Abstract：During the 18 century the epistolary form of writing was very popular, because at that time letter writing was one of the significant resources of communication. Although Pride and Prejudice is not an epistolary novel, the 21 letters in it make an important contribution to the success of the novel. Researching what kind of functions these letters perform or what is the importance of the letters in Pride and Prejudice is the main purpose of this paper. There were lots of researching articles of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but only a few focused on this field about the letters in Pride and Prejudice. This paper will, from three different aspects, help readers to understand the work better and attach importance to letters in literature output. The three aspects refer to the functions of the letters used in the novel. The letters are used to depict the characters, to advance the plot and pave the ways for later chapters, and to provide a much more satisfying sense of reality with unique narrative angles.
Key words: Pride and Prejudice，Epistolary novel，characters，plot
摘要：书信体作品在18世纪非常流行，书信往来是一种十分普遍且重要的沟通方式。尽管《傲慢与偏见》并不是一部书信体小说，文中的21封信件却为作品的成功做出了重要贡献。本文旨在探究信件在文中的功能以及重要作用。在众多对简•奥斯丁以及《傲慢与偏见》的研究性文章中鲜少谈及书信在文章中的作用。本文将从信件如何刻画人物性格，拓展故事情节、设置悬念，以及灵活多样的叙述方式和角度，展示信件在小说中起的重要作用，从而揭示小说给读者的独特的审美感觉。
关键词：傲慢与偏见 书信体小说 人物 情节 叙述方式和角度
