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What happens in Chapters 27–34 of Pride and Prejudice?
In Chapter 27, Elizabeth embarks on a journey to visit Charlotte. In Chapter 28, while visiting Charlotte and Mr. Collins, the group is invited to dinner at the nearby home of Mr. Collins’s patroness (and Darcy’s aunt), Lady Catherine de Bourgh. In Chapter 29, during dinner, Lady Catherine grills Elizabeth about her upbringing, deciding that the Bennet sisters have been poorly raised. In Chapter 30, Elizabeth encounters Darcy when he visits Lady Catherine, and their conversation is awkward. In Chapter 31, Darcy’s cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam asks Elizabeth to play piano, and Elizabeth assumes that Darcy, who has come to watch her, is attempting to intimidate her. In Chapter 32, Charlotte suggest Darcy is in love with Elizabeth. In Chapter 33, Elizabeth learns that it was Darcy who prevented Bingley from pursuing Jane romantically. In Chapter 34, Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who soundly rejects him.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapters 27–34. (3-minute read)
What key characters are introduced in Chapters 29 of Pride and Prejudice?
Though she has been mentioned many times previously by Mr. Collins, Chapter 29 marks Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s first appearance in the novel. She serves as his benefactor, and is the embodiment of both pride and prejudice.
Read our Character List descriptions for Pride and Prejudice. (4-minute read)
What do we learn about the setting of Pride and Prejudice in Chapter 28?
In Chapter 28, Elizabeth visits the parson house where Charlotte now lives with Mr. Collins. While giving her a tour, Mr. Collins describes the facts and figures of the property without going into detail about its natural beauty, something Elizabeth values highly. Her interest in the beauty of the outdoors will come into play later on when she visits Darcy’s home, Pemberley.
Read about the Setting in Pride and Prejudice. (3-minute read)
What important theme is explored in Chapters 27–34 of Pride and Prejudice?
In Chapter 29, the severe and self-important Lady Catherine de Bourgh makes it clear she believes the Bennet family to be fathoms beneath her due to their status and their lack of a “proper” upbringing. Darcy, too, mentions divisions of social class in his proposal to Elizabeth in Chapter 34, suggesting he had to overcome the inferiority of her connections to bring himself to propose.
Read about the key Themes of Pride and Prejudice. (3-minute read)
What important motif is introduced in Chapter 27 of Pride and Prejudice?
Journeys are a key motif in Pride and Prejudice, and the first of Elizabeth’s journeys occurs in Chapter 27 when she travels to visit Charlotte and Mr. Collins.
Read about Journeys as a key Motif in Pride and Prejudice. (1-minute read)
What important quotes from Pride and Prejudice appear in Chapter 34?
Perhaps one of the most famous quotes in the novel, these lines mark the beginning of Darcy’s ultimately unsuccessful proposal:
‘In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.’
A few passages later, Elizabeth delivers the quote below, effectively rejecting him:
‘[D]o you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for ever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?’
Read the complete quotes from Chapter 34 and full explanations of them. (2-minute read)
Why does Elizabeth reject Darcy’s proposal in Chapter 34?
Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s marriage proposal in Chapter 34 because he insults her family and social class, and out of loyalty to Jane now that she knows Darcy’s influence contributed to Bingley leaving.
Read more about Elizabeth's rejection of Darcy's first proposal.
