Themes
Pride
One of the themes of the book is pride. This is shown primarily through the character of Darcy. He has immense pride. This is most prominently displayed during his proposal to Elizabeth. His pride caused him to struggle against his feelings for Elizabeth. He felt ashamed of her family's lower connections and how they would hurt his pride, which is why he was so rude. The author uses Darcy to show pride's detriment. It can thwart even love. The theme of pride shows the downfalls of thinking too highly of yourself and regarding others as inferior.
Prejudice
Prejudice is another main theme in the novel. This theme is displayed mostly through the character of Elizabeth. Elizabeth is quick to judge others upon meeting them. Her judgements turn into prejudice, even though they are often incorrect. This is shown especially through Wickham and Darcy. Her initial judgements of each are wrong. She sees Wickham as charming and handsome. She finds out over time that he is despicable and he is not what he seems. He defaces others, something Elizabeth fails to see. Elizabeth sees Darcy as rude and superior. Although he is prideful, he is more caring than he seems. He usually has the best intentions in his actions. Darcy is not trying to be rude when she first meets him. He is simply a shy men who does not see the value in interactions with strangers. Elizabeth's misjudgements of each will cause her a lot of pain after receiving Darcy's letter. The author uses Elizabeth's prejudice to warn against making judgements. The theme of prejudice shows how you can get hurt by judging others too quickly.
Love
A main theme in Pride and Prejudice is that of love. Elizabeth's goal is marriage for love, not wealth. Jane Austen attempts to show the value of falling in love instead of for money through the book. This is shown by Elizabeth's rejection of Collins. The author praises love by showing the effect of giving it up (marrying Mr. Collins.) This book tries to encourage love in a time where love was part of marriage only by chance.
Power
The theme power is shown through wealth in this novel. The characters Bingley, Lady Catherine, and Darcy all show different sides of this. Bingley is one who does not use his power of wealth. Instead he is genuine towards others and unassuming in his manner. Lady Catherine abuses her power. She takes it as an opportunity to criticize others and to get her way. Darcy abuses his power at first, until he understands it is not everything. The author tries to encourage using power as a last resort and praises the merits of letting others use your power, instead of flaunting it.
Interdependence
There are many examples of interdependence in this novel. One is Mrs. Bennet and the neighborhood's dependence on each other for gossip. They depend on each other for fresh rumors. Jane and Elizabeth are interdependent. Since their characters are in such opposition, their opinions often balance each other out. Jane thinks good of everyone, while Elizabeth is cynical and judges too quickly. They depend on each other to help see the reason in each situation. Their opposing views on life help each other see what is really going on and what their true feelings are. Another example of interdependence is between Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins depends on her for his job. Without her, he would be poor and likely work in a factory. Lady Catherine depends on Mr. Collins for company and to run her parish.Throughout the novel, the characters depend on each other to support themselves in varying ways.