Pride and Prejudice, Part 1: Crash Course Literature 411
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- In which a series about literature, which is wanting of an episode on Jane Austen, gets the first of two episodes. It's Pride and Prejudice, everybody! John Green talks about Pride and Prejudice as a product of Regency England, gives you a short biographical look at author Jane Austen, and familiarizes you with the web of human connections this book spins.
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Jane Austen is the friend you don't realize is low-key sarcastic and witty until it is too late.
lol
I love how this comment has 2K likes but no replies because it's so true and sums it up perfectly.
Yes John, it was a tolerable episode, but not enough to tempt.
Sam Nygard you'll change your tune: it has such fine eyes.
😂
What a shame for I would have dearly loved to laugh.
Elizabeth softened towards Darcy after speaking to a servant who had known Darcy all his life and praised him greatly. The video suggested the change of heart came from viewing his estate.
well, that's the generous, romantic interpretation..
not only that. firstly, she softened a bit towards him due to his letter explaining why he broke up bingley and jane and why he treated wickham like that. those were the biggest arguments she had against him (other than that, her problem with him was mostly due to her hurt pride and her consequently prejudiced first impression of him). then, there is the housekeeper's praise, just like you said. but also, there is darcy's treatment of her uncle and aunt to back it up and his closeness with his sister. then, darcy helped her family with the wickham and lydia affair and that he wanted to keep his involvement a secret. and last but not least, he also played a part in bringing bingley back to jane. so, all the problems she has with darcy were "solved".
due to jane austen's realistic view of what lead people to marriages, i understand how one could imply lizzy's change of heart was due to darcy's estate or even because of their "debt" towards him (because he paid wickham to marry lydia and all that) but that would go against what we know of lizzy and what she stood up for.
Oh my god you're addressing Austen's satirical style thank you so much!! More people need to know how subversive she was.
And the genius of her minor characters. The romantic couples are just window dressing.
I feel like this is the right place to comment on everything that is perfect about Pride and Prejudice. And so I shall.
- Elizabeth Bennet can snark like it's nobody's business, and it's hilarious.
- Jane. Just, Jane. Everything about her screams sweetness. Lizzie's comment about her seeing the world through rose-colored glasses stuck with me, and now when I draw her, she's always wearing something light pink.
- Both of Mr. Darcy's marriage proposals, the first because it emphasizes his pride, and the second because it's both of them letting go of their prejudices. See what I did there?
- The title. It leaves you wondering: who's who? And it turns out, they're both both!
- Darcy and Georgiana's relationship. It's so sweet, and he's an awesome older brother.
- Lizzie's roast of Lady Catherine towards the end of the book. There's nothing more satisfying, seriously.
- How Mr. And Mrs. Bennet's marriage is both comical and foreboding at the same time.
- The character development. There's so much of it, and it happens to even the most minor of characters, like Kitty.
- The witty narration overall.
- Lizzie being introspective.
- Darcy being introspective.
- Both of them fixing their mistakes.
- Jane and Bingley, and Lizzie and Darcy. When both of them finally do get together for real, I wanted to ring out the bells and fling out my arms and to sing out the news (catch that reference)! Jane and Bingley, you can tell they have that fairytale romance nailed down, and Lizzie and Darcy, we get put through so much heartbreak and tension, that when they finally tie the knot, nobody in their right mind is not screaming with delight! They are some of the cutest couples in history.
- Charlotte Lucas and how she was able to rig the system to see her less-than-stellar husband as little as possible.
- Catherine Bingley's terrible attempts to get Darcy to give her the time of day.
- The magic of the English countryside. Really, the magic of Jane Austen's English countryside. You get this feeling that it's just so above everywhere else, and so peaceful, despite all the running off with dishonorable blokes going on within.
- The fact that Jane Austen wrote it.
- The 2005 film. Really, it's a work of art.
- This book smacks you with its themes in the literal title, but you have to actually read it to understand. Not to mention you pick up on the follies of eighteenth century society and the importance of class and reputation, and also a woman's position at that time, it's wonderful.
- The ending, which addresses everyone's ever after, basically saying that everyone learned to be a better person. The Bennet parents hearted how to parent, Kitty and Mary learned to be more acceptable members of society, Jane and Lizize got to live in big fancy houses with loves of their lives, the Gardiners are basically the parents they both wanted but never got, Georgiana now has an older sister, and even Lady Catherine swallows her pride and makes peace. Actually, the only people who don't get a happy ending are Lydia and Wickham, who are stuck freeloading and in a loveless marriage, and the Bingley sisters, who everyone forgets about by the end of the book anyways.
