All About life

     At last, I finished the book today--Pride and prejudice. I have seen the movie for three times. I like the writing quite a lot. I couldn't help but stop when I read the setences: "I never knew myself." "Think only of the past as its remeberance gives you pleasure" "one false step involves in endless ruin..." And also, I am still looking for the man whom I can tell  that "we seem to have been designed for each other." ha ha 

     This beautiful story is about love tainted by pride and prejudice, and it deals with issues of marriage and the distinctions between social classes in late 18th century England. During the arduous process of searching for love, the main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, fail to love, learn how to love, and finally accomplish a state of true love. It is thanks to love that Elizabeth and Darcy both abandon their pride and prejudice in the end of the story.  
     The story centers on the Bennet family. Mr. Bennet, who hides from his wife by spending most of time studying, is a reasonable gentleman. Mrs. Bennet is a person who makes it clear that the business of her life is to get her daughters married; its solace is visiting and news. They have five daughters: pretty yet reserved Jane, witty and intelligent Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and coquettish Lydia. The five daughters can't inherit Mr. Bennet's estate so Mrs. Bennet tries everything to see her daughters married to gentlemen of sufficient fortune.   
      At a ball, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth first meet each other. However, Mr. Darcy, who is well-off with ten thousand a year, is regarded as a disagreeable and proud man. Out of prejudice, Elizabeth doesn't like Mr. Darcy right from the outset. Later on, Elizabeth becomes acquainted with a military officer, Mr. Wickham who lies about Mr. Darcy and makes Elizabeth’s prejudice toward him even greater than before.  
     During the visit of Mr. Collins and Charlotte, Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy at his aunt’s, Lady Catherine de Bourgh's Rosings estate. It is for the visiting that they have opportunity to spend a lot of time together and know each other deeper. Eventually, Mr. Darcy gives up his pride and declares his love for Elizabeth. Nevertheless, because of Mr. Wickham's lies, the knowledge that Darcy persuades Bingley to leave Jane, and Darcy’s contempt for Elizabeth’s family (especially the brazen behavior of the younger daughters), Elizabeth dislikes him and retains her prejudice. To Mr. Darcy's surprise, Elizabeth informs him that “he is the last man on earth she would ever desire to marry.” Before leaving, Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter that reveals Wickham's true character as a womanizer and opportunist. The letter lets Elizabeth feel regretful and her prejudice toward Darcy falls away for sure. It is the turning point for Elizabeth and she thinks about Darcy without prejudice for the first time.  
     Unexpectedly, Elizabeth meets Darcy again at Pemberley estate. Just as the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy improves, bad news breaks out－Lydia has eloped with Wickham. To keep the family’s reputation, Darcy pays Wickham to get married with Lydia, and he actually does this for Elizabeth. After that, Darcy brings Bingley back to Jane and they soon become engaged.  These two factors make Elizabeth realize how deep Darcy's love toward her is, and she therefore opens her heart to him. Since Darcy abandons his pride and Elizabeth let go of her prejudice, they finally find their true love in the end of the story. 
     Through reading "Pride and Prejudice", I feel deeply sorry for the women are lack of power in that period of time in England. The only way that a woman could have a good life was to marry a wealthy husband. Love did not enter into the equation at all, at least not on the women’s part, not to mention that the husband would not even necessarily be good to the woman. Equally lamentable is the fact that marriages at that time were predominantly arranged by parents or elders of the family. I believe that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's marriage was thus arranged, since Mr. Bennet doesn't seem to like the type of foolish women. Some of the women married for security like Lydia, some married to escape spinsterhood like Charlotte, a few married for love like Elizabeth and Jane, but most of them married for wealth. It is obvious that Elizabeth is proud of herself in her heart of hearts, but as a woman in that period of time; her intelligence is not an advantage at all. And it is doubtless that the author, Jane Austen, wants the readers to pay attention to Elizabeth's wisdom and strength. 
     The distinctions between social classes also play a main role in the story. Like Mary says, "A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." A person like Darcy, who is from the upper-class, is very proud of himself and does not like to socialize with people from the middle class, but he is not necessarily vain. In my opinion, he just doesn't know how to get along well with people from lower classes since most of them treat him like royalty or want to marry their daughters to him. However, there is one special gentleman who breaks down the walls between the two classes and consequently finds his true love－Mr. Bingley.  
     As for Darcy, whose mind suddenly clears up when it comes to love, he learns to relinquish his pride and prejudice toward the middle class, ignore the distinction between the two social classes, and finally wins Elizabeth's heart. Here the story implies that the distinction between social classes is a stumbling block on the path toward true love. What is more, the distinction between social classes causes tension and distrust among people and even leads to Darcy and Elizabeth's pride and prejudice. 
     Love with pride and prejudice never works. Only when Elizabeth and Darcy put down their shields (pride) and swords (prejudice), do they both win in the war of love. Their powerful love shows us that we should open our minds and get along with others in an open and honest manner; in this way, pride and prejudice will never be obstacles in our relationships.