Despite a limited range of characters and a simple setting, Jane Austen explores a number of social issues in Pride and Prejudice , including a woman's place in society, social constraints, and differences between members of the lower and upper class. Austen infuses these themes throughout her novel by creating distinctive characters, using subtle humour and irony and describing scenes using an omnipresent narration to create a satirical observation on the society of her time. These themes and writing techniques are exemplified in one particular scene in this novel. Elizabeth Bennett has accepted an invitation to go with her aunt and uncle on their summer holiday to Huntsford. While staying at the parsonage owned by Mr. Collins and his wife Charlotte, the formidable Lady Catherine DeBourgh invites them to dinner at Rosings, her estate. The scene discussed in this essay describes the dinner at Rosings and Lady Catherine's interrogation of her guests.
             Throughout the novel, and especially in this scene, Jane Austen uses characterisation in order to satirize and highlight characters' positions in society. Austen deliberately eschews the development of characters such as Lady Catherine or Mr. Collins in the course of the novel so that they contribute little more than a satirical reflection on their position in society. For instance, Lady Catherine's haughtiness marks her as a member of the aristocracy, while Mr. Collins's subservience indicates he is completely reliant on her patronage. Sir William Lucas exemplifies a person willing to swallow his pride so long as he can advance himself in society. In contrast, Elizabeth Bennet's character is developed much more fully. The forcefulness with which Elizabeth expresses and defends her principles during her conversation with Lady Catherine is in stark contrast to the timidity of characters such as Maria Lucas, who was so unsettled by the surroundings at Rosings t...