Jane Austen’s 1813 Pride and Prejudice, the most popular of her six novels and one of the most popular English novels of all time, depicts the improbable courtship of Elizabeth Bennet by Fitzwilliam Darcy, as the couple moves from mutual dislike and disdain to awakening passion and respect. Both Elizabeth and Darcy keep others at a distance: she through her ironic detachment and mockery, and he through his austere pride in his family lineage. They are drawn to one another reluctantly as they recognize their shared intelligence, good judgment, and moral sensibilities. Both are also willing to challenge authority. The novel’s cult status may be attributed to the satisfying rightness of the marriage between these two attractive characters, who overcome misconceptions of one another and expand their moral, emotional, and social vision in the process. Equally engaging is Austen’s satire of their social worlds. Lastly, readers appreciate Austen’s expanded use of free indirect discourse, which not only probes the challenge of understanding the thoughts of others and ourselves but also recreates the complexity of moral judgment.