Jane Austen presents the story of two reluctant lovers in 19th century England in Pride and Prejudice. The story takes place in many locations including London, the country, and numerous estates. The contrast between two such locations, the Pemberly Estate and the Longborn home, emphasizes the socioeconomic differences in the two main characters. Mr. Darcy's estate, Pemberly, gives the appearance of being beautiful, peaceful, serene and extravagant but not ostentatious. Elizabeth Bennett's home in the country, Longborn, appears modest and homely but filled with tumult. The Pemberly and Longborn estates not only emphasize the personality traits of their owners but also illuminate on character traits that otherwise would have gone unnoticed as well as showing contrast in the backgrounds in social class between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth as their love story is communicated.
The story begins in the English countryside in a small town at the Longborn estate, home to the Bennett family of five daughters, a mother, and a father. The home does not contain much extravagance; it is classified as a middle class home. Throughout the novel, however, the house is always filled with noise and drama. The Bennett family never experiences a quiet moment in their household. Even when a family cousin comes to visit and hopes to read to the girls, he is quickly interrupted by Lydia who proclaims the activity boring. Elizabeth Bennett, accompanied by her uncle and aunt, first lays eyes upon the Pemberly estate later in the novel. Through her eyes, the grounds are described as beautiful and serene. This home represents everything beautiful about the upper class aristocracy of 19th century England. From the river that runs through it to the luscious garden surrounding it, this is a home built as a monument to a family. It represents the goodness of the family that erected it. .
Pemberly may represent the goodness of the Darcy family but Longborn represents its owners in a not so appealing light.
