Pride and Prejudice Discussion Guide - English with Mrs

JANE AUSTEN

E N G L I S H L I T E R A T U R E

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a singleman in possession of a good fortune must be in

want of a wife.

Describe their relationship.

Why does Mrs. Bennet get angry with Kitty for

coughing? What is she really angry about?

How does Mrs. Bennet's tone change by the end of

chapter one? Why?

What important information does Mr. Bennet

withhold regarding Mr. Bingley?

What is Mrs. Bennet's goal in life?

What do you know about Mr. Bingley? Mr. Darcy?

What are your impressions of the Bennet sisters?

Describe their relationship with their father.

What does Bingley say of Jane at the ball?

What does Jane say of Bingley?

Does Mr. Bennet really wish Mr. Bingley had

sprained his ankle during the first dance?

What does Darcy say of Elizabeth?

How does Elizabeth feel about Darcy?

Does Bingley care about Darcy's opinions?

She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to temptme, and I am in no humor at present to give

consequences to young ladies who are slighted byother men.

You are a great deal too apt you know, to likepeople in general. You never see a fault in anybody.

Who are Lord and Lady Lucas?

Who is Charlotte Lucas?

Compare Charlotte's thoughts on love/marriage to

Elizabeth's.

Note the remarks on pride.

I could easily forgive his pride if he had notmortified mine.

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter ofchance...it is better to know as little as possible of

the defects of the person with whom you are topass your life.

How have Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth changed by

the end of chapter 6?

Do his actions reflect his feelings?

Do Elizabeth's feelings toward Darcy change?

Characterize the friendship between Darcy and

Bingley.

Why must the Bennet girls marry well?

How does Mrs. Bennet manipulate Jane and Mr.

Bingley? What does Mr. Bingley think?

Why does Elizabeth decide to visit Jane at

Netherfield?

How do the Bingley sisters respond to Elizabeth?

What does she think of them?

You [Kitty and Lydia] must be two of the silliest girlsin the country. I have suspected it some time, but I

am now convinced.

Several members of the Bennet family react strongly to Jane's letter from Netherfield. In one

paragraph, highlight the important information in Jane's letter and explain how Mr. Bennet, Mrs.

Bennet, and Lizzy respond to the news from Jane. Finally, decide who seems to care most for

Jane's wellbeing. Include a quote from the novel that supports your opinion.

Reminders: Begin your paragraph with a topic sentence in your own words. Provide relevant

examples including a quote for support, and be sure to answer all parts of the question. Use third

person, write in present tense, and include an in-text citation. 

What causes Elizabeth's opinion of the Bingley

sisters to change? Does this change last?

How does she feel Mr. Bingley compares to his

sisters?

What does Mr. Darcy think of Elizabeth's appearance

after her long walk?

How does Miss Bingley feel about the Bennets?

Why does Mrs. Bennet arrive? Whom does she

bring? How are they received?

What do Darcy and Mr. Bingley think of young ladies

in general? What does Lizzy say about

"accomplished" young women?

How do the Bingley women show their hypocrisy?

And to all this she must yet add something moresubstantial in the improvement of her mind by

extensive reading.

Who checks in on Jane first?

Mr. Darcy dislikes the country. Why does this offend

Mrs. Bennet?

What does Lydia request of Mr. Bingley?

Note Caroline's attempt to attract the attention of

Mr. Darcy. Why does she argue against the ball?

What happens between Elizabeth and Darcy? How

does Miss Bingley respond?

Is it possible that we misjudged Mr. Darcy?

What I do is done in a hurry...and therefore if Iresolve to quit Netherfield, I should be off in five

minutes.

I cannot forget the follies and vices of others assoon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself.

How does Mr. Bingley respond to Jane's improved

health?

Why does Elizabeth want to return home? What is

Darcy's response?

How does Mrs. Bennet react to her daughters'

homecoming?

Why has Mr. Bennet missed his oldest daughters?

What have the other girls been up to?

Characterize Mr. Collins.

What does he think of his benefactress?

What does Mr. Bennet think of this young man? Why?

What is Mr. Collins' favorite subject?

What "talent" does he spend his free time improving?

What book does Mr. Collins read from in an effort to

teach the Bennet sisters? How is the reading

received?

How does Mr. Collins intend to atone for the

entailment? Who is his first choice? What is Mrs.

Bennet's response? He is so foolish...

Why does Mr. Collins accompany the girls to

Meryton?

Who is he? How can we tell that there is something

going on between Darcy and Wickham?

When the party visits their aunt's home, what invitation

is issued?

Why does Mr. Collins attend this dinner? What topic of

conversation does he choose while they wait for the

other gentlemen? How is this received?

What is Elizabeth's initial impression of Mr. Wickham?

