Pride and Prejudice: Volume 1 (Book Disussion, Ch. 1-23)

Come and join us as we undertake a re-reading of Jane Austen's six major novels volume-by-volume, allowing us to focus deeper on specific areas of the novels that may not always get the most attention. This month we will be embarking on the most-well-known classic Pride and Prejudice Volume I (Chapters 1-23) of a standard copy of the novel).

A perfect time for Austen virgins to make their first dives into the novels and for seasoned Janeites to take an even deeper dive and experience the novels in their original three-volume form.

1. Consider the first line of the novel: does Austen mean this to be true or is she using satire?
2. · When does Darcy first find himself attracted to Elizabeth after initially finding her “tolerable” yet “not handsome enough to tempt” him?
3. · Consider how readily available people’s financial situations were during the Regency period (ex: how quickly it was circulated around the Meryton assembly that Darcy had 10K/year and before Bingley even arrives that he has 5K/year): how does this compare with modern views of finances (what has changed, and what hasn’t?)
4. · It was clear that Mrs. Bennet and Mary temporarily had hopes of grabbing Mr. Collin’s attention for Mary after Lizzy’s refusal. Would she have done well with him?
5. · Consider Wickham’s first conversation with Lizzy: what do we learn here so far about Darcy and Wickham’s connections? What are Lizzy’s justifications for the veracity of Wickham’s story? Does Austen give us any reasons to doubt Wickham at this point in the novel?
6. · Jane Austen writes of sister relationships between two very different personalities with great depth: how is this theme continued in Kizzy and Jane’s relationship? how might Jane’s relationship with Cassandra shape the way she wrote sisterly relationships?
7. · Of himself, Bingley states that “if he were ever resolved to leave Netherfield, he would do so in five minutes”. This sparks a debate between Lizzy, Darcy and Bingley about the reliability and constancy of human behavior (Chapter 10):

• Does one remain constant to original decisions or is it a virtue to be flexible and change when necessary? What do you believe? What do you think Austen believes?
• What do we learn about Darcy and Bingley’s characters here and their relationship?

8. · At this point in the novel, what faith do we have in Bingley to return to nether field? Where might this faith come from?
9. · Charlotte Lucas: what are her motives with Mr. Collins and how does she go about achieving them? While Charlotte is clearly sunk in Elizabeth’s opinion, do you think she made the right choice? What is Jane saying about charlottes character and society though her choice to capture and marry Collins?
10. Consider what Charlotte says about marriage to Lizzy, that it is best to know as little as possible about the defects of your marriage partner and that happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. How does this foreshadow her decision to pursue Collins. Do you agree with Charlotte’s view of marriage and courtship?
11. What is Jane Austen conveying about what makes a strong marriage through her description of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett so far?

Hope to see you all there!