Analysis
The opening chapters of Pride and Prejudice serve to quickly introduce Austen's principal
characters and outline the skeleton of the plot. Austen expediently establishes her primary
themes and the stylistic devices through which she will explore the narrative. The very first line
of the novel has become one of the most famous first lines in literature: "It is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
This opening line establishes the novel's two major themes - marriage and class (particularly as
as defined by money). Most of the characters in Pride and Prejudice are first and foremost
defined by their financial background and marital status. In these the early chapters, Austen
explores the stark contrast between Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth through their opinions on these
issues. Mrs. Bennet only cares about marriage and money, while Elizabeth refuses to let these
superficial measures control her.
The first line also introduces Austen's use of irony. While the first line focuses on "a single man .
. . in want of a wife," Austen shows her readers over the course of the novel that in the late-
eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, marriage was actually more crucial for young women.
If a young woman of a certain class did not find a husband of decent means and status, she risked
becoming a powerless and potentially destitute spinster. While Austen's choice of wording in this
first line frames the man as the active force in seeking marriage, the plot of Pride and
Prejudice emphasizes a woman's role in finding a suitable partner.
This irony leads to the central question surrounding Austen's intent in writing Pride and
Prejudice. Was Austen conservative, poking fun at these institutions but ultimately approving
of them, or was she progressive and subtly trying to upend those social restrictions? Neither
answer has ever produced a scholarly consensus, largely because there is evidence in support of
both interpretations. Austen attacks the purely economic, utilitarian motives for marriage as well
as the societal constraints which leave many women with little choice but to marry. Yet the plot
of Pride and Prejudice seems to suggest that happy unions can exist even within these strict
cultural limitations.
In the conversation between Charlotte and Elizabeth in Chapter 5, Austen leads the reader to
sympathize with Elizabeth, the novel's protagonist. She argues against the utilitarian motive for
marriage and rejects the idea that a women must feign interest in order to secure a man. From a
contemporary perspective, Charlotte's attitude is lamentable if not anti-feminist. She believes a
woman should get married for the sake of security, which will then allow her the "leisure for
falling in love as much as she chuses." Elizabeth speaks up in favor of individuality, refusing to
consider that marriage should be founded on anything other than love and respect. While the
reader naturally aligns with Elizabeth's opinion, Austen ultimately proves both of Charlotte's
arguments to be true. As a result of rejecting Charlotte's advice, Jane almost loses Bingley.
Additionally, many moments in Elizabeth's journey towards her relationship with Darcy suggest
the importance of class in marriage, at least to some degree.
Critics have praised Austen's ability to bring her characters to life. Critic George Henry Lewes
lauds Austen because "instead of description, the common and easy resource of novelists, she
has the rare and difficult art of dramatic presentation instead of telling us what her characters are,
and what they feel, she presents the people, and they reveal themselves." For example, the
reader's first glimpse of the Bennets provides a fairly accurate sketch of their individual