Why do Mr. Collins' hopes of securing a wife dim at the

dinner?

What do we learn about Darcy and Darcy's family from

Wickham?

What is the connection between Darcy and Lady

Catherine de Bourgh?

What seems to be the general attitude toward Lady

Catherine?

Note: These women were called "Lady Catherine" and

"Lady Anne" because their father was an earl. If they

were not noble themselves, they would be Lady de

Bourgh (because Sir William was noble) and Mrs. Darcy

(because Darcy's father wasn't).

Who does Elizabeth dance with first? How does she feel

about this?

Why is Wickham absent? What excuse does he give?

What new information does Elizabeth get from Caroline

Bingley? What is Elizabeth's reaction? Why?

How does Mr. Collins react when he realizes a relative

of his patron is at the ball?

How are things progressing between Jane and Mr.

Bingley? What does Darcy think of their relationship?

Why?

How does Elizabeth feel about the ball? How does her

mother feel about it?

That would be the greatest misfortune of all - to finda man agreeable whom one is determined to hate.

What reasons does Mr. Collins give for wishing to marry

Lizzy?

What is her reply?

Why doesn't Mr. Collins understand her?!

What does Mrs. Bennet have to say? What about her

husband?

Why isn't Collins more upset?

Whom does he end up engaged to? How? Why? Does

this surprise you? Does it surprise the characters?

Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled youout as the companion of my future life.

It is by no means certain that another offer ofmarriage may ever be made to you.

Your mother will never see you again if you do notmarry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you if you do.

Where have the Bingleys gone? Why?

What does Jane think? What about Mrs. Bennet?

How have the Bennet sisters' fortunes changed? Who is

most upset by these changes?

Take a few minutes to complete quotes 12-16 with the

students in your row. We will go over them together as a

class.

The more I see of the world, the more I amdissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my

belief in the inconsistency of all human charactersand of the little dependence that can be placedupon the appearance of either merit or sense.

So your sister is crossed in love...when is your turnto come?

Describe the Gardiners

What does Mrs. Gardiner suggest ought to be done

for Jane?

What do the Gardiners know of Darcy?

Of what does Mrs. Gardiner warn Lizzy regarding

Wickham?

What does Charlotte request of Lizzy?

What happens between Caroline and Jane?

What does Jane's letter reveal?

To whom will Bingley be married?

How does Lizzy react?

What happens to Wickham?

Is not general incivility the very essence of love?

Describe Lizzy's travels with the Lucases.

What does Lizzy think of Wickham?

What does she think of men?

What does she have to look forward to?

Describe the Collins couple.

What preparations are required for visiting her?

Mr. Collins is so rude!

What do the Lucases think of Lady Catherine?

What does Lizzy think of her?

What do you think of her?

What is Mr. Collins' other hobby?

How does Lizzy like to pass the time at Hunsford?

Who arrives quite unexpectedly?

How does Lizzy react?

This could get awkward...

With the students in your row, reread the conversation between Lizzy and Lady Catherine in

chapter 29. Begin with the paragraph that starts, "When the ladies returned from the drawing

room" and read through "I am not one and twenty."

All of Lizzy's responses to Lady Catherine's impertinent questions are very civil. Imagine that you

could include Lizzy's inner voice, a voice unconcerned with manners, a voice which needs not be

civil. Select three places within this dialogue where her inner voice could speak up. Write the

preceding line as Austen wrote it, and then insert Lizzy's internal response. Keep it school

appropriate, and remember that it's snark week! Be prepared to share with the class.

Darcy understands his aunt's lack of class

How does he explain his behavior at the ball?

Lady Catherine's incessant advice is awful

What does Darcy say about Bingley?

What does Charlotte think of Darcy's visit?

We neither of us perform for strangers.

Elizabeth walks with Colonel Fitzwilliam

What does she learn?

Why did Bingley desert Jane?

How does Lizzy feel toward Darcy now?

Darcy simultaneously insults Lizzy and asks for her

hand in marriage.

Is he just as bad as Collins?!

How does Lizzy respond?

Is she too hard on him?

How does his letter change things?

What does he reveal about Wickham? Georgiana?

You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admireand love you.

Could you not expect me to rejoice in the inferiority ofconnections? To congratulate myself on the hope of

relations whose condition in life is so decidedlybeneath my own?

I had not known you a month before I felt that youwere the last man in the world whom I could ever be

prevailed on to marry.

Lizzy realizes her prejudice against Darcy was

wrong

She also sees the Jane and Wickham situation

differently now

How does Lizzy feel by the end of chapter 36?

Til this moment, I never knew myself.

What amuses Lizzy when she thinks of Lady

Catherine now?

How does Darcy feel about leaving Rosings? What

does Lady Catherine assume?

