Pride and Prejudice, Part 1: Crash Course Literature 411 

Jane Austen is the friend you don't realize is low-key sarcastic and witty until it is too late.

Yes John, it was a tolerable episode, but not enough to tempt.

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.

Oh my god you're addressing Austen's satirical style thank you so much!! More people need to know how subversive she was.

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.

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.

Why does thought bubble think Darcy is George Washington?

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!

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE NOVEL!!!!! I think it's sad that many who read it don't realize how hilarious it is!

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.

The sass is classic novels is top notch. Austen's wittines is what makes her novels enjoyable. Thank you for crash course!

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.

I cannot begin to count how much days must we waited until we finally get to Jane Austen. 😆

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.

AHH!!!! Thank you guys SOO much for making these! Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors (along with John Green 😉)

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.

i love it when an author teaches you about literature...

“Reading should be be fun sometimes, we already read to the lighthouse!” Game set match.

Aw Mary isn’t horrible, she’s just a little weird.

John Greene takes it personally that Mary said "What are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

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 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?

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.

my new favorite thing is john green defending romance novels

Ahhh, I was so incredibly excited for a P&P episode, it was awesome!

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 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

FINALLY SOME AUSTEN👏

If you wanna do a Crash Course on Bronte or Wuthering Heights that'd be awesome :))))

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance."

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.

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 just realized...where is John from the past?

I've always loved this social commentary of class, gender and expectations! Thanks for 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 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!!

I live for Jane Austen analysis! thank you for making me see new things to love about my favorite

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!

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've been waiting for a Jane Austen episodes for ages - thank you so much!

Thank you!!! This is my favorite novel, and you’ve explained why so well. Can’t wait for the next installment!

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!

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.

I’ve been looking forward to this for so long!! I’m so happy!! THANKS JOHN💛

This series needs to continue!! More please!

We're so lucky to have P&P, and Austen's talent recognized! Thanks for this wonderful CCL vid

I literally started rereading this book for the umpteenth time last night! Good timing. 😍☕️

Thanks John Green. Love Jane. Don’t forget to be Austen.

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 !

Pride and prejudice is my favorite book ❤️ so glad you guys are going over it

Ah this is my favorite novel! I'm so glad crash course is doing it!!

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'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

Thank you so much for this video! Just found out the channel and it's amazing :)

Brilliant Professor Green...absolutely brilliant! The last 5 minutes...very insightful. Thank you :)

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 :)

I was just rewatching the Lizzie Bennett Diaries when this popped up in my subs! Love you John!

Oh wow I JUST finished this book on Sunday! Super excited for part 2!

What?! I was looking for this video when I was writing a paper about it! The impertinence!

Loved the video! Keep it up you guys. This is the best channel on youtube.

YES I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE A CRASH COURSE OF JANE! 😍

"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.

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.

"Bonnets All The Way Down" Thank you.

Loved this video! It really is a masterfully styled book.

When you said “we already read” I was honestly waiting for you to say one of your books

I pretty much died of laughter at Darcy laying in front of the fountain in a "come-hither"-esque manner.

Yes, my favorite classical novel! Thank you!

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.

YES!! FINALLY! Also, thank whatever god there is for a youtube series about literature!

Wow !! Fascinating way of expressing the fact . 👍

I do feel you missed a moment here to say "Don't forget to be Austen". Looking forward to part 2!

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.

*Glass Shatters* Bah God...it's STONE COLD JANE AUSTIN!!!

That was a lot more than tolerable! Wish it was longer. Great job! :)

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.

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. :)

Wow! That was great thinking and probable what I need. Thank you!

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.

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.

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

Great episode! Thank you so much I love that book :D

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?

John Green talking about Jane Austen! I'm in! 😊👍

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.

Horrible Mary? That's harsh and unfounded.

That is some top-rank timing. I'm studying Pride and Prejudice at Uni.

FINALLY OMG I'VE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS

I love this story.

needed this last year...

ooooh, so that's why i love diana wynne jones' "house moving castle" so much! i need to read austen like right now

At some point can you do Little Women, ​please.

My favorite book, movie, mini series and web series.

Love this book !

John. Thank you. Again.

He linked being a Governess to Jane Eyre nice one.