The romance plot defined—with Pride and Prejudice
The romance plot is an emotional story, and its foundation is the core conflict of each romance protagonist (P1 and P2.)
In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Darcy’s core conflict is his pride. Lizzy’s is her prejudice—in the sense she makes snap judgements and sticks to them.
The core conflict is an emotional wound or flaw, an attitude or personal belief that prevents a romance protagonist from being able to maintain a healthy relationship with the other person. They can still fall in love, but their core conflict prevents them from being content.
In short, the emotional story is P1 and P2’s struggle to resolve their core conflicts so they can be in love and content, and therefore achieve a happily ever after (HEA.)
To show how this works in practice, I have defined each beat of the romance plot and summarized Darcy’s emotional story, which focuses on the conflict between his pride and his love for Lizzy.
(Lizzy’s own emotional story is far more complex and not fit for a brief summary like this one, but it is well worth a close examination too.)
The setup beats
P1/P2 are introduced — the romance protagonists and their core conflicts are shown to the reader.
Meet-cute/meet-disaster — P1 and P2 meet and identify one another as sexy individuals.
Nope — P1 and P2 state why a relationship with sexy individual is impossible.
Stuck together — P1 and P2 end up hanging out [for reasons]—like a shared goal or forced proximity.
Fitzwilliam Darcy is handsome, wealthy, and a noble. He’s got every reason in the world to feel proud. When he attends a ball in the small town of Meryton in chapter three of Pride and Prejudice, at first everyone is impressed with his height, his good looks, his great fortune.
But Mr. Darcy will only dance or speak to the friends he came to the ball with, and he’s rude to everyone else. Darcy’s best friend, who himself is dancing every dance, tries to get Darcy to join in and points out Miss Elizabeth Bennet as being available.
Darcy turns around, makes eye contact with Lizzy, and loudly proclaims:
“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.
By the end of the ball, Darcy has offended the entire town of Meryton.
But he doesn’t care one bit. He is satisfied and his sense of propriety remains intact—until he discovers, through a series of social engagements, that Miss Lizzy Bennet is intelligent, she’s funny and witty, and she has “fine eyes.”
Darcy definitely does not want to be attracted to a woman who has no inheritance and who has a wildly embarrassing family.
Then, in chapter seven, Darcy must endure Lizzy staying with him at Netherfield Manor for several days after her sister, Jane, falls ill while visiting his friends.
The falling-in-love beats
Nope again + negotiation — P1 and P2 restate the “nope,” then negotiate reasons within themselves why it’s okay to like the other person.
Love bubble — a series of scenes where P1 and P2 experience positive emotions and thoughts toward one another.
Nearly in love — P1 and P2 are bonding and becoming emotionally invested.
In love! — P1 and P2 throw caution to the wind: they’re either on the precipice of falling in love or in love already.
Darcy does not entirely approve of Lizzy walking for three miles all alone through the mucky countryside to reach Netherfield. But she’s shown just how loyal and caring she is to have come all this way to look after Jane. Her eyes have also been “brightened by the exercise.”
But all will be well, however, because Lizzy will leave as soon as Jane gets better.
Darcy allows himself to be charmed the first few days of Lizzy’s stay. Lizzy teases Darcy, she makes amusing comments that are just on the edge of impertinent. He’s used to women always complimenting him and agreeing with everything he says so Lizzy’s behavior in contrast is intriguing.
In chapter ten, while listening to a lively song on the piano, Darcy approaches Lizzy wondering whether this music makes her feel like dancing. Lizzy smiles but doesn’t reply forcing Darcy to repeat his question.
“Oh!” said she, “I heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say ‘Yes,’ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all—and now despise me if you dare.”
“Indeed I do not dare.”
A few days in, Darcy realizes he’s been paying Lizzy far too much attention so he consciously makes the effort to avoid speaking to her for her final day at Netherfield.
They’re both relieved when she returns home.
Darcy, still determined to keep his pride intact, leaves Meryton with all his friends in chapter twenty with no intention of ever returning. But then, in chapter thirty, Darcy makes his yearly visit to his aunt, Lady Catherine—and who is there but Miss Elizabeth Bennet! She’s visiting a friend who is also Lady Catherine’s neighbor.
Lizzy is as lively and witty as usual, and this time her flirtatious sisters and her mortifying mother aren’t around to drive Darcy away. His core conflict is soothed, which allows him to follow his heart instead of his pride.
Darcy asks Lizzy to marry him.
“In vain I have 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.”
The retreating-from-love beats
Love hangover + negotiation — P1 and P2 reflect on how being in love could end in heartbreak, then negotiate with their doubts to remain in the relationship.
Tightrope — a series of scenes where P1 and P2 experience increased doubts over their relationship.
Pre-breakup — P1 and P2 conclude their doubts are in fact correct.
Breakup — P1 and P2 choose to end the relationship.
Darcy then dwells on how Lizzy’s family’s behavior is a degradation to his pride, and that on principal, he’d never choose to marry a woman of such inferior rank and low connections. But he can’t help himself. He must have Lizzy.
Lizzy says “no” and follows up with a detailed explanation of all the reasons she despises Darcy. She informs him that she has disliked him from the very first time she saw him back in chapter three.
You have said quite enough, madam. I perfectly comprehend your feelings, and have now only to be ashamed of what my own have been. Forgive me for having taken up so much of your time, and accept my best wishes for your health and happiness.”
The fighting-for-love beats
Low moment — P1 and P2 feel justified in their decision.
Wake up! — P1 and P2 realize their doubts were wrong and why.
Grand gesture — P1 and P2 prove their new worldview in a physical manner.
Yes + Yes = HEA — P1 and P2 communicate their new worldview verbally, resulting in a “happily ever after.”
Darcy is in shock—he thought Lizzy had been waiting for him to propose, and that she would say yes.
Lizzy’s reproofs haunt him for months, and he begins to realize how selfishly he has behaved, how he cares only for his family and friends, and looks down on everybody else.
Then one day, in chapter forty-three, Darcy returns home from visiting friends and is very surprised to find Miss Elizabeth Bennet taking a tour of the grounds of his manor house with an older couple.
Darcy wants to show Lizzy that he’s corrected every single aspect of his “ungentlemanlike behavior” and hopes that she won’t hate him anymore. He approaches Lizzy, asks her about her family, and then requests to be introduced to the couple—who are her aunt and uncle. Darcy chats with them all and gives them a tour of the grounds himself.
Over the next few chapters, Darcy and Lizzy spend time together, and Darcy is very pleased with how they are getting along—until disaster strikes. Darcy finds Lizzy at her inn frantic and ready to rush home. She has just received news about a terrible scandal involving her family.
Darcy asks for details about the situation, he makes certain that Lizzy is comfortable, and he leaves in a hurry. Off he goes and secretly saves Lizzy’s sister from a destroyed reputation.
Darcy who loves Elizabeth Bennet and who has resolved his core conflict will choose her over his pride every single time.
Finally, in chapter fifty-eight, Lizzy and Darcy go on a walk together, and Lizzy confesses she has uncovered Darcy’s secret grand gesture and she’s desperate to thank him for it.
“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.”
Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”
He asks her to marry him again, she says yes, and they HEA.
If you’d be interested in learning more about the craft of writing a romance with Jane Austen’s (frankly ingenious) usage of the romance plot and all the elements of story within P&P as the central example, you might like my craft book How to Pride and Prejudice.
