Pride and Prejudice Chapter 40 Summary
After the Letter
Elizabeth tells Jane about Darcy’s letter and Wickham’s conduct, they debate publicizing it, and Jane struggles with her disappointment about Bingley.
Summary
Elizabeth can no longer keep what happened from Jane and decides to omit particulars that concern her sister while preparing Jane to be surprised. The next morning Elizabeth relates the main scene between herself and Mr. Darcy and then reads to Jane the portions of Darcy’s letter that concern George Wickham. Jane is stunned and heartbroken to learn of Wickham’s wickedness, and though Darcy’s justification eases some pain, Jane tries earnestly to find a way to reconcile both men’s reputations. Elizabeth tells her that she believes Darcy’s account, but allows Jane to choose which story to accept.
They discuss whether to expose Wickham’s character publicly. Elizabeth refuses: Darcy did not authorize publicity, many particulars were meant to be private, and the general prejudice against Darcy makes her feel ineffectual in vindicating him. She expects Wickham to leave soon and thinks the truth will surface in time; Jane agrees that broadcasting Wickham’s faults might ruin him irreparably. At home Jane’s spirits remain low because she still cherishes Bingley, and Mrs. Bennet repeatedly laments the loss and speculates that he will not return to Netherfield. Conversation drifts to Charlotte Lucas and the Collinses, with Mrs. Bennet imagining their comfortable household and their presumptive claim to Longbourn when Mr. Bennet dies.
Key events
- Elizabeth resolves to tell Jane about Darcy’s visit but omits any particulars involving Jane.
- Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter passages about Wickham to Jane, revealing Wickham’s misconduct.
- Jane struggles to accept Wickham’s villainy and worries about Darcy’s suffering from her refusal.
- Elizabeth and Jane debate whether to make Wickham’s character public; decide against it.
- Jane remains melancholy over Bingley; Mrs. Bennet frets and gossip about the Collins household.
Analysis
This chapter shifts the novel from private confrontation to its personal and social consequences. By having Elizabeth disclose Darcy’s letter to Jane, Austen deepens the moral complexity: readers see evidence that overturns earlier impressions (Wickham’s charm versus Darcy’s reserve) while also tracking how reputation and prejudice operate in a small community. The private reading of a letter is a narrative device that allows selective revelation—Elizabeth controls what is told, demonstrating both intimacy with Jane and propriety toward Darcy. The chapter underscores themes of truth, reputation, and the limits of sympathy: Jane’s inclination to trust goodness makes the revelations especially painful, while Elizabeth’s discernment forces a reassessment of earlier judgments.
Austen also uses domestic gossip (Mrs. Bennet on Bingley and the Collinses) to show how social anxieties and inheritance shape behavior and conversation. The decision not to expose Wickham highlights prudence and a growing moral seriousness in Elizabeth: she recognizes the power of public opinion and the responsibility that comes with knowledge. Stylistically, the chapter blends dialogue and summarized narrative to pace the emotional consequences and to let characters’ voices reveal their characters—Jane’s tenderness, Elizabeth’s irony, and Mrs. Bennet’s self-centered speculations—without authorial moralizing beyond what the scenes show.
Important quotes
““This will not do,” said Elizabeth; “you never will be able to make both of them good for anything.”
Elizabeth BennetElizabeth tells Jane she must choose which man's character to accept, highlighting the impossibility of reconciling both stories.
““You are quite right. To have his errors made public might ruin him for ever.”
Jane BennetJane argues against exposing Wickham, showing her reluctance to cause permanent social ruin even after learning his faults.
““I am determined never to speak of it again””
Mrs. BennetMrs. Bennet insists she will cease mentioning Jane’s disappointment, though she immediately continues to fret and gossip about it.
Characters in Chapter 40
All chapter summaries ›Characters ›
Read Pride and Prejudice illustrated
Every scene in these notes comes from the Book2Life reader, where the full public-domain text is illustrated as you read, with character portraits and narration. Free in your browser and on iPhone.