Wow. This got really long. In my defense, it is my favorite book of all time, and like, the only classic I've read where nobody is actively dying. It's got vibes of silly aristocratic squabbles, while also discussing a serious issue plaguing women for centuries, both warns of how a bad marriage situation is bad for everyone, but also showcases some of the sweetest love in history, and okay, I'm starting again. I should really stop, but I can't. There's just too much to love about this book. It's on the lighter and softer side of novels, and is essentially a love story, but the deep themes combos with the satire perfectly, making it the best thing since sighing deeply.
ugh I love this so much
It is so nice to read someone writing so much and so passionately about what they love in a book
YES!
You put it into words!!! Thank you
Thank you so much for this!!! I just finished the book and I’m still not over it 😭😭
Why does thought bubble think Darcy is George Washington?
lol
Jaelynn Cassidy +
The thing is there was a tax on hair powder created in 1795 that quickly decreased the use of hair powder; the gov't thought it could capitalize on fashion to get some more money, but if there's one thing people like to do-it's avoid paying more taxes. Since the book was written (first draft 1796) and published (1813) after that point, I'm not sure Darcy would have used hair powder. :-)
@@fairelvenlady Mate, Darcy be balling, taxes be sneezed at
I absolutely adore Pride and Prejudice, I've read it more than ten times at the least. And altough Mary is indeed not very charming, I wouldn't call her horrible. She is boring and not as pretty as her sisters and just tries too hard to be interesting and accomplished, but doesn't really have any talents. But terrible is a bit harsh.
Obviously, these videos need to condense the story quite a bit and I just don't think she was a big enough character to get more than a cursory description. Even Lydia, who is WAYYY more important to the plot, didn't get much more of a description than "lively". Those who've read the book or seen the adaptations know what she is like and those who haven't probably don't need to know much about her to learn the gist of the story. There's always a lot of depth and richness to characters that you can only get by reading the book or watching the media yourself :)
This is also just Part 1! I'm sure they'll explore the characters a little more deeply in the next part.
True true
We are all Mary.
Why is Mary horrible?
Mary isn't horrible! Sure, she's not as cool as Jane or Elizabeth, but she is hugely mistreated! Everyone else in their family "succeeds" through things they were born with (chiefly beauty) but Mary wasn't born with her sisters looks, so she made efforts to better herself (granted overdone efforts) through the only means she had available to her. Making a snap judgement that she as a character is horrible based on the little we see of her in the book in fact rings against one of the main themes of the book!
I was hoping someone would defend Mary! You wrote exactly what I was thinking.
Exactly! Probably the entire
purpose of the novel
I'm a lot like Mary, always wondering and questioning, serious....
I agree. The horrible one is Lydia.
I'm currently playing Mary in a Pride and Prejudice play and I 100% agree with this!
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE NOVEL!!!!!
I think it's sad that many who read it don't realize how hilarious it is!
I started reading all of Jane's novels IN ORDER last year (about to start Emma), starting with her Juvenilia, and her writing style is clearly consistently tongue-in-cheek.
Agreed! I started rereading it last night and laughed out loud multiple times in the first chapter! Mr. Bennett is particularly hysterical.
This was the first classic I read, because you have to start somewhere, and I got the general plot of it, but I reread it again to catch all the little things my young mind missed, and it was magic. There are those books that never get old, no matter how many times you read them. And I do. Many times.
Emma and Northanger are the funniest i think. Persuasion is the deepest, also my favourite.
Ikr I was laughing and smiling a lot reading through the book, it reminded me a lot of me own family. 😂😂
I cannot begin to count how much days must we waited until we finally get to Jane Austen. 😆
Aw Mary isn’t horrible, she’s just a little weird.
I was thinking the same thing! 😂
If anyone was horrible it was Lydia
I first read Pride and Prejudice for an AP Literature class in high school and I thought, and still do, that the language Austen used was just so wordy to the extent of being almost superfluous. It wasn't until I saw the 2005 movie adaptation that I really started to appreciate the story and it's become one of my favorites.
This is the first time though that I've heard anyone describe Mary as "horrible." In what way exactly? I understand how Collins and Wickham are, but to use the word for Mary might be a bit harsh.
AHH!!!! Thank you guys SOO much for making these! Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors (along with John Green 😉)
Oh, yes, and that Turtles All the Way Down reference?
