Leading up to (and following) Elizabeth's epiphany, Pride and Prejudice is essentially about how Elizabeth and Darcy slowly overcome their misconceptions; misunderstandings; weaknesses, and mistakes, to at last find love and happiness together. Both "pride" (personal and social, that is) and "prejudice" (the pre-judging, or perhaps more accurately, the misjudging, of one person by the other) create, before that point, considerable roadblocks to the love the two eventually find together. For example, based on her misconceptions, Elizabeth firmly rejects Darcy's first proposal of marriage, and does not realize her error in judgment for quite some time.

Fortunately for Elizabeth, the strength of her own character, and her intelligence, wit, and personal charm allow her to retain Darcy's interest up until the time of her epiphany. Meanwhile, also, Elizabeth experiences many distractions, e.g., her mother; her sisters, their suitors, and all of their various actions and intrigues (including Lydia's mysterious disappearance);...
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