This book has been made into so many
movies, I wonder if there’s anyone who doesn’t know the story! Jane Austen’s
novel about growing up, falling in love, misunderstandings, marriage, class and
everything else has successfully made its way into every school’s reading
course!
It’s no doubt that the plot is interesting
with enough twists and turns, but I personally think the book’s main success is
in its elaborate characterization. The Bennett sisters and their parents are
described so wonderfully you feel like they’re your neighbors! Austen also
exhibits an excellent understanding of human nature and how it tends to turn
under changing circumstances. Every character in the book is sure to remind you
of someone you’ve known, and you’ll find yourself thinking, “Yes, I knew she was
going to do that!”
With the story featuring so many important
female characters, it’s inevitable that you’ll try to look at the book from a
feminist standpoint. But I feel the book doesn’t really focus on gender stereotypes
and rather looks at each character more as a person than as a man or woman. Many
people argue that the Pride in the title stands for Darcy and Prejudice for
Elizabeth. Yet, it is also widely accepted that both of them exhibit pride as
well as prejudice. Some of the people in the book may resemble caricatures, but
don’t tell me you haven’t seen a loud Aunty who has absolutely no sense of
social decorum!
In the end, the book is all about
relationships – sisterhood, friendship, marriage, love and even touches upon
extended family and acquaintances. It’s also a great example for not judging a
book by its cover!
2 comments
I find this book speaking on so many things - economic division, falsehood, superiority, lack of communication. But it is one of my favorite books of all time.
ReplyDeleteTina
True! While it seems like light hearted satire on the surface, there are many deeper themes within.
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