The card games are generally the nobility’s pastime in Pride and Prejudice. They include loo, twenty-one, whist, and commerce, most of which are round games. They represent the divide between the upper class and the gentry, to which the main character belongs.
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Pride and Prejudice is set in the Regency era when gambling was commonplace. It was more appealing to the rich due to its high stakes. Thus, wealthy characters, such as Mr. Bingley and Mr. Collins, play cards in the novel. On the other hand, the less endowed Elizabeth is indifferent to the games. She refuses to play loo, although Jane, her sister of the same status, seemingly joins it. Her willingness could reflect the desire to become a part of the noble class. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy, who is of an aristocratic origin, is not willing to play.
The card games in Pride and Prejudice belong to two classes. Those are round games, which accept any number of participants, and games with a restricted number of players. Loo and twenty-one are round games, which have high stakes due to a bigger number of gamblers. Such games are also luck-based and do not require much thought. There is also whist, which has a specific number of players and no stakes. The novel highlights the game of quadrille as one to be played by Lady Catherine. It implies that there are prestigious levels of gambling games.
Although card games highlight the class differences, they also serve as a pretext to bridge people. Here is why: Elizabeth does play cards at some point. It gives her an opportunity to get involved with the upper society circle. On the other hand, Jane and Mr. Darcy demonstrate uncharacteristic for their respective classes qualities through their attitudes to gambling. Simply put, card games are at the same time a symbol of differences and a thread that can unite society.