Truly Twenties newsletter: Pride & Prejudice at 20: Why do 21st Century Women Yearn for Regency-Era Romance?

20 years ago, lives were changed and brain chemistries were altered when Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice was released, starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen and Rosamund Pike. This 2005 adaptation bewitched a generation, body and soul, and introduced a younger audience to the joys of Jane Austen and the uncomplicated simplicity of pre-industrialisation love and courtship. I was 7 when Wright’s Pride & Prejudice was released, and I was mesmerised with the costumes, the extravagant pageantry of Regency life and the classic enemies-to-lovers relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy. I am now 27—I have no money, no prospects, I’m a burden to my parents, and I’m frightened—but Mr Darcy is still my romantic paragon. So, why has this classic story endured for more than 200 years? And why has it especially transfixed independent 21st-century women?

Obstinate, Headstrong Girl

Elizabeth Bennet knows what she wants: a fantastic library and to marry for love. Amen. When Darcy first fumbles the bag and declares his simultaneously reluctant but sincere feelings for her, a weaker woman would have taken one look into those terribly rich puppy-dog eyes and folded like a swooning deck of cards. Accepting his proposal would have secured her financial future but contradicted her core beliefs. Safe to say, truths surface and perceptions change, though Elizabeth’s values never waver. Despite a run-in with Darcy’s fearsome aunt, a marriage proposal from a bumbling reverend and constant meddling from a matchmaking mother, she doesn’t cave to external pressure and ends up getting everything she wants. Queen shit.

Real Men Don’t Play Games

Darcy and Wickham—Elizabeth’s two love interests—are straightforward opposites. (Darcy is how you thought about Dave Grohl before his cheating scandal and Wickham is how you thought about Dave Grohl after his cheating scandal.) You root for Darcy as he is earnest in his feelings towards Elizabeth, never toying with her. He may have initially delivered some blundering backhanded compliments, but my goodness, we respect a man who learns from his mistakes. Darcy is so enamoured with her that he feverishly flexes his hand after touching hers, sending tongues lolling universally. Wickham, however, is the fuckboy blueprint: a lying, womanising, conniving ratbag. This black and white view of gallant chivalry = good, roguish lechery = bad is a pretty solid framework to follow if you don’t want your heart put through the mincer.

Yearn, Baby, Yearn

In Pride & Prejudice, it’s the men who make the first move. Now, there’s nothing wrong with going after what you want (slay), but sometimes the fun is all in the chase. The idea of someone else taking charge and desiring you (body and soul) is thrilling. Modern dating feels like an uphill battle. Emotional depth and genuine connection seem to have left the chat. I couldn’t give a flying frig what your favourite colour is or how many siblings you have! Dodging the non-committal, love-bombing, “grass is greener” bullets is a 21st-century art. There appears to be a disheartening lack of romance floating about in today’s dating scene. That’s all we want. The romance, the yearning, the desperation. That’s the special sauce. And it’s hot!

Happily Ever After?

So, as we all prepare for our annual Pride & Prejudice rewatch, whether that be the 90s miniseries with a sopping wet Colin Firth or the 2005 film with a misty Matthew Macfadyen, we understand that Jane Austen may have set our collective romantic expectations a little high. But, as Elizabeth herself says,

‘I am determined that only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony. So, I shall end an old maid’.

She was so real for that. I hope you all find a hand-flexing, passionate gazing, most ardent kind of love. And, if not, get yourself a library card.