IDrawHorseChamp I absolutely LOOOVED that book!!! 😄
Yessssss finally! That was very good and there's a second part, I'm so glad.
He was that John Green?! I didn't know. He's even more awesome than I thought.
The sass is classic novels is top notch. Austen's wittines is what makes her novels enjoyable. Thank you for crash course!
I just realized...where is John from the past?
What I also love about PandP is that it is a story about two clearly flawed individuals who, through their relationship with each other, learn to acknowledge and work on those flaws and encourage them be better. They both genuinely learn to be less prideful and prejudiced! It is my favorite trope - as with Beatrice and Benedic from Much Ado About Nothing or Beauty and the Beast - often it is our own worst selves that are the enemies of our happiness. Circumstances decide the parameters, but you can decide how to navigate within that.
John Greene takes it personally that Mary said "What are men compared to rocks and mountains?"
i love it when an author teaches you about literature...
This is a book have read and re-read (16 times) over forty years. I am looking forward to dementia, so I can have the experience reading it again for the first time. The first reading was wasted on a 17 year old... John's analysis is excellent.
If you wanna do a Crash Course on Bronte or Wuthering Heights that'd be awesome :))))
Maddison Dillon WUTHERING HEIGHTS
I agree! Wuthering Heights...crazy novel!!
YES YES YES PLS DO AN Emily Bronte EPISODE
Mary Bennet isn't so horrible, it is just that she is not suited for the role that she has chosen for herself. Jane is the pretty one, Lizzie is the clever one, so Mary decides that she will be the talented one. She works hard at musical and intellectual pursuits, but she doesn't have the talent to perform her accomplishments credibly. Kitty is the follower and Lydia is the lively one. Lydia buys the ugly bonnet to give herself something to do while waiting with the Bennet carriage for the coach to come from London bringing home Lizzy, Jane and Maria Lucas. She cannot resist spending money, in spite of already ordering lunch for all of them at the inn, and needs to borrow money from Jane and Lizzie to pay the bill. This is going to be her pattern for the rest of her life. She spends on impulse buys then has to go to Jane and Lizzie for money for necessities like food and rent. Her plan for the ugly bonnet is to tear it apart and use the pieces and what she has at home to make it up into a much nicer one.
Thank you for writing this!! Mary isn't so horrible, she's a teenager who's decided on a path that doesn't fit her in an attempt to stick out from her sisters and have her own identity. I do wish that Austen could have given her a better ending (marrying a clerk from her uncles law practice, really??), however there's surprising amount of derivative books that focus on Mary and give her the attention she deserves.
my new favorite thing is john green defending romance novels
“Reading should be be fun sometimes, we already read to the lighthouse!” Game set match.
I picked up this book a year ago and have been having trouble getting through it, I read more science then fiction. This video has given me a new view of the book and now I look forward to unpacking it and finishing the novel. Thank you.
The most recent (maybe) versions of P&P (Knightly) and S&S (Morahan) are more accessible than the novels. I'm not sure they will help you with reading the actual books, though they might.
FINALLY SOME AUSTEN👏
YAY! Not only did you finally do an episode on P&P, but you mention Mary Wollstencraft in the first few minutes. It was quite a while ago, but I wrote a short college paper based on the idea that Jane Austen was directly influenced by The Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Wollstencraft. I argued that the public shaming following the memoir written after Mary's death by her husband could have likely caused Jane Austen to hide her novels and then publish them anonymously more than a decade later. She knew her stories were radical--even in a subtle way--and matched in tone the criticisms laid out in Vindication. The risk of being associated with Mary Wollstencraft was a real social pressure; people were literally burning her books at the turn of the century. I laugh when people call Jane Austen novels just love stories. There is so much depth to it in reality.
This is why I think Lydia is not given the credit she deserves. Everyone dismisses her as being silly and causing problems for her better sisters, but it would have been so easy for Austen to have shown her as a victim who eventually realized the error of her ways, and yet she never does. Lydia is completely content with the decisions she has made. She's a much more modern character than Elizabeth or Jane. And Austen slipped this in without calling any attention to it.
"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance."
Thank you so much for this! Jane Austen is one of my fav authors. It is sad that people consider her writings to be too romanticized and unreal,when her books are so satirical and really make us known the situation of the middle class societies of the regency era and not only that but also give us a better understanding of the human nature because no one can say that Austen does not excel in that area! This was Awesome! So they are not that difficult to read and are interesting, doesn't all books should be, even classics?
Ahhh, I was so incredibly excited for a P&P episode, it was awesome!
