The tone of this classic novel is light, satirical, and vivid. Mr. Collins proposal to Elizabeth, and Lady Catherine visits to Lizzy at Longbourn, provides comic relief to the reader while at the same time revealing certain qualities of the characters. For example, Lydia’s lack of common sense is made known when she takes pride in being the first Bennet girl to be married, without taking into consideration the circumstance of her marriage, the personality of her husband, or the prospects of their marriage for the future. Elizabeth Bennett’s ability to laugh off her misfortunate and to continue her optimism also contributes to the tone of the novel. The story is told through Elizabeth, but not in first person. As a result, the mood of the novel lacks dramatic emotions. The atmosphere is intellectual and cold and there is little description of the setting.
The plotline in the novel is immediately stated in the first sentence of the novel which was for its time quite groundbreaking: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." In this statement, Austen has cleverly done three things: she has declared that the central theme of the novel will be courtship and marriage, established the humorous tone of the novel by taking a simple subject to elaborate , and has prepared the reader for a chase in the novel of either a husband in search of a wife, or a women in pursuit of a husband.
Although little is told of how Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet got together, it can be inferred by their conversions that their relationship was similar to that of Lydia and Wickham - Mr. Bennet had married a woman he found sexually attractive without realizing she was an unintelligent woman. This shows repetition in the book and how common these mistakes were in early 19th century Britain. Austen wanted to show her 19th century readers that it is necessary to use good judgement to select a spouse, otherwise the two people will lose respect for each other.
Further analysis of this novel has increased my knowledge and understanding of the focus on certain themes such as ignorance and marriage. Although I did initially enjoy the book I am now more aware of the subtle sarcasm used in Austen’s tone which makes the novel more light-hearted. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane has denounced the elements of marriage and society that she found distasteful. These are the conclusions of her observation of the people in her world. However in her writing, Jane has also reflected her own enjoyment in life among these people with and without their faults.
