Teaching older novels has become quite the intimidating thing. After all, last November, The Atlantic declared that even elite college students aren’t reading, and if those kids can’t read whole novels, what hope is there for high school English teachers? 

I have found a way to teach an 18th-century novel without losing my students to boredom and frustration. I have had them laugh with a novel, analyze it with aplomb, create interesting representations of key ideas, and get caught up and swept away as its drama unraveled. 

If your students struggle with antiquated language or they get overwhelmed by reading 300+ pages, I have a novel and a unit plan that has worked wonders in my classroom. 

Few novels have earned as permanent a place in the classroom as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. And yet, every year, many teachers fear that this early-19th-century story no longer resonates with today’s learners. Pride and Prejudice isn’t just a tale of its time; it is a novel for all time. Beneath its witty dialogue and ballroom scenes lies a novel bursting with opportunities for rich discussion, critical thinking, and meaningful skill-building.

If you’re considering adding Pride and Prejudice to your curriculum—or reinvigorating how you already teach it—here’s an overview of the compelling ways I engage my students and why it remains one of the most teachable texts in my curriculum.

1. Help Students See Themselves in the Novel

At the heart of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, a character who faces an uncertain future and heavy parental expectations. That sounds just like a lot of my seniors, who are deciding on colleges and have everyone and everyone (especially their parents) weighing in on what is in their best interest. In an age of social media hot takes and snap judgments, students benefit from seeing a protagonist who evolves through humility, evidence, and honest conversation. I have a great lesson in my unit plan in which students get inside the mind of Lizzie.

2. Encourage Critical Thinking About Social Structures

Austen’s world may be distant in terms of time and geography, but it feels immediate and close. Pride and Prejudice tackles social pressures—expectations, economic inequity, gender roles—all of which are still deeply relevant. High school students experience these same issues. Throughout the course of the novel, we examine:

• how economic status influence relationships
• The social structure of marriage
• how gender expectations persist (or have changed) across time

I connect these themes to modern issues through a Twitter-style chat, creating a whole-class discussion that allows students to analyze the text as they think critically about how little has changed with these issues.

3. Laugh with the satire

Austen’s satirical target is clear: the rigid social structures of early 19th-century England. She skewers class prejudice, marriage as a financial necessity, performative politeness, and gender expectations. If she is boldly skewering these topics and institutions with a wonk and a smile, we will too. Activities such as the Wrong Memes Only allow students to be just as playful as Austen. 

4. Diagram its complexity

Elizabeth’s journey hinges on self-reflection and the willingness to admit she has been wrong. Students trace her evolution, as she, with humility, confronts her own biases and prejudices, not just about Darcy, but Wickham, and Charlotte Lucas as well. Darcy’s transformation offers a parallel arc rooted in empathy and self-improvement. This is not an idealized love-at-first-sight narrative. Austen shows how complex love develops when it emerges through painful moments of respect, communication, and mutual growth.

5. Develop catchy titles and slogans to focus the reading of each section

Instead of simply assigning each section for the students to read, I provide a catchy focus for each section that boosts engagement. It builds anticipation as well as understanding.

Volume I — Money, Manners, and Marriage

Volume II –TLC — Truth, Lies, and Consequences

Volume III — Breaking Bad

Teaching Goals

• explore, understand, and have fun with satire
• examine the novel’s narrative voice and style
• investigate gender roles and agency
• compare and contrast the relationships that emerge as well as the ones that predate the novel
• assess the iconic status of certain characters
• understand the social norms of the Regency era
• Develop close reading and critical writing skills

My Top 5 Passages for Close Reading

• the Mr. Bennet/ Mrs. Bennet banter of chapter 1
• When Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth
• Charlotte Lucas’ announcement of her engagement to Elizabeth
• Darcy’s first proposal
• Lady Catherine confronting Elizabeth in the middle of the night

My Top 5 Lessons/ Activities

1. The Volume I Inferential Timeline
2. Inside the mind of Elizabeth Bennet
3. Twitter-style chat
4. Mr. Darcy is Misunderstood
5. Pride and Prejudice meme creation

All my Pride and Prejudice resources are bundled here.