the novel opens with the famous line, "it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.". and ends with two marriages: jane and bingley's, as well as darcy and elizabeth's. both couples are assumed to live happily ever after.
elizabeth (lizzy) bennet is the core of the family. elizabeth is the second of mr. and mrs. bennet's five daughters, and is an intelligent, bold, attractive twenty-year-old when the story begins. in addition to being her father's favourite, elizabeth is characterized as a sensible, yet stubborn, woman. misled by his cold outward behaviour, elizabeth originally holds mr. darcy in contempt. however, she finds that mr. darcy improves on acquaintance, more so than she would expect.
fitzwilliam darcy (commonly known as mr. darcy) is the central male character and elizabeth's second love interest in the novel. he is an intelligent, wealthy, extremely handsome and reserved 28-year-old man, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers but possesses an honest and kind nature underneath. initially, he considers elizabeth his social inferior, unworthy of his attention, but he finds that, despite his inclinations, he cannot deny his feelings for elizabeth. his initial proposal of marriage is rejected because of his pride and elizabeth's prejudice against him; however, at the end of the novel, after their relationship has blossomed, he is happily engaged to a loving elizabeth.
role of women in the 18th century
in late-18th-century england, women were relegated to secondary roles in society with respect to property and social responsibilities. for example, women were not permitted to visit new arrivals to the neighbourhood (such as mr. bingley in pride and prejudice) until the male head of their household had first done so. women were under enormous pressure to marry for the purpose of securing their financial futures and making valuable social connections for their families. therefore, marriage, though romanticised, was in many ways a financial transaction and social alliance rather than a matter of love. although jane austen did not condone loveless marriages (she stayed single all her life), she did approve of matches having equality in various respects, including wealth, social status, love and character. in pride and prejudice, wealth, social status, chastity (and the perception of chastity) and physical attractiveness are depicted as factors affecting a woman's chances for a good m