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P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s l e v e l

UPPER

INTERMEDIATE

Pride and Prejudice

S U M M A R Y

ride and Prejudice,first published in 1813, is one of

the most famous novels in the English language. It

is both romance and witty social satire. There are

few nineteenth century novels that speak in such a clear

voice to the present day.

The story is about the Bennet family. Mr and Mrs Bennet

have five lovely daughters, but no money to give them. In

o rder to be wel l settled, their daughters must find

husbands. Two wealthy and good looking young men,

Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy, come to stay in the

neigh b ourhood. To the vulgar Mrs Bennet's delight,

Bingley falls in love with Jane, her eldest daughter.

Elizabeth, the second daughter, intelligent and witty, takes

a dislike to Mr Darcy; she finds him cold and proud. She

is more attracted to George Wickham, an army officer,

and believes that Mr Darcy has treated him badly. But the

proud Mr Darcy has fallen in love with her. He proposes to

her and to his astonishment, she refuses him. Mr Darcyand Bingley then leave for London, leaving Jane broken-

hearted.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth learns that Wickham is immoral

and dishonest; Mr Darcy was in the right. Some months

later she meets Darcy by accident and falls in love with

him. Then she receives news that Lydia, her younger

sister, has run away with Wickham. Darcy finds Wickham

and forces him to marry Lydia. The story ends happily with

the marriage of Elizabeth to Darcy and Jane to Bingley.

Jane Austen is universally recognised as one of England's

g reatest novelists. Born in 1775 in the Hampshirecountryside, she was the seventh child in a family of eight.

Her father, George Austen, was a clergyman; the family

was middle class and comfortably off. Austen started

writing as a young teenager; even at that age her works

were incisive and elegantly expressed.

Jane Austen's family was lively and affectionate. Like

most country people of that time, the family lived a fairly

restricted social life, since travel was difficult. Austen

received several proposals of marriage. However, she

never married, and lived an uneventful life, happy to

remain in the family home. We know that she wrote her

novels at her desk in the drawing room, with her family

around her. She was an attractive, lively and witty young

woman, much loved and respected by family and friends.

The whole family recognised her genius. Her brother

wrote 'In person she was very attractive; her figure was

rather tall and slender ... She was a clear brunette with a

rich colour ... If not as handsome as her sister, yet her face

had a charm of its own ...'

Austen wrote six major novels. Sense and Sensibility

was published in 1811, Pride and Prejudice in 1813,

Mansfield Park in 1814, Emma in 1816. Northanger Abbey

and Persuasion were published after her death. The

novels were popular. Highly placed public figures such as

the Prince Regent (the heir to the throne) admired her

novels greatly. The Prince kept a set of her novels in each

of his homes.

Like many geniuses, Jane Austen died relatively young.

She developed Addison's disease and died in 1817 in

Winchester at the age of 41.

Jane Austen's works are satirical comedies about the

middle and upper-middle classes. The plots are variations

on a standard theme: a young woman's courtship and

eventual marriage. By the end of every one of Austen's

novels the heroine has found a husband. The world she

describes is small. In one letter Austen compared herself

to a painter of miniatures: 'the little bit of ivory on which I

work with so fine a brush ...'. But within this narrow focus

Jane explores an important and universal theme: the

adjustments that a person must make to family and

society.

For a young woman of this period, marriage was the

surest route to independence and freedom. Marriage to a

wealthy man of good birth was the most desirableposition for a woman. Unmarried women living in their

parents' house (as Jane Austen was) were considered as

second class citizens.

Pride and Prejudice famously begins: 'It is a truth

universally acknowledged, that a single man in

possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'

Thus, the theme of the novel is stated in the very first

sentence. As the story continues, marriage is examined

from many points of view. Lydia and Wickham represent

its most animal aspect, Jane and Bingley its most

innocent. Elizabeth and Darcy represent its most spiritual

aspect. Austen satirizes the Bennets' marriage, and

shows us maturity in Mr and Mrs Gardiner. Mr Collins and

Charlotte demonstrate the marriage of convenience.

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A B O U T J A N E A U S T E N

P

T e a c h e r ’s n o t e s

B A C K G R O U N D A N D T H E M E S

by Jane Austen

© Pearson Education 2000



P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

1 When do you think Pride and Prejudice was written

and why?

2 From the picture, what do you think the story might

be about?

3 From the title, what do you think the story might beabout?

CHAPTERS 1–4

1 In small groups, students discuss the following

questions:

(a) Who are the following characters and what is

their relationship to each other?

Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet, Jane, Elizabeth, Mr

Bingley, Mr Darcy

(b) Say what you have learnt so far about the

characters of these five people.

2 Who says the sentences below, and who do they say

them to? What are they talking about?

(a) ‘They are my old friends. I have been listening to

news of them for 20 years.’

(b) ‘Oh, she is the most beautiful creature that I ever

saw!’

(c) ‘... It must greatly lessen her chance of marrying

a man of good position’

(d) ‘ ... and now think badly of me if you dare.’

(e) ‘Please do not talk of that hateful man’

3 Do you think that Jane will finally marry Mr Bingley

and Elizabeth will marry Mr Darcy?

