Pride and Prejudice Part 1

Years ago one of my favorite students commented on this novel that it was just like middle school, and he hadn't liked middle school the first time around. Even though I laughed at his analogy, when I revisit Austen each year, I wonder about the world she so carefully crafts in this novel, and indeed in each of her books. Groups of young 20 somethings get together to fall in love, have a rivalry, date someone who is horrible, and eventually come to the love for which each was intended. All is happy in the world of Austen, even when a sister runs off with a bad character, who is forced to marry her, she seems delighted at the fine husband she has ensnared. This world has none of the trappings of the world we face today. Young women focus on crochet and French lessons and adding ribbon to the hat that they will sport on Sunday. Young, genteel men ride horses and enjoy a book and a fox hunt. But the essence of all these young people's lives revolves in much the same circle as ours does. They look for friendship and love and romance; they judge others or are judged by appearance and actions. As we work our way through this magnificent novel, I hope that the seniors of 2011 find that Miss Austen wrote something of the truth of relationships and how they function, nearly 200 years before these readers were born.