ONLINE ACTIVITIES (ASSIGNMENTS)

Pride and Prejudice (Part 1: chapter 1-15)

Worksheet (week 1)

Task 1. Before you listen & read

1.      Do you pay attention to first impressions? How do you form an opinion about someone you are meeting for the first time?

2.      List four or five things that influence people when forming a first impression of a new acquaintance. Rank these items from most important to least important. Then discuss whether first impressions are usually reliable and why.

3.      Read to find out how first impressions shape the relationship of the two main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy.

Did You Know?

Pride and Prejudice opens with one of the most famous first lines in English literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This sentence tells us much about the author’s purpose and attitude. It states one of the novel’s main themes: the relationship of money and marriage. It also sets an ironic tone. The truth about the “marriage market” was just the opposite. It was single young women who did not possess a fortune who were most in want of a husband. The author turns this truth upside down, in a way that surprises and amuses the reader. There is also humor in the fact that she uses dignified language to describe a crude fact of life. However, as Austen unfolds her plot and develops her characters, it becomes clear that she views one’s choice in marriage as a serious matter. This section introduces several eligible young women and men. As you read, try to discover what motivates each of these characters in their pursuit of a suitable mate.

Task 2. After you listen and read

Personal Response

Do you think Elizabeth’s first impression of Darcy was justified? Before you answer, review the list you made for task 1.

Pride and Prejudice (Part 1: Chapter 1-15)

Worksheet (week 2)

Task 1. Recall and Interpret

1. At the first ball, what facts does the narrator give about Darcy? How do the guests perceive him? What is Elizabeth’s first impression of him? Why? 

2. Who is Charlotte Lucas? What comment does she make about Jane? What do you suppose is the reason behind such a comment? 

3. At Sir William Lucas’s gathering, how does Darcy act around Elizabeth? At Netherfield, what are their conversations like? 

4. Why, do you think, is Darcy attracted to Elizabeth? What appealing qualities do she has? 

5.  Charlotte Lucas says, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” What does this statement reveal about her? Do you agree with her statement? Explain.

Task 2. A Funny Relationship

Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet are a source of much humor in the early chapters of the novel.

Write an analysis of these two characters. First, consider them separately. What adjectives would you use to describe each character? What are some humorous comments each one makes? Why do we laugh at these comments? Then, consider them as a couple. How would you describe the Bennets’ marriage? Is it an example of a happy marriage? Why might Austen have opened the novel by sketching their relationship? Use examples of dialogue and other evidence from the novel to back up your ideas about these characters.

 

Pride and Prejudice (Part 1: chapter 1-15)

Worksheet (week 3)

Task 1. Check the meaning of the words below and Fill in the gaps in the text using the words form the box.

Characters	Mutual	portrays	themes
Misunderstanding	outdated	Rural	variety

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. It (1)______________ the life in the polite (2)_________ society in England in the 19th century. It is the story of the initial (3)______________ and later (4)__________ attraction between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. It is one of the most popular novels in English literature. There are a number of films and TV adaptations of the book and many modern novels and stories try to imitate Austen's (5)_______________ or style. The main (6)____________ in the story are love, reputation and social class. Austen uses a (7)___________ of vocabulary and grammar structures. Sometimes her vocabulary is a bit (8)________________ Because of the time when she wrote her novels.

Task 2. Sometimes Austen’s Vocabulary is a bit outdated because of the time when she wrote her novels. Match the words and expressions to their meaning then quote the sentence in the novel applying those words.

No	Vocabularies	Meaning	Sentences
1	Be in want of	A large income at the time (   )
2	A chaise and four	A closed carriage drawn by four horses (    )
3	Michaelmas	To need or to be looking for something (    )
4	Four or five thousand a year	29th September (    )