Why Does It Say Shire in Pride and Prejudice?

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.

"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

This was invitation enough.

"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."

"What is his name?"

"Bingley."

"Is he married or single?"

"Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"

"How so? How can it affect them?"

"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

"Is that his design in settling here?"

"Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visiting."

"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them

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"Shire" has a few different meanings in Pride and Prejudice. Most commonly, it refers to a county or administrative division in England. For example, when Mr. Bennet tells Elizabeth that he has heard that Mr. Bingley is looking for a house in the country, he says, "I hope he will not be so silly as to come and buy Longbourn. It is a dead bore, I believe.atchett must know that." Here, "shire" simply means county.

However, "shire" can also refer to a more rural, less developed area outside of a city. This is how it is used when Elizabeth and the Gardiners travel to Derbyshire. For example, when they first arrive in the village of Lambton, Elizabeth is surprised by how small and provincial it is. She says to her aunt, "I did not expect to find a place so much to my taste as this... How strange it is that these small villages always have such an immense interest for those who live in them!" Here, "shire" refers to the rural area surrounding the village, which is much less developed than the city.

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The shire is a symbol of home, stability, and safety in Pride and Prejudice. It is where the Bennet girls grew up and where they feel most comfortable. It is also where Mr. Collins intends to live after he marries one of the Bennet sisters. The shire represents all that is good and virtuous about English society. It is a place where people are polite and well-mannered, and where one can expect to find a good husband.