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Chapter 42
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Pride and Prejudice, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Pride
Prejudice
Family
Marriage
Class
Summary
Analysis
At Pemberley, Elizabeth admires the estate's beauty. The house is lavish but tasteful, and Elizabeth imagines what it would have been like to be mistress of the place as Darcy's wife.
Rosings is showy, but Pemberley is tasteful. Pemberley and the high life it represents make Elizabeth fantasize about marriage.
Themes
Literary Devices
Quiz
Test Yourself
Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are escorted around the rooms by a housekeeper who praises Mr. Darcy as a kind and generous man: good to his servants, his tenants, and especially his sister.
Darcy is Austen's ideal upper class man, balancing power and compassion, community involvement and dedication to family.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
Elizabeth notices a portrait of Darcy. As she stares at it, the housekeeper asks if she thinks Darcy is handsome. Elizabeth says yes.
As they walk, Darcy suddenly appears—he came home a day earlier than scheduled. Elizabeth is stunned and embarrassed, but Darcy is extremely polite to them all. He impresses Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner with his courtesy, offering to take Mr. Gardiner fishing in his streams. Elizabeth silently wonders if he might still love her.
Elizabeth feels like a stalker who just got caught. But Darcy steps in and smooths out the awkward situation—a social skill Elizabeth herself possesses. Pemberley brings out an entirely different side of Darcy.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
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Darcy says he is expecting guests the next day: Bingley and his sisters, and Georgiana. He asks Elizabeth if he can introduce his sister to her. Elizabeth accepts. The Gardiners, having heard so many negative things about Darcy, leave with an entirely revised opinion of him.
It is now clear that Darcy is still interested in Elizabeth; she's getting a second chance. Darcy's bad reputation had prejudiced the Gardiners, but here his real character shines.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
