Aging Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

The beloved characters of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen are often discussed in terms of their ages, as these details contribute to their development and the narrative's timeline. However, the text itself does not clearly specify the exact ages of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet at the beginning of the novel. Nevertheless, scholars and readers often draw conclusions based on inferences from the text.

The Age of Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth Bennet's age at the start of the novel is more straightforward to deduce. In a Pride and Prejudice reprint, Elizabeth informs Lady Catherine de Bourgh at Rosings Park that she is almost twenty-one at the time (almost 21). This implies that Elizabeth is either 20 or recently turned 21, likely around 21. Given that the events of the novel cover a period of about one year, it's likely that Elizabeth is 21 by the conclusion of the story, making the exact age at the beginning of the novel around 20.

The Age of Fitzwilliam Darcy

Mr. Darcy's age is a topic of discussion, as there is no explicit mention of it in the original text. However, several inferences can be made. By the end of the novel, Darcy is stated to be 28 years old. On the other hand, Elizabeth, at 21, was considered near the age when a young woman might be seen as past her prime, as she was described as already being "almost on the shelf" at her age, indicating that 20 is not a suitable marriageable age in the context of the novel. Fitzwilliam Darcy, being described as being of a "prime marriageable age," would suggest he is in his late twenties, likely around 26 or 27.

References from the Text

The age of Darcy's mother, as referenced in the novel, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh's hopes for Darcy and her own daughter, Anne, to marry, provide further clues. Lady Catherine was concerned about the suitability of her daughter, Anne, as a match for Darcy, which implies that Anne was younger and her marriage prospects were of immediate concern. This, combined with Darcy's own coming of age and the mention of him being "of a marriageable age," suggests that Darcy was indeed around 28.

The Timeline and Age Calculations

The novel covers a span of about a year, during which significant events occur. Elizabeth's age is explicitly mentioned as almost 21, and Darcy is described as being of marriageable age, which in the early 19th century, often meant around 25–30. The precise age of 28 for Darcy is thus a reasonable conclusion based on the timeline and events described in the novel.

The inferences and calculations are supported by the context provided in the text. Lady Catherine's comments about the suitability of her daughter and the age group described for Darcy all point to a similar age range, confirming the well-established age of 28 for Darcy at the end of the novel, and an approximate age of 21 for Elizabeth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the exact age of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy at the beginning of the novel is not explicitly stated, their ages can be reasonably deduced based on the text and the context provided. Elizabeth is around 20, and Darcy is 28, marked as a prime marriageable age. This contributes to our understanding of the characters and their roles in the narrative of Pride and Prejudice.