Longbourn

James is a protagonist and frequent point-of-view character in the novel, Sarah’s love interest, and Mrs. Hill’s son. When first introduced, James is described as “wiry, of middling height” (23), his forearms tanned and his manner brisk. He has long, dark hair that he wears tied back. He is ill at ease when he first comes to Longbourn, and Mrs. Hill thinks of him as one of those men “who are not quite at home indoors” (30). Mrs. Hill knows, but James does not, that he is the son of Mrs. Hill and Mr. Bennet. He was raised by a farming couple, the Smiths, and his life was not easy, as he calls Mrs. Smith “Old Misery.” James was provided for as a child, but Mrs. Hill guesses he never felt loved. As an adult, James remembers how Mr. Bennet would occasionally visit him, and this kindness blends in his mind with the comfort and peace of rural England, which he comes to miss and long for when he is away.

James enlists in the army to escape, but he is shocked by the cruelty that men inflict on one another, and on women and children. James is moral and kind, and he kills Sergeant Pye as an act of justice for Pye’s crimes. He feels sympathy for the men and women he sees enslaved in Antigua. He is nervous about the militia staying in Meryton because he does not want to be recognized as a deserter, but also because he fears what the men might do to those who are weaker. James is a hard worker, diligent and efficient, and he helps others when he can. He enjoys the peace and safety that Longbourn offers. He tries to stay away from Sarah at first because he thinks he has nothing to offer her, but once he commits to her, he is faithful. When he must leave Longbourn so Wickham cannot turn him in, James takes up hard labor and resigns himself to a life of empty work. When Sarah finds him, he is overjoyed to be with her and build a life together.

Margaret Hill is an important secondary character and an occasional point-of-view character. She is a foil and contrast to Mrs. Bennet, as the person who runs the household at Longbourn and who provides companionship to Mr. Bennet. As a young maid at Longbourn, Margaret was either in love with Mr. Bennet or unable to decline his sexual advances—that relationship is never made clear, though she retains affection for him and influence over him. When she became pregnant, Margaret had to hide the shame of having a bastard child by giving it away, but she missed her baby and grieved the loss. She is practical and values emotional and financial security. This means maintaining respectability, and for this reason, she marries the Longbourn butler, Mr. Hill. Because she knows Mr. Collins will inherit Longbourn, Mrs. Hill is nervous about pleasing him and Charlotte Lucas because she hopes to spend the rest of her life at Longbourn; it is her home.

Mrs. Hill is kind-hearted, as shown by how she adopts orphans from the parish workhouse and gives them home, food, and shelter. Mrs. Hill has dedicated her life to service and strives to find satisfaction in her work, or at least distraction in it. She is at first wary of Ptolemy, not seeing beyond the commonly held prejudice against Black and mixed-race persons, but when she learns he is a hard worker with ambitions, she suggests him a match for Sarah, after James is gone. She also does not judge Mr. Hill for loving men and, when he dies, helps maintain his respectability as well. Though she occasionally resents the harder aspects of her station in life, Mrs. Hill does her best to reconcile herself to her lot through a practical philosophy and Christian morality. In her later years, as she keeps Mr. Bennet company in his library, she sometimes wonders about other paths her life might have taken, but she is too practical to wish things could be otherwise. She simply accepts life as it is.

Polly is a secondary character, and the omniscient narrator occasionally shares her point of view, usually to provide an alternate, often more innocent perspective on events. At the story’s opening, Polly is a child of 12 or 13 who was left as an orphan at the parish workhouse. Mrs. Hill took her in, giving her a home and a sort of family, though she resents being given the name Polly because the Bennets already had a daughter named Mary. Polly is an imaginative, curious girl, easily wearied by the heavy labor of being a housemaid. Still playful, she takes breaks when she can, napping, running outside, or hiding in the scullery from Mrs. Hill. Her sweet temper and humor often provide moments of balm for Sarah, who takes a nurturing role toward Polly, while Polly looks up to Sarah in turn.

Polly is an innocent child and thinks Wickham is merely being kind when he gives her coins and promises to bring her sweets. She remains in her employment at Longbourn and is there to welcome Sarah and James when they return at the end, but the narrative looks ahead to note that Polly, after taking back her given name, becomes a teacher at the local school, a position that will move her up the social scale and give her some stature and respect in the community, as well as independence.