Pride and Prejudice Chapters 6-11
Elizabeth is annoyed by Mr. Bingley’s sisters (Miss Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst), but approves of the blossoming relationship that Jane and Mr. Bingley are pursuing. She mentions in a conversation with Charlotte, that Jane appears to be in love with Mr. Bingley, but is concerned that Jane is not expressing it to him. She worries that Mr. Bingley will not recognize Jane’s affection.
Mr. Darcy has begun to feel an attraction to Elizabeth, but she is unaware of this. He mentions offhandedly to Caroline that Elizabeth has beautiful eyes. Caroline, hoping for Mr. Darcy’s attention, is jealous of this comment, and teases him about wanting to marry Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, however, still believes that Mr. Darcy is pompous and proud. Her prejudice upon their first meeting has been difficult to see past.
The Bennet’s property is entailed, which means that in the event of Mr. Bennet’s death, it will become the property of the nearest male relative. We will eventually learn that since the Bennet offspring are all female, the nearest male relative is Mr. William Collins, a cousin of Mr. Bennet.
The militia has arrived in the community of Meryton. The news is that the militia will remain there throughout the winter, to the delight of the single young ladies in the area, who thus visit Meryton often.
Jane is invited to the Bingley residence for dinner. Jane’s mother arranges for Jane to go on horseback, instead of the expected and usual carriage. As Mrs. Bennet is aware of rain forecast for later in the day, her clever plan is for Jane to be “forced” to stay at the Bingley estate overnight, thus encouraging the romance between Jane and Mr. Bingley. As planned, Jane stays the night.
The following morning, however, a note is delivered to the Bennets from Jane, letting them know that she has fallen ill from riding in the rain and consequently being soaked. Jane mentions that she plans to stay a few days longer, as she recovers. Mrs. Bennet is very pleased with the news that Jane will be staying longer, but Elizabeth is concerned, so she walks to the Bingley place. However, Elizabeth arrives, cold, dirty, and wet, which she worries will offend the Bingleys. Still, the Bingely’s agree to Elizabeth staying the night.
Upon arrival, Elizabeth is concerned to find that Jane’s illness seems more severe than the note had indicated. Although Caroline sees Elizabeth as a romantic rival for Mr. Darcy’s attention, she begrudgingly invites Elizabeth to stay so that she can care for her sister.
For the next few days, Elizabeth cares for her sister, but also spends time with others at the estate. Caroline and Mrs. Hurst are both congenial towards Elizabeth, but enjoy gossiping rudely about her when she is out of earshot. Mr. Darcy joins them in the mockery of Elizabeth and her family, but to a milder degree. To the dismay of these women, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley both express their approval of Elizabeth.
Later, Mrs. Bennet and the two youngest sisters visit to check on Jane. Mrs. Bennet’s manner is unrefined, and the younger sisters also seem undignified. Their social awkwardness and boorish behavior leads to great embarrassment for Elizabeth.
One evening, as Elizabeth and Jane continue their stay at Mr. Bingley’s, Elizabeth is amused to observe Caroline’s flirtation with Mr. Darcy fall flat. Her compliments to him are received as annoyances. Elizabeth sees their interaction as representative of each person: Caroline, petty and silly, and Mr. Darcy, too aloof and proud to understand or even recognize the flirtation.
In group conversation, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy politely spar. Later, Elizabeth notices that Mr. Darcy appears to spend an inordinate amount of time looking at her. She cannot fathom that a man of his status might find her attractive, but wonders why a man might bother looking at a woman held in contempt. Still, Elizabeth is unmoved either way, as she does not care for Mr. Darcy.
The next evening, Elizabeth smugly enjoys watching the dynamic of Jane and Mr. Bingley’s interaction, as they are clearly enamored with each other. She again sees Caroline vainly continue her flirtation with Mr. Darcy, who, as before, seems greatly disinterested.
Caroline then invites Elizabeth and then Mr. Darcy into conversation. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy engage in spirited conversation, and appear to be intellectually matched. Much of their conversation centers on pride and weakness. Mr. Darcy appears to be less pompous than Elizabeth had thought, as he voluntarily confesses to some of his own weaknesses. Caroline is irritated by her exclusion, as she’d hoped that Mr. Darcy would pay attention to her.
Analysis: Elizabeth’s premature disdain for Mr. Darcy continues to grow, as Elizabeth remains unaware of her own prejudice. In fact, she attributes his perceived faults to his own pride.
The reader gets more insight into Elizabeth’s mind and behavior, as she observes those around her, such as her sister’s relationship with Mr. Bingley, and the fruitless attempts by Caroline to win Mr. Darcy’s attention. We see Mrs. Bennet’s matchmaking skills appear to trump her own mothering instinct, as she purposely makes Jane’s transportation difficult, in order to facilitate a romance.
We also see that while Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy appear to not seek each other’s attention, there is certainly a glimmer of connection, as their conversation is stimulating and insightful.
