Pride and Prejudice
S5A
By Jane Austen
Emily Kwok Sin Yee & Kathy Ko Pui Ting
Emily:
Have you ever met people who are proud and disagreeable?
Kathy:
Yes, occasionally. I find them very disgusting.
Emily:
I used to think that in this way. But after I read Pride and Prejudice, I know that some people
are just shy and are mistaken to be arrogant.
Kathy:
Pride and Prejudice? I’ve read it before. It’s written by a pre-Victorian author- Jane Austen.
Her novels are highly prized for their irony, humour and depiction of contemporary English
country life.
Emily:
You know, at first I did not want to read this 200-year-old novel. I thought it would be drivel
like so many other romance novels are. But after reading the first few pages, I was hooked. I
couldn’t put it down.
Kathy:
Yes, me too. As a matter of fact, the plot is rather simple but it is full of humour. It is set in
the 19th century English countryside. The story revolves around the Bennet family and the love
story of Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter in the Bennet family and Mr Darcy, a rich
young man.
Emily:
The funniest thing is that the two are not immediately attracted to each other. At the
beginning Darcy is so proud and looks down on others. His arrogance leads to Elizabeth’s
prejudice against him. At the same time, Darcy decides to forget Elizabeth because of the
different status between the two families.
Kathy:
Pride and prejudice separates them. However, as the story progresses, they are forced to
examine their hearts as well as their preconceptions about each other in order to understand
the truth.
Emily:
Even though the process of their getting together is not smooth and the difference between
their social status is so big, without all the pride and prejudice, they then have happy marriage
life.
Kathy:
Which character do you like most?
Emily:
I admire Elizabeth most. She is intelligent and has a sense of humour. But she is a little
impulsive and forms wrong judgment on Darcy. Of course, in the end she learns that things are
not always as they appear to be.
Kathy:
I think she is really brave and genuine. She dares to say the truth from her heart. She is very
self-confident and will not allow others to look down on her for her ill upbringing. Even though
Darcy is rich and handsome, she refuses his first proposal to marry him. Unlike Mr Collins and
her friend Charlotte, she will not marry for money.
Emily:
Charlotte fears that she will die ‘an old maid’. She only wants a comfortable home. I can’t
imagine how she can sacrifice her future for material comfort.
Kathy:
Which character do you find most amusing?
Emily:
Mrs Bennet! She is so ridiculous! Her husband spends most of his time in his library just to get
away from her. When she is discontented, she fancies herself nervous. Besides, she is always
jealous of her neighbours, except when she can triumph over them.
Kathy:
Right! She is so inconsistent. At first, her youngest daughter’s elopement makes her very
angry. But when she hears that she will get married, she forgets all moral considerations. Her
biggest change of face is towards Darcy. Once she knows that he is engaged to Elizabeth, from
being disagreeable and hateful, he suddenly becomes charming to her.
Emily:
The funniest thing is that she is always busy finding husbands for her daughter. According to
the law at that time, her daughters will inherit nothing from their father when he dies. She
believes that they live better lives if they are married to rich young men. That is why she is so
eager to find proper husbands for them.
Kathy:
Mothers are like that. They care for their children a lot and they are willing to do anything for
them. We should appreciate the efforts our parents have made in raising us. Instead of
grumbling, I think we should try our best to understand our parents and feel grateful to them.
Emily:
Reading the book we can explore the social and moral values of the early nineteenth century. I
have no idea of it before I read the book.
Kathy:
It is also about the choice people make for marriage partners. Elizabeth and Darcy have to
understand each other and overcome their own pride and prejudice before they become
suitable marriage partners. Their marriage is found on affection and understanding, not on
blind impulse.
Emily:
With pride and prejudice in their minds, people are sick of many things and people they
encounter. In fact we should not expect too much from others. We shouldn’t be pessimistic or
hate people we are not satisfied with. Be frank and tell them our thoughts. Hopefully, they may
change one day, like Darcy.
Kathy:
The book is full of humour, class conflict, family expectations, irony and of course romance. It
is enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to all of you.