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KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS
SETTING
The novel is set in 19th century (1800's) England, principally in Longbourn, the Hertfordshire country town that is a mile from Meryton and twenty-four miles from London. It is a well-ordered, provincial town, filled with landed gentry and oblivious to the sweeping changes occurring outside the fringes of its narrow, circumscribed vision.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
Major Characters
Mrs. Bennet
The match-making mother of five daughters. The wife of Mr. Bennet and "a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper," who embarrasses her older daughters with her lack of class and entertains her husband with her ignorance.
Mr. Bennet
A country gentleman, who is the sometimes irresponsible father of five daughters and the husband of Mrs. Bennet. He is fond of books and can be witty and amusing.
Jane Bennet
The eldest daughter of the Bennets who is pretty, shy, calm, gentle and good-natured; she falls in love with and marries Mr. Bingley.
Elizabeth Bennet (Lizzy)
The second daughter of the Bennets who is lively, intelligent, witty and sensible; she at first strongly dislikes Mr. Darcy and then falls in love with him.
Marry Bennet
The third daughter, who is pedantic, tasteless, plain, vain, silly, and affected.
Catherine Bennet (Kitty)
The fourth daughter, who is almost a non-entity in the novel except for chasing soldiers.
Lydia Bennet
The youngest daughter who is silly, thoughtless, stupid, unprincipled, flirtatious, loud-mouthed and scatter brained; not surprisingly, she is Mrs. Bennet's favorite daughter. She elopes with
George Wickham
A handsome, militia officer
Rev. Mr. Collins
Mr. Bennet's cousin who is to inherit Mr. Bennet's property. He is a pompous, undignified mixture of servility and self- importance.
Charles Bingley
A wealthy country gentleman who is kind and charming. He falls in love with and marries Jane Bennett and is Darcy's best friend.
Fitzwilliam Darcy
The wealthy, best friend of Charles Bingley who at first is proud, rude, and unpleasant; after falling in love with Elizabeth, he is shown to be discreet, shrewd, generous, and magnanimous; in the end, he wins Elizabeth's love.
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