Published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice is a classic romance novel by renowned author, Jane Austen. The story is set during the Regency era in rural England and follows
the Bennets, a family made upof a noisy mother, eccentric father, and five very unique daughters. The second eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is known to be the clever and high spirited
heroine.The development of her relationship with the wealthy yet socially awkward aristrocrat, Fitzwilliam Darcy is the central focus of this novel's story. Initially, their impres-
sions of each other had been unfavorable due to both character's hasty pride and judgements. However, as the story of progresses, the two begin to overcome their distaste for each-
other and eventually grow to understand one another's true character.
Though the concept of reputation comes up a lot throughout the novel, there is a heavy focus on how a woman is expected to present herself to the world. Elizabeth as a
character, is a woman who refuses to adhere to the societal standards that are pushed onto women as she is stubborn and refuses to marry for any reasons that are not love, which causes
her to clash with her mother who desires nothing more than to marry her daughters off for the sake of financial comfort. The themes of Pride and Prejudice are one of the most appreciated
aspects of the novel as Austen artistically weaves together the themes of limitations imposed by social class, overcoming judgement, love transcending societal expectations and social ba-
rriers, and family and sisterhood. As the title suggests, Elizabeth must overcome her prejudice and Darcy must set his pride aside.
Since publication, Pride and Prejudice has demonstrated itself to be one of the most influential novels in English literature having inspired many modern literature
works and film adaptations. With more than 20 million copies sold, it continues to reach mass audiences and appears on lists of books that are beloved by literay scholars and book lovers.