Chapter 7 Summary

In this chapter, Austen presents an account of the customs associated with the inheritance of property and wealth in the British society of her time. Since the Bennets only have daughters, the estate will go to a distant male relative. Mrs. Phillips, who is Mrs. Bennet’s sister, lives in Meryton, and is often visited by the Bennet daughters, especially Catherine and Lydia. They are obsessed with the regiment officers stationed there, and Mrs. Phillips often gives them updates about the officers. Mr. Bennet finds this obsession rather silly.

Caroline Bingley requests Jane to visit her. Mrs. Bennet, always scheming to get Jane married to Mr. Bingley, cites that it might rain and accordingly suggests that Jane ride a horse rather than take a carriage. That way, the Bingleys, Mrs. Bennet feels, will be compelled to keep Jane for the night, which, in turn, will give Jane more time with Bingley. However, Jane is caught in the rain and comes down with a cold. Elizabeth then decides to walk the three miles to see her sister.

Catherine and Lydia accompany Elizabeth as far as Meryton, though they only do so in the hope that they might run into the officers there. Lydia especially hopes to run into Captain Carter. Ms. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are astonished that Elizabeth has walked all the way to their house unescorted, and that too at such an early hour. Darcy quietly notices that the walk to Netherfield has improved Elizabeth’s complexion. Jane is happy to see Elizabeth, but her condition worsens. Jane does not want Elizabeth to leave her side, and Caroline urges Elizabeth to stay over for the night.

Chapter 8 Summary

At dinner, only Mr. Bingley seems concerned about Jane’s health. The Bingley sisters, as Elizabeth observes, are indifferent to Jane’s poor health. When Elizabeth leaves to tend to her sister, the Bingley sisters criticize what they see as Elizabeth’s pride and independence, but Darcy and Bingley seem to admire her devotion toward Jane. Bingley doesn’t seem bothered by the Bennet sisters’ social status, but Darcy feels that their low social standing might pose an obstacle in finding them successful husbands. Elizabeth soon joins them in the living room and debates the criteria for a woman to be considered accomplished. Elizabeth finds Darcy and Caroline’s notions of an accomplished woman rather unrealistic to the extent that she alleges never having met such a woman in her life.

Chapter 9 Summary

Elizabeth wants her mother to visit Netherfield to see Jane. Her mother complies and arrives with Catherine and Lydia. However, her mother’s presence only embarrasses Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet is happy to learn that Jane has not recovered enough to travel to Longbourn, which means she will be able to spend more time in Mr. Bingley’s vicinity, if not with him. She is unable to manage her excitement, and without subtlety, makes her intention of getting Jane married to Mr. Bingley clear to everyone. She is also rude to Darcy.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Darcy briefly discuss the effects of poetry on love. Elizabeth’s arguments are sarcastic and critical, which amuses Darcy. Before leaving, Lydia reminds Mr. Darcy that he has promised to throw another ball. They decide to choose a date for the ball upon Jane’s recovery. Elizabeth is relieved when Mrs. Bennet leaves.

Chapter 10 Summary

The chapter begins with Darcy writing a letter to his sister. Caroline is seen trying to flatter Darcy for his handwriting, though he seems to ignore her attempts at flattery. Meanwhile, Elizabeth strikes a conversation about Bingley’s personality with Darcy. The two engage in a friendly argument over Bingley, which, expectedly, makes Bingley uncomfortable. Darcy, after finishing the letter, invites the Bingley sisters to sing and play the piano. Darcy steals glances at Elizabeth, and Elizabeth notices as much. However, she mistakes his interest for disapproval. Darcy then approaches her and asks her for a dance, which Elizabeth once again mistakes for mockery. She refuses his advance wittily. This quick exchange of words between the two is noticed by Caroline, who later taunts Darcy about marrying a Bennet. The taunting is on account of the fact that the Bennets aren’t of the same social stature. Elizabeth, who is walking with Mrs. Hurst, sees them. Mrs. Hurst then joins Bingley and Caroline, whereas Elizabeth is relieved to be left alone.

Chapter 11 Summary

This chapter begins with Jane feeling better and joining the parlor after dinner. In a bid to draw Mr. Darcy’s attention, Ms. Bingley roams around the room. However, Darcy does not pay attention to her and continues to spend time with his books. Unable to get Darcy’s attention, Ms. Bingley invites Elizabeth on a tour of the room. This time, much to Caroline’s surprise, Darcy becomes attentive and puts down his book. As the conversation veers toward the matter of Darcy’s personality, Elizabeth points out that he is quite notorious for being resentful. He retorts by suggesting that Elizabeth tends to misunderstand people. Nonetheless, Darcy realizes that he finds Elizabeth increasingly attractive.

