The novel centers on Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the five daughters of a landed country gentleman. The narrative opens with news in the Bennet family that Mr. Bingley, a wealthy, eligible young bachelor, is moving into Netherfield Park in the neighborhood. In the Meryton assembly, it is revealed that pleasant Bingley and Bennet bear a mutual affinity towards each other whereas his seemingly proud friend Mr. Darcy slights Elizabeth and makes himself agreeable to noun of the Meryton. Jane’s visiting to Netherfield under the invitation of Bingley's sister, Caroline, and in a downpour, makes her catch a violent cold and Elizabeth comes to nurse her and during the stay, Mr. Darcy’s affection to her grows. When the two sister returns home, they are informed that Mr. Collins, a clergyman and heir to their estate, is soon to visit them. And the militia comes, with which they acquaint Wickham whose accusation towards Darcy prompts Elizabeth’s dislike of him. At Netherfield ball, Bingley is preoccupied with Jane, the Bennets, except Jane and Elizabeth, expose themselves of devoid of propriety. Then Mr. Collins makes a proposal to Elizabeth and upon being refused, turns to engagement to Charlotte, with whom Elizabeth intimates. Mr. Bingley abruptly quits Netherfield and returns to London, which devastates Jane, and she goes to visit her uncle and aunt Gardiner in London, finding that Caroline is indifferent to her. In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins in Kent. They are frequently invited to Rosings Park, the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's aunt; to whom Darcy visits. Darcy’s growing regard for Elizabeth drives him to make a proposal to her. Elizabeth rebukes him for his pride in delivering his proposal, his ruining of her sister’s happiness and his treatment towards Wickham. Mr. Darcy, shocked, ultimately responds with a letter giving a good account of his actions. And this letter makes Elizabeth realizes that she has misjudged him. Some months later, Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle Gardiner visit Pemberley, Darcy's estate, they unexpectedly encounter with Darcy and find him being a civil and pleasant man. The tidings reaches that Lydia has eloped with Wickham and this forces the three travellers to return home. Mr. Bennet goes to London to trace Lydia, and when there is no result he returns home only to find that Lydia and Wickham are discovered and soon to marry. He believes that Mr. Gardiner must have paid Wickham to bring this marriage. It is revealed that it is Darcy who finds them, pays Wickham and makes the arrangement of their wedding. Then Bingley returns and makes proposal to Jane, who accepts with great happiness. Darcy makes a second proposal and is accepted. The novel ends with the short summary of the lives of the main characters.  

1.2 Previous Researches both at Home and Abroad

 Researches both at home and abroad fall roughly in the categories of theme and writing style, both are insufficient in the exploration of characters. There are many themes in Pride and Prejudice, such as marriage, love, class, upbringing, feminine consciousness and so on, of which the themes of marriage and feminine consciousness are the two prominent ones, namely, the awakening of feminism and Austen’s reflections on marriage. Jane Austen's words are humorous and ironic. Her ironic emphasis places significance upon the localities of language and situation than on narrative. They reflect the conceit, foolishness and absurdity of human nature like a mirror. However, there are fewer studies of characters both at home and overseas even as far as major characters are concerned, there are still less analysis and attention distributed to the characters like Mr. Bennet. At home, Guo Yuanyuan, in her Politeness Strategies of Mr. Bennet, (2010) applies politeness strategies of pragmatics to analyze the speech acts of Mr. Bennet, and she has found that Mr. Bennet is a master of his sarcastic language. Zhang Lin in her On Female Predicaments in Pride and Prejudice also mentions that. “Bennet is a failure who has not shoulder the duties of father. By shaping such an image of father, Jane Austen expresses her dissatisfaction with the patriarchal society, which conveys her female consciousness.”(2013: 45-46) Oversea studies are also rare. Teachman remarks, “Instead of providing proper moral education for his daughters as a leader of the family, Mr. Bennet acts as an unattached observer, just watching what happens around him and returning to his study whenever life gets too uncomfortable for him.” (1997: 10) And Emily Auerbach criticizes Mr Bennet for ignoring the fate of his daughters, and suggests that he possesses "too little sense of duty or responsibility"(2006:152). Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer points out that Mr. Bennet suffers from a form of autism. (2007: 63-82) Tanner in his book Jane Austen (1986) analyses Mr. Bennet’s disengagement as symbolized by his withdrawing into his library and hiding behind his cynical mockery. Mary A. Burgan, in Mr. Bennet and the Failures of Fatherhood in Jane Austen's Novel (1975), points out Mr. Bennet’s retreat from responsibility, failure of feeling, and his displacement. 论文网