ABSTRACT
Pride and Prejudice is a fantasy of expansive triumph. In this novel it is not submissive virtue but self-assertive merit which is primarily rewarded. Thematically, Pride and Prejudice is the most complex of Jane Austen's novels, and one which is very much in accord with the spirit of comedy. Elizabeth Bennet is Jane Austen's first great mimetic character. Her psychological traits are less extreme, and hence less obvious, than are those of Fanny and Emma. The ending of Pride and Prejudice provides many of the satisfactions which the readers associate with the action of comedy. Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's most sophisticated exploration of the relationship between the individual and society. Pride and Prejudice contains one highly developed mimetic character, Elizabeth Bennet, and a number of other characters who have clearly identifiable psychological traits and may be described as mimetic types.