Chapter 12 Summary

Upon Jane’s complete recovery, the Bennet sisters decide to leave for Longbourn. Elizabeth asks her mother to send a carriage for them, but Mrs. Bennet doesn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of her daughters returning home. She still feels that Jane should be closer to Mr. Bingley in order to win him over. Eventually, Elizabeth and Jane borrow a carriage from the Bingleys. Caroline, who now sees Elizabeth as a threat to her own prospects with Darcy, feels relieved by their departure. She pretends to be upset nonetheless.

Darcy, on the other hand, is relieved to finally get a chance to distance himself from Elizabeth. He is afraid of his own growing fondness for Elizabeth. The only person unhappy with the departure is Mr. Bingley, who’d taken a liking to Jane. Mrs. Bennet is not happy to see Jane and Elizabeth; however, Mr. Bennet welcomes them and admits that their absence had made conversations around the house rather bland and banal.

Chapter 13 Summary

At breakfast the next day, Mr. Bennet reads a letter indicating the arrival of Mr. Collins, one of Mr. Bennet’s cousins. Collins is poised to inherit the Bennet estate in Longbourn after Mr. Bennet. This is so since the Bennets do not have a son. In the letter, Mr. Collins has also mentioned that he enjoys the patronage of an aristocrat named Lady Catherine de Bourgh. The purpose of his visit, the letter goes on, is to resolve his differences with the Bennet family. The letter leaves different impressions on the Bennets about this mysterious guest.

When he arrives, Collins launches into long, gushing monologues, reserving special praise for the girls. When Mrs. Bennet broaches the subject of inheritance, Collins tells her he’d like to meet the Bennet sisters first. He does not say much else about his visit. During dinner, he is appreciative of their house and food.

Chapter 14 Summary

In his post-dinner conversation with Collins, Mr. Bennet can’t help but notice that Collins is too effusive in his praise of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Collins is also all praise for Ms. de Bourgh, Catherine de Bourgh’s daughter, which deeply amuses Mr. Bennet. He exchanges glances with Elizabeth before the two of them silently joke about their guest’s exaggerations. After some time, however, Mr. Bennet seems to have had enough of Collins. He considers his guest quite absurd and deviously directs him to the women of the house. Accompanied by her daughters, Mrs. Bennet asks Collins to read to them. Collins rejects the book that is offered him and instead reads out loud from a book of sermons. Bored by the “monotonous solemnity” of his reading, Lydia banters about the soldiers and asks her mother about Uncle Phillips. This offends Mr. Collins, who stops reading. Though Mrs. Bennet and the older daughters apologize for Lydia’s frivolity, Collins leaves. He returns to Mr. Bennet and asks him if he wants to play a game of backgammon.

Chapters 7–14 Analysis

Austen highlights the extremely complex class system of the British society of her time in two events from these chapters: first, Elizabeth and Jane’s brief stay at Netherfield with the Bingleys, and, second, Mr. Collins’ arrival. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a titled aristocrat, is at the helm and pinnacle of this social hierarchy. Next in this social ladder are the Bingleys and the Darcys; they are rich and derive a profitable share from their estates. The Bennets, who also own estates, are nonetheless considered lower than the Bingleys and the Darcys. This is because their social connections aren’t as prominent, and they are also not as good at exemplifying what is expected as proper conduct and manners. During their stay at Netherfield, the Bingley sisters repeatedly hint at Jane and Elizabeth’s poor social connections; the Bennet sisters are also made aware of their lower social class. Mr. Collins and Mr. Lucas also boast about their ranks and knighthood, respectively, which not only represent their higher status but also their prospects for further social ascension.

We also observe a change in Darcy’s outlook toward Elizabeth. Aware of her social status, Darcy finds himself drawn to Elizabeth. Although he is threatened by the prospect of associating with a member from a lower class, he can’t help gradually falling for Elizabeth. He is particularly attracted to Elizabeth’s dark eyes. Arguably, the dark eyes signify Elizabeth blindness to Darcy’s affection and her inability to look beyond her first impression of Darcy.

In these chapters, it also becomes quite clear that the Bennets are not especially keen about their daughters’ education; the daughters in turn are not especially good at exemplifying the sort of conduct and manners deemed appropriate for the upper class. The younger daughters, much like Mrs. Bennet, are quite frivolous. Mr. Bennet, though, seems to disapprove of and mock their frivolousness; however, he does not seem to recognize that his own negligence and indifference were also responsible for his daughters’ demeanor.

Arguably, Austen seems to suggest that the rigid class system of her time is most likely to produce a person such as Collins, perhaps the silliest person in the novel. He is an absurd combination of self-importance and sycophancy. His excessive admiration of Lady Catherine de Bourgh seems both absurd and distasteful. However, he is quite pragmatic when it comes to the subject of marriage. Like other men of his time, he is also patriarchal. He feels marrying a Bennet would enable a cordial relationship between him and the other Bennets. He is least interested in the qualities and personalities of the Bennet daughters; he perceives marriage as a social and economic transaction rather than as an act of love. However, Austen makes a striking statement in pairing Elizabeth with Darcy, and Jane with Bingley. By doing so, she seems to question the dominant notion of her time that considered a union across class impossible.