Pride and Prejudice
The story addresses courtship and marriage among the landed gentry in the early 19th century. The main character is Elizabeth Bennet, a beautiful 20-year-old woman possessed of a quick mind and a quick tongue. Elizabeth's beloved eldest sister, Jane, is gentler but equally if not more attractive. Mr. Bennet is an eccentric who spends much of his time hiding in his study, a refuge from his bothersome wife, and the rest of his time making humorously disparaging remarks about his family. Another sister, Mary, is a dowdy moraliser in love with books, while the others, Kitty and Lydia, are reckless teenage flirts attracted to men in uniform. Meanwhile, the querulous, gauche Mrs. Bennet is desperately determined to secure good matches for her five daughters, while trying to keep control of her "nerves". The Bennet family's modest estate in
Hertfordshire is
entailed in default of heirs male?which means a cousin, Mr. Collins, will inherit the estate on Mr. Bennet's death, leaving Mrs. Bennet and any unmarried daughters homeless and left to live on a very small and insufficient income.
