The story ends happily ever after for just about all concerned. Mrs. Bennet is positively thrilled to see her eldest daughters, Elizabeth and Jane, married off to rich, eligible young men—Darcy and Bingley, respectively. The Bennet girls had to overcome a good many obstacles, most of them related in some way to pride and prejudice, in order to achieve what passes for happiness for a woman in Regency England.
For a while, it seemed that Darcy's snobbery and stand-offishness, not to mention Elizabeth's antipathy toward this dark, brooding figure, would ruin not just Lizzie's matrimonial prospects but those of her sister, Jane. Even after these mutual misunderstandings had been overcome, Lydia's scandalous elopement with the dastardly Mr. Wickham threw another gigantic monkey wrench into everyone's plans. It's notable that the story does not end quite so happily for these two feckless specimens of emotional immaturity. They spend most of their time sponging off their relatives and moving around from place to place in order to avoid their many creditors.
Nonetheless, the Bennet family honor has been restored. Even the super-snobbish Lady Catherine de Burgh eventually gives her nephew's marriage the seal of approval and condescends to visit Mr. Darcy and his new wife at Pemberley.
As Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice draws to a conclusion, its protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, has angrily rejected the marriage proposal of the wealthy Mr. Darcy, believing that he has wrongly interfered in the potential engagement of her sister Jane, to Mr. Bingley and for his ill treatment of dashing militia officer George Wickham, who he had supposedly deprived of a comfortable sinecure.
Not long after, Darcy makes Elizabeth aware that Wickham, far from being deprived of the position he was due, asked for money instead, which he quickly squandered. In addition, he attempted to elope with Darcy's sister, Georgiana, then only fifteen, in hopes of securing her sizable dowry. He then apologizes for misunderstanding Jane's love for Bingley, having misinterpreted her reserve as indifference.
Later, while accompanying the Gardiners on a visit to Pemberly, Darcy's estate, Elizabeth receives news that her sister Lydia has eloped with Wickham and quickly departs, believing her sister his ruined her family's name.
When, after some delay, Wickham marries Lydia, bringing great relief and joy to the Bennet family, Elizabeth learns that their marriage was arranged by Darcy at considerable expense to himself. This is a dramatic anagnorisis, a recognition scene, for the young woman. She realizes for the first time that the man she has thought so haughty and proud is capable of compassion. Thus, when Mr. Darcy again proposes to her, she happily accepts.
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