Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813 and written by Jane Austen, is considered a classic work of English literature. The novel is a romance and a comedy of manners, an examination of the behavior of a small group of people who are, or consider themselves to be, members of upper-class society. Austen examines, with subtle satire, the concerns of the upper-middle or gentry class of England, considering how manners, mores, and cultural realities like the legal status of women affect relationships, especially love and marriage.

The plot centers on the fortunes of the Bennet family, including five daughters, who live on a small estate in rural England. While subplots include Jane’s romance with a new neighbor, Mr. Bingley, and Lydia’s eloping with a feckless military officer, Wickham, the main plot follows the attraction between Elizabeth Bennet, or Lizzy, and a wealthy landowner, Mr. Darcy, who first spurns her, then is spurned by her, and then wins Lizzy’s hand. As suggested by the title First Impressions, under which Austen first tried to publish the work, and the eventual title Pride and Prejudice, the novel’s main theme explores the consequences of misleading judgments and the eventual humbling of both leads.