-Sharika Anjum
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
-Jane Austen“
Is there anyone who hasn’t watched the movie or read about Pride and Prejudice? There are a bazillion different adaptations and interpretations of the acclaimed classic novel published in 1813. There must be a reason why a 200+ year old novel is still so famous and talked about. Spoiler alert: don't worry if you don’t really remember it, you probably have heard a version of the story already. It really isn’t about a bourgeois girl falling in love with a rich guy.
So, the big question: Why does everyone love Mr. Darcy? What makes Elizabeth a likable strong female character? Why is this story so satisfying and unforgettable? Even if you haven’t heard the names of these characters, Jane Austen's template of the tale is still being used today. A strong girl falling in love with an insufferable person she disliked at first who as it turns is actually a good person.
Why is a book written in the 19th century still relevant today? Austen presents universal themes about love, integrity, gender, class, reputation and family. Elizabeth’s pride makes her misjudge Darcy on the basis of a poor first impression, while Darcy’s prejudice against Elizabeth’s poor social standing blinds him, for a time, to her many virtues. Austen views love as something independent of these social forces, as something that can be captured if only an individual is able to escape the warping effects of a hierarchical society.
Pride and Prejudice depicts a society in which a woman’s reputation is of the utmost importance. A woman is expected to behave in certain ways. Austen pokes gentle fun using excellent humour but when Lydia (Elizabeth’s sister) elopes with Wickham and lives with him out of wedlock, the author treats reputation as a very serious matter. One can ask of Pride and Prejudice, to what extent does it critique social structures, and to what extent does it simply accept their inevitability? The theme of class is related to reputation, in that both reflect the strictly regimented nature of life for the middle and upper classes in Regency England. The lines of class are strictly drawn. While the Bennets, who are middle class, may socialize with the upper-class Bingley and Darcy's, Bennets still remain social inferiors. Through the Darcy-Elizabeth and Bingley-Jane marriages, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices, thereby implying that such prejudices are hollow, unfeeling, and unproductive.
All of the characters operate within networks of family connections that shape their decisions and perspectives. The author shows individuals never lead totally autonomous lives, and individual actions have wider communal implications. Elizabeth behaves with her definition of integrity by refusing to marry both Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy (when he proposes the first time). She thinks it’s important to only marry a man who she loves and respects, despite the pressure to achieve economic security. Her quick intelligent dry wit makes her an extremely likable character very rare for the time period it was set in. She believes in the importance of integrity, but the novel also reminds readers not to be too quick to pass judgment.
Darcy's high birth and wealth make him overly proud and conscious of his social status. His haughtiness makes him ruin his courtship. Elizabeth's rejection of his advances builds a kind of humility in Darcy. He shows his continued devotion to Elizabeth, in spite of his distaste for her low connections, when he rescues Lydia and the entire Bennet family from disgrace, goes against the wishes of his haughty aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by continuing to pursue Elizabeth.Besides Jane Austen’s characters dealing with “crazy” family dynamics, or their personal desires for love and romance, she shows characters’ conflicting feelings when they want to meet social expectations, but also when they want to defy them. Austen’s new writing techniques with free indirect discourse shows her characters’ internal feelings and thoughts about their experiences.
The issues portrayed in the novel still matter today in all kinds of groups, Lizzie and the famous Mr. Darcy have all kinds of problems getting together because of misunderstandings and erroneous judgments. Austen conveys it's difficult to understand what another is feeling – this transcends time and place.
Some of the adaptations of ‘Pride and Prejudice’
2017 novel, “Heartstone,” a historical fantasy by Elle Katharine White that sets “Pride and Prejudice” in a world of dragons and warriors.
“Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix,” by Ibi Zobol, published in 2019, updates Austen’s novel for young adults, setting the scene in Brooklyn.
“Ayesha At Last,” by Uzma Jalaluddin, published in 2019, is a modern-day Muslim retelling.
Pride and Prejudice” – 1995 BBC miniseries with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, launching his career.
“Pride and Prejudice” – this popular 2005 remake starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary” – 1999 novel, 2001 film with Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth reprising Mr. Darcy
“Bride and Prejudice” – 2004 Bollywood film.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” – 2009 novel, 2016 film.
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