sharing another post in the next week that delves a little bit more into Jane Austen and the context behind the novel.
First Impressions
Did you know that Austen actually originally titled the novel ‘First Impressions’ originally? The early version of the novel no longer exists in full unfortunately, and she made extensive revisions anyway before renaming.
First impressions are not always correct. People make snap judgements about others that turn out to be wrong. While reading - or having read the novel - think about how Pride and Prejudice shapes these misjudgements and what it is that changes them.
Who makes snap judgements in the novel? How do they change? And why do they change?
Love & Marriage
Marriage in the world of Jane Austen is not just about romance. It’s also about status, security and survival.
Think about the different relationships within the novel - successful and unsuccessful. What do the couples reveal about love and marriage in Regency society? Or about life at the time as 19th Century Georgians?
Class & Status
Social class is at the heart of much of the conflict within Pride and Prejudice. Initial hesitations about relationships, arrogance towards others. Even the precarious social standing of the entire Bennet family.
How does class shape the decisions and attitudes of different characters? Do any characters defy social expectations? And do modern class divisions compare at all to those represented from Austen’s time?
The Role of Women
The characters in Austen’s novel are often faced with limited choices, much like life at the time. Marriage was, after all, one of the few viable paths to security. But does every character believe this must be the case? And are some women given the privilege of choice that others are not?
What do you think the novel says about the sacrifices that women in Georgian society must make? And do any of these messages still resonate with the challenges that women face today?
Character Growth
As with most great novels, the characters in Pride and Prejudice undergo profound transformations throughout the novel. Characters must confront themselves, their beliefs and their biases.
Can love truly change a person, or does it simply reveal who they really are? Who undergoes the greatest transformation? And does everyone change, or are some left as the same person they were at the start?
Are there any themes I’ve missed? Anything you would like to talk about on March 2nd? Let me know in the comments!
Just try not to give away too many spoilers!
Take care & I’ll see you all again soon!