     By looking closely at Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a continuous theme of Christianity is seen throughout the text. The theme is seen throughout the text especially in the characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, in their overall repentance and reformation throughout the whole of the story. Repentance and reform spring from Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s own prides and prejudices towards one another and those surrounding them, which they seek to mend out of desires to win the others lasting affection and good opinion. 

     In the Beginning of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy quickly form opinions of each other, and not the best opinions for that matter. They are quick to judge one another by appearance and those whom they associate with. You easily see their own prejudices getting they best of their first impressions of one another, that nearly, not only destroy love for each other, but the love of those very dear to themselves. Austen was implying a moral, one that Christians and non-alike should take to heart. The moral? That one should not always base their first impressions of a person in how they act and whom they associate with, but rather observe that person over time and judge them based off Biblical standards. Yet even then be careful to observe and remove the plank in your own eye before making a judgement of a person’s character. This moral was very likely something like what Austen would have heard within her own church, with the time being that the upper class would have looked down upon those of lower distinction with disdain. As well as those in a lower state than those of wealth, would have looked upon those with wealth as heartless and cold broods. The clergy were trying to teach all people to give up distinctions of class and live in harmony with one another, and this was the message Miss Austen was trying to convey as well.

     Slowly as the story continues after Darcy’s somewhat careless proposal and Elisabeth’s backlash and refusal, repentance sparks within them for they finally begin to see the error of their own pride and prejudices. Beginning with Darcy on the very next day he gives Miss Elizabeth a letter explaining his actions, though the letter does not seem very repentant Darcy does experience some pain for what he has said and done. Elizabeth, who is horrified by the letter at first, but as she reads it repeatedly she too realizes that she was quick to make judgements in the beginning. From that point on in the story you can see the repentance of their own respective actions, and the slow reform of each. This moral too Austen would have most likely have been influenced by a sermon of her own time. She was trying to convey a message of repentance of one’s own sins and mistakes. Because many of her own time, yet even today, tend to not see the importance of repentance of sins even though the Bible explicitly calls for repentance once saved and to completely turn away from the life in which you have been living and to live one afresh that reflects Christ. 

     Finally, as the story draws near to a close, Darcy and Elizabeth not only have repented of their errors, but have begun to change. First seen when Elizabeth is visiting Derbyshire with her Uncle and Aunt and they decide to visit Pemberley and they run into Mr. Darcy himself. When they meet, the change is quickly seen in both characters, there is even an embarrassment for the remembrance of the past. Darcy goes out of his way to make Elizabeth and her relatives welcome, he invites them to dine with him, allow her uncle to come hunt on his property whenever he likes, and requests for Elizabeth and her aunt to come to tea the next day to meet his sister. He then goes to make further amends by clearing her sister’s name and soon-to-be husband’s debts. Elizabeth’s change is seen in her actions toward Mr. Darcy himself, she is kind to him and very welcoming to him. She also realizes her mistake for thinking wrong of him for objecting the idea of being related to her family, not because they were of a lower state by any means, but because of how they acted, haughty and rude. In the end, they have completely become new persons and in so learn to love each other for who they really are. And yet again, sermons would have heavily influenced this she would have heard. That would have taught that once saved, you do not continue in sin, but turn away from those things and become a new man in how you act and treat other people. Many of that time, and even sadly largely today, would have not put to practice to them it was once saved always saved, which is false! Once saved, yes Grace has saved you, but that does not give leeway to sin more! We are to completely turn away from all that we once did! Just as God’s word calls us in Colossians 3:5-10 and 3:12-17 which say, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator.” And, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord forgave you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word and deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

     To conclude, one can easily see the influence of the church and the Bible over Austen’s writing and the morals of this story she was trying to convey, which is to put of the old self and put on the new in Christ Jesus! Sadly, many to not reap the benefits of this book or the morals in which she was trying to convey here, all many see is a romance novel and nothing more. It is very important to look deeply into the meaning of the text and find out what historically would have influenced this writing, many miss the point of great books, but what is the point of them being great if they only see the surface of the story and not the deeper meaning? We need to be careful to analyze everything we read and try to find the meaning behind it.