Gabriella B.R. Me too!!!! 😄😄😄😄
I love crash course, it helped me to pass economics last year 😂.
Jane Austen was just incredible. Her view of emotions and people are somewhat like mine. I would be a great privilege to read her letters and see more of her character.
It would be selfish of me to not share this video with my fellow Austen admirers
A good analysis, but why did describe poor Marry as "horrible"? She is pedantic and boring, but not "horrible"! Also, I always understood Jane Austen comment on "Pride and Prejudice" ("bright, light, and sparkly") as being ironic, that is, laughing at some of the criticism she received about the book.
I wouldn't necessarily describe her as horrible, but she *is* an awkward show-off.
Agreed. She wants to show off but doesn't succeed, is somewhat lonesome, and doesn't find the best way of expressing herself (or the right time) but horrible... no.
Also, John said that she's supposedly still horrible, but as far as I remember, at the end of the book Jane Austen said that she improved from being the oldest daughter still living at home.
Yes, I think that Austen was trying to say that she was feeling inferior because she was not as pretty as her sisters, but once her sisters got married she gained more attention which helped her become less awkward.
Mary loves moralising, but at the end of the book is mentioned that she starts going out more (presumably with her mother) while Kitty spends time with Jane and Lizzy
I'm so glad you did this video when you did because my school is doing Pride and Prejudice this week. I help with sound tech and this is gonna help me explain the play to my somewhat confused friends.
I've always loved this social commentary of class, gender and expectations! Thanks for covering it.
Thank you. I've tried to read this multiple times, I know I will have this as a required reading soon for college and I wanted to 'understand' whatever the heck I'm supposed to get from Jane Austen. All your information is more than perfect. Saving this for reference!!!
I love reading, and anyone who knows me can testify for me. However, I spent many hours reading Pride and Prejudice, mostly rereading the same paragraph repeatedly. I learned more about the book from the first 2 minutes of this video than from reading the book. Thanks John Green, maybe I’ll revisit Jane Austen later in life when my attention span has grown from 8 seconds to 10.
i have been waiting for this for SO LONG oh my god this is my favorite book and I’m so glad you’re covering it!!
such perfect timing omg, i've been looking for a crash course since january and now it's finally here -- during my midterm week! i have my midterm tomorrow and i can't focus while studying so these videos really help me as a visual and auditory learner.
I've been waiting for a Jane Austen episodes for ages - thank you so much!
I live for Jane Austen analysis! thank you for making me see new things to love about my favorite
I’ve been looking forward to this for so long!! I’m so happy!! THANKS JOHN💛
Thank you so much for this John! Ahh I loved it!! Y'all are so brilliant, it made me understand so much more about the novel!
Horrible Mary? That's harsh and unfounded.
This series needs to continue!! More please!
In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently admire and love this episode!
Thanks John Green. Love Jane. Don’t forget to be Austen.
Thank you!!! This is my favorite novel, and you’ve explained why so well. Can’t wait for the next installment!
I wondered if John was going to mention the lizzie bennett diaries. It did not take long for the mention and it made me smile :)
I literally started rereading this book for the umpteenth time last night! Good timing. 😍☕️
What is one less than umpteenth?
When you said “we already read” I was honestly waiting for you to say one of your books
What?! I was looking for this video when I was writing a paper about it! The impertinence!
OH MY GOSH!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FROM CRASH COURSE!!!! HOW DID I NOT NOTICE IT SOONER?!?!?!
YESSSSSSSS oh man i was so excited to watch this, rly looking forward to part 2!! I loved the discussion of happiness vs. security + historical context !
We're so lucky to have P&P, and Austen's talent recognized! Thanks for this wonderful CCL vid
I didn't know people DIDN'T know how funny this book was. Mr. Bennett is always hilarious, and Liz usually is as well. Also, Mrs. Bennett, Lady Catherine, and especially Mr. Collins are so stupid that it's usually a treat to read their dialogue.
Ah this is my favorite novel! I'm so glad crash course is doing it!!
YES!! FINALLY! Also, thank whatever god there is for a youtube series about literature!
it’s a fascinating idea that Austen was trying to test the balance between personal happiness and the collective good. Elizabeth privileging her own happiness over her family (i.e. her independence) is one of the reason’s her character appeals to readers, but Lydia’s attempt at putting herself first over the good of her family makes her character seem so selfish and naive. I’ve read this book 20+ times and I’d never thought of elizabeth and lydia’s actions as being comparable-one being the example of the appropriate time(s) to choose yourself while the other emphasizes putting the family first.
