Plot Summary
Chapter 6 of Pride and Prejudice opens with the Netherfield ladies returning the Longbourn visit. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst show a growing preference for Jane and Elizabeth, though they dismiss Mrs. Bennet and the younger sisters. Elizabeth observes that Bingley clearly admires Jane and that Jane is beginning to fall in love with him, but she is confident that Jane's composed temperament will conceal her feelings from the public.
Elizabeth discusses the matter with her friend Charlotte Lucas, and the two women reveal starkly different philosophies of courtship. Charlotte argues that a woman should show more affection than she feels to secure a man's interest, and that happiness in marriage is "entirely a matter of chance." Elizabeth counters that Jane is not "acting by design" and insists that genuine understanding of a partner's character matters. This debate foreshadows Charlotte's own pragmatic marriage later in the novel.
Darcy's Growing Interest
Meanwhile, reveals a crucial shift in Mr. Darcy's feelings. Having initially dismissed Elizabeth as not handsome enough to dance with, Darcy gradually finds himself drawn to the "beautiful expression of her dark eyes," her "light and pleasing" figure, and her "easy playfulness" of manner. Elizabeth remains entirely unaware of this growing attraction.
At a party at Sir William Lucas's home, Darcy begins attending to Elizabeth's conversations with others. When Sir William attempts to introduce Elizabeth as a dance partner, she firmly refuses, and Darcy requests her hand "with grave propriety" but in vain. Elizabeth's resistance, rather than discouraging Darcy, increases his interest. The chapter closes with Miss Bingley attempting to mock Darcy's fascination, only to have him openly declare that he has been "meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow" -- the fine eyes belonging to "Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
Themes and Literary Significance
Chapter 6 establishes two of the novel's central tensions: the Elizabeth-Charlotte debate about whether marriage should be pursued pragmatically or through genuine emotional connection, and the ironic reversal of Darcy's pride. The man who publicly declared Elizabeth beneath his notice now privately admires her. employs dramatic irony throughout, allowing the reader to see what Elizabeth cannot -- that Darcy's attention is born of attraction, not contempt. Mary Bennet's "pedantic" musical performance and Darcy's withering remark that "every savage can dance" add comic texture while reinforcing themes of vanity and social performance.