The language of Pride and Prejudice is complicated for modern readers. The reason is the subsequent change of a writing style. In addition, free indirect discourse is used to provide insight into the characters’ inner world.
Detailed answer:
Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice at the beginning of the 19th century. That is why the novel is rather complicated. The writing style has changed a lot since then. Pride and Prejudice contains a wide range of words and expressions that may be new to modern readers.
Austen wrote the novel during the regency period of King George IV before the Victorian age. It was highly influential. She portrays the everyday events from life in rural England in a colorful and realistic manner. But the themes highlighted by the novel are still relevant.
The use of free indirect discourse marks Austen’s writing style. The characters show their thoughts through the mixture of direct and indirect speech and other grammatical features. This method allows presenting the character’s mind without using first-person narration or action tags. It provides an insight into their inner world.
Jane Austen focused on the description of various emotions. It fully corresponded with the tendencies of the Romantic period that rejected rationalism.