Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

• Genre: Fiction; classic literature; “novel of manners”
• Originally Published: 1813
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1100L; grades 10-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 3 volumes; 61 chapters; approx. 188 pages; approx. 11 hours, 35 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Misunderstandings and misgivings contribute to the complicated attempts at romance between protagonist Miss Elizabeth Bennet (second daughter of a country family of landed gentry) and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (a wealthy landowner) in early 19th century England.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Class and social hierarchy

Jane Austen, Author

• Bio: 1775-1817; raised in Hampshire, England with seven siblings; never married; a keen observer of her brothers’ careers and family relationships, which influenced her work; moved to Bath in 1801 with her parents on her father’s retirement; moved to Southampton in 1806 with her mother and sister after her father’s death; published six novels, the first four anonymously; work not attributed until the posthumous publication of her last two novels; stories collectively provide perspective on relationships and societal roles of the period; works recognized as strong examples of the “novel of manners” subgenre which depicts the values and customs representative of a society of a particular era and setting
• Other Works: Sense and Sensibility (1811); Mansfield Park (1814); Emma (1815); Persuasion (published posthumously; 1817); Northanger Abbey (published posthumously; 1817)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage
• The Social Hierarchy
• Pride and Prejudice

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and cultural contexts regarding social hierarchy that influence Elizabeth’s conflict.
• Analyze short paired texts and other resources to make connections with the novel’s themes of Social Hierarchy, Pride and Prejudice, and The Role of Women and the Importance of Marriage.
• Create a character analysis that demonstrates the author’s use of character development to emphasize the theme of Pride and Prejudice.