The novel Pride and Prejudice tells the story of the gradual union of two people, one held back by unconquerable pride, and the other blinded by prejudice. The novel’s heroine is undoubtedly Elizabeth in whose mental constitution prejudice occupies a large part; and the novel’s hero is surely Mr. Darcy who personifies pride. These two persons come into contact with each other at a social gathering. Initially, they dislike each other. But in course of time, Mr. Darcy’s pride diminishes and then gives way to a balanced outlook on his part; and similarly, in course of time, Elizabeth’s prejudice against Mr. Darcy gives way to a reasoned attitude on her part.
At the assembly, organized at Meryton, Elizabeth first meets Mr. Darcy who has come in the company of Mr. Bingley, his two sisters and Mr. Hurst.Mr. Darcy is a grave, composedproud man who does not feel comfortable to mix freely with others. When Mr. Bingley suggests Mr. Darcy to dance with in the ball to which Mr. Darcy replies that “You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the party.” Now, Bingley comes up with the idea of dancing with Elizabeth to which Darcy replies haughtily that she is not handsome enough to dance with him her. This proud remark is overheard by Elizabeth and this leads to the birth of dislike for Darcy within her. Moreover, everybody present in the ball assembly considered Darcy to be self-conceited to talk with anyone. His disposition brought him dislikes.
The dislike is aggravated in the plot when with the appearance of Mr. Wickham. Mr. Wickham’s handsome mein and fine countenance was enough to gain the attraction of Bennett sisters, especially Elizabeth. Elizabeth believes his account of charges against Darcy which were altogether false. The dislike turns into hatred of Elizabeth. She begins to think Mr. Darcy to be a very callous and unjust man. She attributes Mr. Darcy alleged ill-treatment of Mr. Wickham to Mr. Darcy’s “abominable pride”. At the ball organized by Mr. Bingley at Netherfield Park, Mr. Darcy requests Elizabeth to dance with him, and she agrees, though much against her will. On this occasion, Elizabeth tells her friend Charlotte that she can never find Mr. Darcy to be an agreeable man because she is determined to hate him.
Elizabeth then meets Darcy at Hunsford where she has come on a brief visit to her friend Charlotte whogot married to Mr. Collins, the rector of the parish. Here, a major turning point occurs in the novel when Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals to Elizabeth about Mr. Darcy’s role in the break-up of the love relationship between Jane and Bingley. Elizabeth’s hatred is highest at this point of the novel. A major twist occurs when Darcy, who unable to subdue his emotions, comes to propose Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who is furious at Darcy, at once refuses for the marriage. Darcy is astonished that how Elizabeth so courageously can refuse him. Darcy, who is a gentleman, decides to prove the charges alleged against him by Elizabeth. He pens down everything in a letter to break or remove the prejudice of Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who reads the letters, comes to know about the reality. She expresses that “Till this moment, I didn’t know myself.” she admits that had been “blind, partial, prejudiced and absurd.”
Regarding Darcy, his pride is the glaring trait in him. The real change occurs the time after his proposal of marriage which was rejected by Elizabeth. When he meets Elizabeth by chance at Pemberley House, there is no trace of haughtiness or pride in the manner in which he now talks to her and to her relatives. He has evidently got rid of his pride. And it is because he is no longer proud even of his high social status, that he plays a leading role in the Lydia-Wickham affair and exerts his influence, as well as spends a lot of money, to bring about Lydia’s marriage with Mr. Wickham.
And, finally he feels encouraged by what he learns about Elizabeth’s present feelings from Lady Catherine’s complaint against Elizabeth to him. In this frame of mind, he goes to Longbourn and makes another proposal of marriage to Elizabeth’s present feelings from Lady Catherine’s complaint against Elizabeth to hi who gladly accepts it and Jane affair.
In case of Bingley, Mr. Bingley’s prejudice was something which kept him away from Miss Jane Bennet. This development of prejudice in Bingley is due to Darcy who prejudiced him against Jane’s disposition. However, the Bingley-Jane affair relationship revives when again and Bingley proposes to marry Jane in the end. Pride is not represented only by Darcy but also Catherine de Bourgh, his aunt. She shows herself to be a woman of social superiority, arrogant, bullying woman whose head is swollen by the pride of her wealth and her social position.
Pride and Prejudice is therefore, an apt title for this novel. Pride is present Lady characters like Darcy, Catherine and Miss Bingley whereas prejudice is dominant in Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley. Pride and prejudice plays dominant role in the novel where the significant theme is marriage and love. This pride and prejudice act as hurdle in the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. When these two are removed, their reconciliation takes place.