My Favorite Jane Austen Scene by Amy D'Orazio

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth—a milestone that invites both celebration and reflection. Two and a half centuries on, Austen’s world continues to captivate. Her characters, her wit, her quietly subversive storytelling still draw readers under her spell, inspiring fervent devotion not only to The Six but also to countless adaptations, modern variations, and literary homages. From bookshelves to film to pilgrimages to the English countryside, Austen’s legacy is as alive as ever.

But what is it about her writing that continues to resonate through the ages?

Over the next twelve months, I’ve invited some of my favorite Austen authors, readers, and scholars to share the scenes that sparkle, ache, or haunt long after the final page. Together, we’ll revisit these unforgettable glimpses into Austen’s genius, one cherished moment at a time.

To kick off this new series, we begin with acclaimed Austenesque author and founder of the beloved boutique press Quills and Quartos, Amy D’Orazio, as she breaks down her favorite Austen scene into five points and shares why it continues to speak to her.

—Christina Boyd

1. Darcy walks away from Lady Catherine’s conversation, showing clear preference for Elizabeth’s company.

Chapter 31, Pride and Prejudice. Illustrated by H.M. Brock, 1898

Lady Catherine listened to half a song, and then talked, as before, to her other nephew; till the latter walked away from her, and moving with his usual deliberation towards the piano forte, stationed himself so as to command a full view of the fair performer's countenance.

I might read too much into this, but to me, it shows Darcy is realizing he belongs more with Elizabeth than within the enforced high-tone rigidity of the drawing rooms of the ton.

I’ve also always wondered (because Jane Austen never showed it), but what were the reactions of the others in the room? This must have been uncommon for Darcy to walk off and leave Lady Catherine hanging! Surely Mr. Collins was aghast?

2. Darcy begins to open up.

“I should have judged better, had I sought an introduction, but I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers.”

Darcy, who has thus far kept his guard up to Elizabeth, starts to let it down. He is carefully showing Elizabeth small bits of the man beneath the persona. He pays Elizabeth unexpected compliments, listens attentively, and engages in personal conversation. His awkward attempts to connect reveal his growing affection, and it’s compelling to watch him wrestle with it.

3. There’s more unsaid than is said…but each interprets it differently.

“My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault—because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution.”

Darcy and Elizabeth are not just chatting about music or manners. Beneath their words, there’s a whole dance of pride, prejudice, attraction, and resistance. Elizabeth subtly calls Darcy out for his behavior in Meryton; Darcy offers a half-hearted apology. Elizabeth teases; Darcy offers a rebuttal. It’s a verbal fencing match laced with flirtation and challenge, although Elizabeth may or may not have recognized that what she said was flirty.

It's also a bit of a breakthrough scene because Darcy shows (in the next chapter) his willingness to change himself to please her. She teases him a bit about taking the trouble to practice, and the very next day he calls at the parsonage.

4. This scene shows Elizabeth at her best.

“Indeed, Mr. Darcy, it is very ungenerous in you to mention all that you knew to my disadvantage in Hertfordshire—and, give me leave to say, very impolitic too—for it is provoking me to retaliate, and such things may come out, as will shock your relations to hear.”

 The whole of the scene is peak Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine we all love. She’s witty, self-assured, and insightful, and yet maintains her sweetness. She might be calling Darcy out a bit, but he’s intrigued by it rather than offended. She needles Darcy with a kind of good-natured defiance that highlights her intelligence and integrity. Readers love her even more here for standing her ground with grace.

5. The romantic tension is off the charts.

“No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you, can think any thing wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers.”

 On the surface of this scene, nothing overtly romantic happens, but you can definitely feel the current! Each is intrigued by the other, Darcy showing his hand a bit (albeit a little awkwardly) and Elizabeth put off balance but not hating it. He’s offering a little compliment and drawing a parallel between them. It’s one of those deliciously awkward, electric moments that foreshadow the bigger emotional breakthroughs to come.

Would you say this is one of your favorite scenes too, or is there another scene that really hits for you?

Amy D'Orazio, author and publisher

ABOUT AMY D'ORAZIO

Amy D’Orazio is a longtime devotee of regency romance and historical fiction. She began writing her own tales to amuse herself during hours spent at her kids' sports practices and the like and soon discovered a passion for it. By far, however, the thing she loves most is the connections she has made with readers and other writers in various forums!

Amy currently lives in Myrtle Beach with her husband and daughters, as well as three Jack Russell terriers who often make appearances (in a human form) in her books.