Jane Austen Stories — Pride and Prejudice, Part 14

Host: Dame Julie Andrews
Date: November 14, 2025
Podcast Network: NOISER

Episode Overview

In this immersive episode, Dame Julie Andrews continues her captivating narration of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, focusing on the aftermath of Mr. Darcy’s shocking marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet. The episode centers on Elizabeth’s emotional turmoil, Mr. Darcy’s revelatory letter, and the profound re-examination of character and motives that ensue. This installment covers Chapters 35–37, marking a pivotal shift in Lizzie’s perception of both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, and setting the stage for dramatic consequences on her family and future prospects.

Key Discussion Points & Narrative Moments

1. Recap: The Fallout from Darcy’s Proposal

[01:14]
Julie Andrews opens by recapping the upheaval from the previous episode, where Darcy’s proposal was not only rejected by Lizzie, but also revealed his hand in separating Bingley and Jane, and in mistreating Mr. Wickham—at least, as Elizabeth then believed.

“Our heroine received the proposal with anything but favour, for alongside his offer of marriage, Darcy delivered a series of disparaging remarks about Lizzie’s family and their social standing.”
— Julie Andrews, 01:25

2. Darcy’s Letter: The Truth Revealed

[04:04 – 26:27]
The heart of the episode is Julie Andrews’ compelling reading of Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth, in which he defends his actions and explains his motivations:

a. On Bingley & Jane’s Relationship

• Darcy admits to discouraging Bingley but claims he genuinely believed Jane was not emotionally invested—reasoning supported by her composure and subtlety.
  • He also concedes he may have erred and apologizes if he caused pain through this misjudgment.

b. On the Bennet Family’s Conduct

• Darcy addresses the “want of propriety” shown by Mrs. Bennet and the younger sisters, even occasionally by Mr. Bennet, as a rationale for his intervention; he acknowledges Lizzie and Jane as exceptions.

“It pains me to offend you, but amidst your concern for the defects of your nearest relations ... let it give you consolation to consider that to have conducted yourselves so as to avoid any share of the like censure is praise ...”
— Mr. Darcy (Julie Andrews reading), 12:45

c. On Mr. Wickham’s Character

• Darcy reveals Wickham’s dissolute behavior after benefiting from the Darcy family’s generosity, his dissipation of inheritance, and the attempted elopement with Darcy’s young sister, Georgiana—for her fortune (“30,000 pounds”) as much as revenge.

“Mr. Wickham’s chief object was unquestionably my sister’s fortune, which is 30,000 pounds. But I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me was a strong inducement.”
— Mr. Darcy (Julie Andrews), 23:54

• Darcy invites Elizabeth to verify his account via Colonel Fitzwilliam.

3. Elizabeth’s Emotional Reckoning

[27:54 – 43:43]
Chapter 36 begins with Lizzie’s turbulent reaction upon reading Darcy’s letter—first disbelief and fury, then deep self-reflection:

• Angered by Darcy’s presumptions about Jane, she tries to discredit his account.
• Wickham’s story, however, forces her into painful doubt, as it aligns disturbingly well with what she has observed.
• She recalls incidents that now seem suspect in Wickham’s narrative and his inconsistency.

“How despicably have I acted, she cried. I, who have prided myself on my discernment— … I have courted prejudice and ignorance, and driven reason away … Till this moment, I never knew myself.”
— Elizabeth Bennet (Julie Andrews), 41:26

• Lizzie also realizes the deficiencies of her family and the real obstacles their behavior presented.

4. Life at Rosings & Lady Catherine’s Interventions

[44:49 – 57:18]
Chapter 37 shifts focus to Rosings Park post-Darcy and Fitzwilliam’s departure, with comic relief via Lady Catherine’s overbearing advice regarding the propriety of travel and social etiquette. Elizabeth, preoccupied, provides polite but minimal responses.

“Young women should always be properly guarded and attended according to their situation in life. When my niece Georgiana went to Ramsgate last summer, I made a point of her having two men servants go with her.”
— Lady Catherine (Julie Andrews), 49:54

• Lizzie’s thoughts are increasingly consumed by the contents of the letter, Darcy’s character, and her family’s woes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Darcy’s Righteous Tone:
  “Further apology would be absurd. … I demand it of your justice.”
  — Mr. Darcy, 10:42

• Elizabeth’s Self-Realization:
  “Till this moment, I never knew myself.”
  — Elizabeth Bennett, 41:38

• Lady Catherine on Female Decorum:
  “You must send John with the young ladies, Mrs. Collins. I have the greatest dislike in the world to that sort of thing. Young women should always be properly guarded …”
  — Lady Catherine, 51:22

Key Timestamps

• 01:14 – Episode introduction and recap by Julie Andrews
• 04:04 – 26:27 – Darcy’s confessional letter, with extensive detail and explanation
• 27:54 – Elizabeth’s reaction, self-reproach, and reflection
• 44:49 – Return to Parsonage; effects on Lizzie and interactions with Lady Catherine
• 49:54 – Lady Catherine’s lecture on propriety
• 57:18 – Teaser for the next episode: Elizabeth’s uncertain return to Longbourn

Episode Tone & Narration

• Dame Julie Andrews brings warmth, gravitas, and subtle wit, enhancing both Austen’s narrative irony and the emotional complexity of the letter scene.
• The tone oscillates between high drama (the letter and Lizzie’s awakening), introspective regret, and the comic absurdity of Lady Catherine’s societal obsessions.

Next Episode Preview

Elizabeth will depart Kent, still reeling from revelations and personal transformation. The return to Longbourn promises new familial complications and further trouble with Lydia and Kitty. Julie Andrews teases the ongoing challenges Lizzie faces in managing her sisters and healing old wounds.

This episode marks the turning point of Pride and Prejudice, as the proud and the prejudiced both begin to see themselves in a truer light. Julie Andrews’ narration lets the classic text breathe, guiding listeners through heartbreak, humility, and hard-won growth.