CHAPTERS 5–10

1 Explain why:

(a) Jane is unhappy.

(b) Elizabeth is angry with Mr Darcy and Bingley's

sisters.

(c) Mrs Gardiner is not happy to see how friendly

Elizabeth and Wickham are.

(d) Whickham has no real interest in Elizabeth.

(e) Elizabeth is surprised by Charlotte.

2 Put these events in the order in which they occur in

the book.

(a) Mr Bingley goes to London

(b) Mr Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas.

(c) The Bennet girls meet Mr Wickham.

(d) There is a ball at Netherfield

(e) Mr Darcy meets Mr Wickham.

(f) Mr Collins proposes to Elizabeth.

(g) Jane goes to London.

(h) Darcy cheats Wickham out of his inheritance.

CHAPTERS 11–16

1 Finish these sentences. Try not to look at the book.

(a) Mr Collins showed Elizabeth around his house

because .........................

(b) Lady Catherine’s way of welcoming visitors did

not let them ..........................

(c) Mr Bingley has no intention of .....................

(d) Mr Darcy asks Elizabeth .......................

(e) When Elizabeth read Mr Darcy’s letter she felt

..........................

(f) Elizabeth decides to tell Jane ........... ............ ..

Chapters 11–16

2 Put these events in the correct order.

(a) Mr Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth.

(b) Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive.

(c) Lady Catherine invites Elizabeth to dinner.

(d) Elizabeth goes to the theatre.

(e) Elizabeth tells Jane about Mr Darcy.

(f) Elizabeth learns that Mr Darcy was involved in

the separation of Mr Bingley and Jane.

l e v e l

UPPER

INTERMEDIATE

Pride and Prejudice

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Photocopiable

These activities can be done alone or with one or moreother students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.

Activities before reading the book

Activities while reading the book

S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s




P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s

(g) Elizabeth visits the parsonage to see Charlotteand Mr Collins.

(h) Mr Darcy tells Elizabeth that he loves her.

(i) Jane, Elizabeth and Maria return to Hertfordshire.

3 What is Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr Darcy and Mr

Wickham at the end of this chapter of the book?

Chapters 17–22

1 Are these sentences true or false. Correct the false

ones.

(a) Kitty is pleased that Lydia has been invited to

Brighton.(b) Elizabeth tells Wickham that she likes Darcy

more, now that she knows him better.

(c) Elizabeth feels that her parents marriage is a

happy one.

(d) Elizabeth is looking forward to the visit to

Pemberley House.

(e) Mr Darcy does not want to meet Elizabeth’s

relatives.

(f) Miss Bingley thinks that Elizabeth looked

beautiful.

(g) Elizabeth receives a letter from Lydia.

(h) Lydia runs away to Gretna Green.

(i) Mrs Bennet is more worried about Lydia’s safety

than anything else.

(j) Mr Collins asks Mr Bennet to forgive Lydia.

2 Why is Elizabeth surprised at Mr Darcy’s reaction to

the news that Lydia has run away?

Chapters 23–28

1 What news does Edward Gardiner’s letter bring to Mr

Bennet? How does Mr Bennet react to the letter?

2 Why is Elizabeth sorry that she has told Mr Darcyabout Lydia?

3 What is Mrs Bennet’s reaction to the news that Lydia

is to be married? What is she concerned about?

4 Who says these sentences? Who are they speaking

to?

(a) ‘I mean that no man in his right mind would

marry Lydia for so little as one hundred pounds a

year.’

(b) ‘I am beginning to be sorry that he is coming atall.’

(c) ‘I knew that you could not be so beautiful for

nothing.’

(d) ‘I will not be interrupted. Hear me in silence.’

(e) ‘Will you tell me how long you have loved him?’

5 In small groups, discuss the following questions:

(a) Do you think Lydia and Wickham will be happy

together?

(b) In what ways are Lydia and Wickham similar to

each other?

Students must give reasons for their opinions.

5 In small groups, discuss how you think the story will

end. When you have read this chapter, answer the

following questions.

(a) Which of your predictions were right?

(b) Which of your predictions were wrong?

(c) What happened that you did not expect? What

surprised you?

One of the themes of Pride and Prejudice is 'marriage'. In

small groups discuss the following:

We follow the courtships or marriages of six couples in

this book: Mr and Mrs Bennet, Darcy and Elizabeth, Jane

and Bingley, Lydia and Wickham, Mr Collins and

Charlotte, Mr and Mrs Gardiner. Each of these couples

has a different relationship. For example, Mr and Mrs

Bennet argue a lot; they irritate each other.

Describe the relationships of these six couples. What

kind of marriages do they think Elizabeth, Jane and Lydia

will have?

l e v e l

5

P u b l i s h e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y P e a r s o n E d u c a t i o n

F a c t s h e e t w r i t t e n b y D a v i d F r a n c i s

F a c t s h e e t s e r i e s d e v e l o p e d b y L o u i s e J a m e s

Activities after reading the book

S t u d e n t ’ s a c t i v i t i e s


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