How does Lizzy feel about Darcy now? Bingley?

Margaret Kennedy describes Elizabeth's opinion of

Darcy:

"It is only to Darcy that she cannot be just, cannot be

gentle. Her animus against him has been fed by too

many tributary streams. The original slight against

herself might quickly have been forgotten...but then

upon the scene appear the attractive Wickham and the

fantastic Collins, both of them proteges of the Darcy

family, and each with his particular contribution to the

prejudiced picture which is forming in her mind. She

contrasts the fawning servility which has

recommended Collins to a good living with the sturdy

independence which has, by his own account, deprived

Wickham of similar advancement. Darcy's active

participation in the separation of Jane and Bingley

follows."

D. J. Dooley notes in "Pride, Prejudice, and Vanity in

Elizabeth Bennet":

"She is given opportunities to exercise necessary

discrimination, as when Lady Catherine behaves with

patrician arrogance and Darcy looks ashamed of her. In

the scenes at Hunsford, her original bias against Darcy

leads her to disclaim his compliments, interpret his

visits on the ground that he has nothing better to do, and

attribute their meetings in the park to mischance. It is

because of her persistence in a prejudiced view that his

proposal comes as a tremendous shock to her. After she

has read his long letter of explanation, she reproaches

herself for being 'blind, prejudiced, and absurd.'"

How does Collins see his relationship with Lady

Catherine?

How do you see it?

What does Collins think of his marriage?

What does Charlotte think of her life?

Daughters are never of so much consequence to afather.

Why does Lydia want to go to Brighton?

What is new with Wickham? How does Lizzy react?

What does Jane think of Lizzy's updates (Darcy,

Wickham)?

Why does Lizzy decide not to set the record straight in

the neighborhood?

Why doesn't Lizzy update her mother?

Is it wise for Mr. Bennet to allow Lydia to go to Brighton?

Lord how I should be ashamed of not being marriedbefore three and twenty.

Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of abroken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he

has done.

What evidence is there that things are changing

between Lizzy and Darcy?

What is Lizzy's first impression of Georgiana?

What do the Gardiners think of Darcy?

What does Elizabeth hope regarding Bingley and

Jane?

Here where people really know Darcy and Wickham,

what is the general opinion of them?

Miss Bingley is just as she always was

Some people call him proud; but I am sure I neversaw anything of it.

Two letters from Jane shock Lizzy

Lizzy tells Darcy everything in a panic. How does he

respond?

Why does Lizzy blame herself?

How does she feel about Darcy now? How does she

assume he feels about her?

Why do Mr. Gardiner and Jane hold out hope that all

will turn out well?

Describe Lydia's letter to Mrs. Forster.

Describe Lydia's letter to Mrs. Forster

Describe Mr. Collins' letter to Mr. Bennet

Describe Mr. Gardiner's letter to Mr. Bennet

What does Mrs. Bennet think of her brother's help?

Why didn't Mr. Bennet save money earlier?

What are his regrets?

The death of your daughter would have been ablessing in comparison of this.

It has been my own doing, and I ought to feel it.

Why doesn't Mr. Bennet want them to visit?

Who changes his mind? How?

How is Wickham's career advancing?

Describe Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's greetings

I do not particularly like your way of gettinghusbands.

My sisters may write to me. They will have nothingelse to do.

He simpers and smirks and makes love to us all.

Lydia accidentally reveals that Darcy attended her

wedding

Lizzy turns to Mrs. Gardiner for info

Why was he there?

Why did he do this for the Bennets?

Bingley is returning to town. Who is with him?

Describe their visit to Longbourn

How has Darcy's attitude changed in ch. 54?

Describe Bingley's proposal

Where does it take place?

How does everyone react?

How did YOU react?

Why is she here?

This is Austen's attack on the class system

How would Mr. Collins react if he were in Lizzy's

shoes? How does Lady Catherine expect Lizzy to

react?

What news soon arrives from the Collins family?

How do Darcy and Lizzy explain their behavior?

How has Darcy acted on behalf of Bingley and

Jane?

How does Jane take her sister's news?

Why doesn't Lizzy immediately tell her family?

What is Mr. Bennet's reaction? Mrs. Bennet's?

Why did Darcy first admire Lizzy?

What took him so long?!

What does Miss Bingley think? Miss Darcy?

Your family owes me nothing. Much as I respectthem, I believe I thought only of you.

It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew Ihad begun.

What happens to the Bennet family?

What does Lydia think of her sisters' marriages?

How is Lydia's marriage working out?

What becomes of Lady Catherine?

Is Elizabeth "good for" Darcy? Is Jane a good

influence on Bingley? How might the men change

after a few years of marriage? How might their wives

change?