I think the biggest difference is that Lizzy's rejection of Darcy did her family no harm and her rejection of Collins still could have paved the way for Kitty to have married him (allowing Mrs. Bennet and any unmarried sisters to continue living in the same place). Lizzy would have been made doubly miserable by staying; both by having to wed Collins, and by staying subject to her mother's constant deprecation. Had Mrs. Bennet taken Lizzy's revulsion of Collins seriously, Kitty might have been persuaded to marry him by appealing to her vanity. By contrast, Lydia's rejection of all respectability could bring only harm to her entire family. That she was entirely unfazed by this shows not merely irresponsibility, but malignance towards them.
I was just rewatching the Lizzie Bennett Diaries when this popped up in my subs! Love you John!
Brilliant Professor Green...absolutely brilliant! The last 5 minutes...very insightful. Thank you :)
I've been waiting so long for this. P&P is my favourite novel. I've already read it twice this year so I was very excited to see this pop up :D
I do feel you missed a moment here to say "Don't forget to be Austen". Looking forward to part 2!
"Bonnets All The Way Down"
Thank you.
Pride and prejudice is my favorite book ❤️ so glad you guys are going over it
Hank must've been upset that you said she fell in love with Mr. Darcy because of his estate. I believe it was because of his letter.
Loved the video! Keep it up you guys. This is the best channel on youtube.
Thank you so much for this video! Just found out the channel and it's amazing :)
I really enjoyed your insights into what I consider a true literary masterpiece. Thank you for this video!! 😀
I universally love the use of the opening sentence.
I couldn't agree more with all the points mentioned in the video! I fell in love with 'Pride and Prejudice' and this summed up everything I adore about it :)
YES I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE A CRASH COURSE OF JANE! 😍
*Glass Shatters* Bah God...it's STONE COLD JANE AUSTIN!!!
Quinzark that made me laugh
Oh wow I JUST finished this book on Sunday! Super excited for part 2!
Yes, my favorite classical novel! Thank you!
I really enjoyed Talulah Riley's portrayal of Mary Bennet in the movie Pride and Prejudice (2005). In the book Mary is portrayed as absolutely horrible and that is why nobody likes her. In Riley's portrayal nobody likes her and thinks she is horrible because she is the sad forgotten middle child.
Loved this video! It really is a masterfully styled book.
That was a lot more than tolerable! Wish it was longer. Great job! :)
I have waited long for this. It did not dissappoint me at all.
I love Darcy’s first proposal. Nothing like a proposal which turns into an argument. The sexual tension was unreal.
Been waiting for these
I would love to see a video on sense and sensibility. Also can you do a series on architecture and design?
I adore everything Jane Austen has written, and Pride & Prejudice has a special place on my heart. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts, and appreciated for your defense of JA and the romance genre from literary snobs. :)
One of my favourite books of all time! So excited to see it on Crash Course. :D I also got to study it as part of my university degree.
"We find these truths to be self-evident.." THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND WHEN I MEET THOMAS JEFFERSON (uh) IMMA COMPEL HIM TO INCLUDE WOMEN IN THE SEQUEL
Just me? Okay.
Wow !! Fascinating way of expressing the fact . 👍
That is some top-rank timing. I'm studying Pride and Prejudice at Uni.
FINALLY OMG I'VE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS
I pretty much died of laughter at Darcy laying in front of the fountain in a "come-hither"-esque manner.
Wow! That was great thinking and probable what I need. Thank you!
At some point can you do Little Women, please.
Great episode! Thank you so much I love that book :D
He linked being a Governess to Jane Eyre nice one.
John Green talking about Jane Austen! I'm in! 😊👍
My favorite book, movie, mini series and web series.
I loved this video, but I would also like to hear John's take on Sense and Sensibility. That was one of the most enrapturing reads I've ever experienced, both intensely frustrating and yet very realistic in it's portrayal of romance.
needed this last year...
Damnit John. This was so thoroughly entertaining and insightful. I greatly enjoy glimpsing things through your lens.
I think she didnt give herself enough credit when she said her writing was narrow its a very deep book that deals with questions that are relevant today. Theres a reason it is still a very popular book.
ooooh, so that's why i love diana wynne jones' "house moving castle" so much! i need to read austen like right now
John I just want to say I love you & your work is amazing but I got a mad bone to pick with you about "The Day After" of Looking for Alaska and the hole you put in my heart
John. Thank you. Again.