Three Reasons Why You Should Read Pride and Prejudice At Least Once In Your Life

Amalia Bollero

     Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a hilarious and incredibly well-written romance novel revolving mostly around the characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. There are many twists and turns throughout the book as the Bennet family of five sisters try to find love, as their mother becomes desperate to couple them up with wealthy men. The estate owned by Mr. Bennett, the father of the sisters and wife to Ms. Bennet, must be passed on to a male heir, and therefore the sisters must find wealthy husbands in order to maintain the property somewhat within the family. Elizabeth and her sisters learn to navigate between good and bad people and what kind of person they really want to spend the rest of their lives with, all the while showcasing their brilliant personalities along the way. Within this complicated tale, there are three main reasons why I think everyone should read Pride and Prejudice at least once in their lives. 

1. Jane Austen's creative wit when it comes to writing gives the book a wonderful element of comedy. Both Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy are key components of bringing out the humor in this novel. Mr. Bennet often uses his humor as a way of talking back to his wife. For example, Mr. Bennet tries to call his daughters silly for making conversation over money and when his wife tries to defend the kids, he claps back with, "[...] I flatter myself, on which we do not agree. I had hoped that our sentiments coincided in every particular, but I must be so far differ from you [...] (35). This comment shows how Mr. Bennet is making fun of the fact that they have differing opinions on certain aspects of parenting and is disappointed that they are not exactly alike on this topic. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are also very opinionated and spirited people who often argue with their peers about a variety of topics. This sense of back and forth banter, gives readers the sense that they can really get to know the characters as well and immerse themselves in the book even further. 

2. Pride and Prejudice is an unconventional and dramatic romance novel. This book is about the journey of the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The relationship that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy share is very odd, because for most of the book they appear to hate each other. Their equally strong and opinionated personalities lead to much arguing between them. They often purposefully try to avoid each other, and the irony that this creates in the book is dramatic and hilarious to read. Throughout most of the book it seems as if they will forever hate each other and every sign leads to them not being romantically involved. For some odd reason, this leads readers to understand that they will in fact be together by the end of the book and that the unusual and surprising love that they have for each other is something that is special and appreciated by all readers.

3. Although it is a romance novel, Elizabeth Bennet is still an independent and strong female character. One of the lines in this book that really showcases Elizabeth's strong willed personality is, "There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me,” (204). This shows that she isn't going to back down to please others. She shows time and time again throughout the book how important putting what she believes in first is the most important thing to her. I think that this mindset was something that was a part of her relationship with Mr. Darcy, because she didn't let her feelings for him get in the way of her ambitions. I think that it is inspiring how even in the day and age where Jane Austen wrote this book, where often times females were shamed for speaking their mind, she was able to give life to such a modern day superhero of a main character. This is part of the reason why I believe people often make the statement that Austen's books are "timeless" - the characters are still relatable even today.