Pride and Prejudice Summary and Complete Study Guide

**Elizabeth Bennet**: The second of five sisters, probably Austen's smartest and liveliest heroine. She reads, she walks miles alone (scandalous!), she argues with people way above her social station. Her biggest flaw? She's too sure of her own judgment. She believes Wickham because he's charming and believes the worst of Darcy because he insulted her. Pride in her discernment becomes prejudice against people she misread. She refuses two proposals (Collins and Darcy's first attempt) when most women would have accepted security. Her wit is her weapon—she verbally spars with everyone. By the end, she's learned humility without losing her spark. **Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy**: Rich, handsome, socially awkward, and aware he's better than almost everyone. His pride shows in the first line he speaks: Elizabeth is "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." He's terrible at small talk, stands around at parties looking judgmental, and thinks his wealth excuses his rudeness. But he's actually decent—he supports his friend Bingley, cares for his sister, manages his estate well. He falls for Elizabeth despite her lower status, which he considers almost a personal failing. His first proposal is hilariously bad: "I love you even though you're poor and your family is embarrassing." After Elizabeth rejects him, he actually listens and grows. His second proposal shows he learned humility. Growth is possible, even for proud rich guys. **Jane Bennet**: The beautiful eldest sister whose goodness is almost her flaw. She sees the best in everyone and won't believe people are mean or manipulative. Her relationship with Bingley is sweet but passive—she waits for him instead of fighting for him. When Darcy separates them, she suffers silently. Unlike Elizabeth who confronts problems directly, Jane internalizes and hopes things work out. She gets her happy ending but mainly because other people fix her problems for her. **Mr. Bingley**: Darcy's friend who rents Netherfield. He's rich, cheerful, easily influenced, and falls for Jane immediately. His fatal flaw is trusting Darcy and his sisters when they convince him Jane doesn't care about him. He gives up without fighting. When he returns to Netherfield and realizes he was wrong, he proposes quickly. He's likeable but weak-willed, showing that nice isn't the same as strong. **Mr. Bennet**: The sarcastic father who checked out of parenting years ago. He married Mrs. Bennet for her beauty, discovered she was foolish, and retreated into his library. He mocks his wife and younger daughters instead of guiding them. When Lydia elopes, his failure to parent her becomes obvious. He's witty and readers like him, but Austen shows his negligence has consequences. Intelligent people who don't take responsibility are part of the problem. **Mrs. Bennet**: The mom obsessed with marrying off her daughters. She's loud, socially embarrassing, and has "poor nerves" everyone must accommodate. Easy to mock, but actually she has a point—unmarried daughters with no money will be destitute when Mr. Bennet dies (the estate goes to Mr. Collins because of entailment). Her desperate husband-hunting comes from real economic fear. She succeeds in getting three daughters married well. Austen lets us laugh at her while understanding why she acts this way. **George Wickham**: The charming sociopath. He seduces women (including Darcy's 15-year-old sister), runs up gambling debts, lies smoothly, and almost destroys Lydia. His charm is his weapon. He tells Elizabeth that Darcy wronged him, and she believes it because Wickham knows how to manipulate. Once exposed, he doesn't care about consequences. He marries Lydia only because Darcy pays him. Some people are just users, and spotting them requires looking past surface charm. **Mr. Collins**: The ridiculous cousin who will inherit the Bennet estate. He's obsequious to Lady Catherine, pompous, and completely unaware of how he comes across. His proposal to Elizabeth is comedy gold—he lists reasons she should marry him like a business contract. When she refuses, he assumes she's playing coy. He marries Charlotte Lucas days later. He represents everything wrong with the marriage market—it's transactional, not romantic. **Charlotte Lucas**: Elizabeth's practical friend who marries Collins for security despite finding him ridiculous. She's 27 (practically an old maid in this era) and chooses comfortable survival over lonely poverty. Elizabethis horrified, but Charlotte explains not everyone can afford to wait for love. Their friendship strains over this. Austen shows both perspectives fairly—idealism is easier when you have options.

**Marriage as Economic Transaction**: Every relationship involves money calculations. Bingley has £5,000 a year. Darcy has £10,000. Marriage is women's only economic security. The entailment means Bennet daughters will be poor when their father dies. This isn't romantic—it's survival. Austen critiques this system while working within it. She never married, which gave her freedom to write but meant dependence on relatives.