Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice Analysis

Literary Devices in Pride and Prejudice

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

A man is king of his castle, as they say, and Pemberley reflects Darcy's true character. Everywhere Elizabeth looks, she is impressed by Darcy's good taste. She contrasts the estate with Rosings, w...

Setting

Gather 'round, everyone. It's time to tell the story of the days of yore. Which yore, you ask? Good question. It's easy, from way over here in the future, to just lump all that stuff that happened...

Narrator Point of View

The narration typically stays with Elizabeth, although it occasionally offers us information that Elizabeth isn't aware of (like Charlotte's pursuit of Mr. Collins). This third person view lends a...

Genre

ComedyBefore we start, Shmoop's going to let you in on a Formal Genre Description Secret. Oh, yeah, it's all capital letters from here on in, baby. You see, "comedy" doesn't mean what you think it...

Tone

Reading this novel is kind of like having a conversation with someone who says snarky things in a deadpan voice while constantly raising her eyebrow. You know what we mean? Austen is just so clearl...

Writing Style

Austen is the total master of the slow, subtle burn. It's like poetry in motion – you just watch as sentence after sentence starts out nice and predictable and then – BAM! – right in the kiss...

What’s Up With the Title?

You know what's funny about this title? Well, you know how nowadays, the book jackets for novels written by the same author are usually really similar – same font, same general layout, and so on?...

What's Up With the Ending?

OK, so Austen is awesome, right? Right. Because of that, many people who read her novels want to see in them some confirmation of their own ideas and values and moral certainties. They want her to...

Tough-o-Meter

The main thing you need when you read any of Austen's novels in general – and this one in particular – is a fine-toothed comb. OK, not literally, obviously. Although who knows? Maybe you brush...

Plot Analysis

We meet the Bennet family: five single daughters with no money. Then a young, rich, single man moves into the neighborhood.This is clearly an initial situation because there's way too much instabil...

Booker’s Seven Basic Plots Analysis: Comedy

Mr. Darcy believes he is superior to most other people, including Elizabeth Bennet; Elizabeth thinks Mr. Darcy is insufferable; Mr. Bingley is convinced that Jane Bennet does not care for him; Jane...

Three Act Plot Analysis

Mr. Darcy insults Elizabeth in range of her hearing, then starts falling in love with her.Mr. Darcy proposes and gets rejected. He gives Elizabeth a letter that throws many of her assumptions and b...

Trivia

The popular 1996 novel Bridget Jones's Diary is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice (source).Austen was child number seven in a family of eight, which suddenly makes the Bennet family's reproducti...

Steaminess Rating

OK, true, there's no graphic bodice-ripping in the novel's actual text, but there is one pretty racy section that was almost scandalous when Pride and Prejudice came out. We're talking, of course,...