Who it is for
Readers following character development, social satire, and the changing relationships around Chapter 20 will find this chapter especially useful.
English reader · Project Gutenberg #1342
Chapter 20
Pride and Prejudice. English-only reading by default; switch among English, Chinese, and Spanish, or compare languages side by side.
Chapter summary
This chapter advances the novel’s social and emotional action around Chapter 20, using dialogue, family expectations, and manners to reveal character motives and relationships. Its opening movement begins: Collins was not left long to the silent contemplation of his successful love; for Mrs. Bennet, having dawdled about in the vestibule to watch for the end of the conference, no sooner saw Elizabeth open the door and with quick step pass her towards the staircase, than she entered the breakfast-room, and congratulated both him and herself in warm terms on the happy prospect of their nearer connection.
Modern reader note
Read this chapter in its Regency social context. Courtship, inheritance, gender expectations, class manners, and family authority around Chapter 20 reflect the novel’s historical world rather than present-day norms.
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