Gay Pride and Prejudice

The arrival of a wealthy bachelor at Netherfield promises to transform the Bennet sisters’ prospects. In the social world of Hertfordshire, money and marriage still determine which futures are available to women. Kate Christie’s variation on Pride and Prejudice changes the desires beneath those familiar arrangements: some of Austen’s characters are drawn to people of their own sex. Elizabeth Bennet must navigate affection, friendship and expectations in a society with little room for an openly queer life. The recognisable encounters and misunderstandings take on different meanings as characters consider what a suitable marriage might conceal or protect. Romantic choice becomes a negotiation between private happiness and the security their world demands.