Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
First impressions
How much of the trouble between Elizabeth and Darcy comes from the first evening at the Meryton assembly, and whose fault is it?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of Darcy at that first ball, before you knew anything more about him?
- Why do you think Elizabeth holds on to her first judgement of him for so long?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
How much of the trouble between Elizabeth and Darcy comes from the first evening at the Meryton assembly, and whose fault is it?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of Darcy at that first ball, before you knew anything more about him?
- Why do you think Elizabeth holds on to her first judgement of him for so long?
Which of the two failings in the title belongs to Elizabeth, and which to Darcy, or do they share both?
Keep the conversation going
- Is Elizabeth's pride in her own judgement a strength or a weakness in the story?
- Does Darcy's pride ever do anyone any good?
What does Charlotte Lucas's decision to marry Mr Collins tell you about the choices open to women in the novel?
Keep the conversation going
- Do you see Charlotte's choice as sensible, sad, or something else?
- How does the entail on Longbourn shape the way the Bennet sisters, and their mother, think about marriage?
What goes wrong in Darcy's first proposal, and what does Elizabeth's refusal reveal about each of them?
Keep the conversation going
- Was Elizabeth fair to Darcy that evening, given what she believed at the time?
- How does his letter the next morning change the way you read everything that came before?
Why is Wickham so easy to believe, for Elizabeth and for everyone else in Meryton?
Keep the conversation going
- What does the novel suggest about charm and appearances as a guide to character?
- Who do you think bears the most responsibility for Lydia's elopement?
How far are Mr and Mrs Bennet to blame for what happens to their daughters?
Keep the conversation going
- Is Mr Bennet's detached humour charming, neglectful, or both?
- Does the novel treat Mrs Bennet fairly, given what is at stake for her family?
Why does Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley change her feelings so much, and is it only the house?
Keep the conversation going
- What does the way Darcy's housekeeper speaks of him add to Elizabeth's picture of him?
- How does Darcy's quiet help with Lydia and Wickham change your sense of who he is?
By the end, what have Elizabeth and Darcy each had to learn, and do you believe their marriage will be a good one?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Elizabeth's refusal to bow to Lady Catherine show about how far she has come?
- How do the novel's other marriages, from Jane and Bingley's to Lydia and Wickham's, frame the one at its centre?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.