Over the years of the Victoria Classics Book Club, our group has grown to encompass thousands of members connected by a love of reading. Below, find discussion questions for past volumes, which can be explored further on our Book Selections page. We also invite you to join the ongoing conversation on our Facebook page, where you will meet a delightful coterie of devoted readers.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The tale of Pride and Prejudice, consistently listed among the most popular titles in English literature, chronicles protagonist Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love with the wealthy Mr. Darcy, considered an archetype of the aloof romantic hero.
The first line of Pride and Prejudice is one of the most memorable: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Rather than intending for it to be taken literally, Miss Austen employs irony—a literary tool she uses throughout the novel. Why do you think she chose that approach?
In a plot hatched by her matchmaking mother, Jane Bennet became ill after riding a horse in the rain to Charles Bingley’s estate, Netherfield. After Jane was persuaded to stay until she improved, Elizabeth walked three hours to check on her sister in her own rainy-day exploit—a feat quietly admired by Mr. Darcy. What is an example of an occasion where you have gone out of your way for someone you cared about? Or has someone else’s unexpected kindness left an impression on you?
One evening at Netherfield, Elizabeth engaged in conversation with Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley in the drawing room, where she remarked, “Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride—where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation.” Do you agree with Elizabeth’s opinion? Why or why not?
Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas may be close friends, but they have very different views on marriage. Why do you think Charlotte accepted Mr. Collins’s proposal after Elizabeth turned it down?
Each of the five Bennet sisters has a unique personality. Would the novel be as memorable if it had been told from another sister’s viewpoint? Which of the other siblings do you think would have related an interesting, albeit different, version of events?
All of the local ladies, including the Bennet sisters, are thrilled when military officers are stationed in the nearby town of Meryton. Although all of the women are taken with the dashing Mr. Wickham, he and Darcy have an awkward encounter; Darcy looks angry and Wickham looks rather sheepish. Elizabeth is intrigued by this but accepts Wickham’s explanation that paints Darcy as the bad guy. Why do you think she is so quick to believe his version?
Jane Austen takes readers on the roller-coaster ride along with Elizabeth and Darcy, making us wonder if Elizabeth is ever going to recognize her true feelings for him. At what point in the novel do you think Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr. Darcy begins to soften?
Celebrate the life and times of the foremost writer of classic Regency fiction—a star whose legacy continues to inspire generations of fans more than two centuries after she lived.
Read more as you enjoy our afternoon tea celebrating Jane Austen.
Throughout Pride and Prejudice, marriage seems to be the solution to every problem, whether it’s Charlotte seeing the annoying Mr. Collins as her last chance for matrimony or Darcy’s stern “encouragement” that Wickham marry Lydia to make things right after their scandalous behavior. And yet, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s marriage seems anything but blissful. What do you think Miss Austen was trying to illustrate?
When Elizabeth tours northern England with her uncle and aunt, Sir William and Maria Gardiner, they come upon Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s Derbyshire estate. Though they believe him to be away, Elizabeth is surprised to find him home—and that he is a welcoming host. Do you think seeing his vast holdings makes him suddenly more desirable? Or does she simply see him in a different light?
Lady Catherine De Bourgh—Darcy’s formidable aunt and Mr. Collins’s patron—is an almost mythical character in the storyline, thanks to Mr. Collins’s blathering admiration for her. We finally meet her when Elizabeth and the Gardiners come to visit Charlotte and Mr. Collins at her residence, Rosings. Lady Catherine is determined that her own daughter will marry Darcy, but when he and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive at Rosings, Darcy declares his love to Elizabeth and proposes marriage. In what manner does she respond to him?
How does Darcy finally win over Elizabeth? Do you have a favorite moment in the development of their relationship?
What scenes from Pride and Prejudice will stay with you long after you close the book? If you have read the novel more than once, how has it impacted you in different stages of life?
Jane Austen revolutionized literary romance for the British middle class of the late eighteenth century and remains perennially popular. The Complete Novels of Jane Austen delights with period styling, including decorative embroidery accenting a clothbound hardcover exterior. Although we have spent time immersed in Pride and Prejudice, titles in the collection represent all of the acclaimed author’s novels. Which is your favorite of Austen’s works?
Find Victoria Classics Book Club resources—including discussion questions, companion materials, and a reader forum—at Victorimag.com!