A Young Girl's Pride

1033 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Elizabeth Bennett character analysis

What should be more important to a teenage girl: a safe and secure future provided by her family or an unpredictable life with an interesting older man? Has the answer changed since the early 19th century? In Jane Austen’s famous Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet chooses to run away with the mysterious Wickham, but she had no idea what she was in for. Not only was she vulnerable enough to be swept away, but she was proud of this. Mrs. Bennet had shown much excitement toward her daughters getting married in the near future, and what better way for Lydia to please her mother than by being the first daughter to marry? Lydia ran away for all the wrong reasons; she did not consider her happiness or future. At such a young age, she didn’t know better than to let a spontaneous opportunity entice her; whether it was Lydia’s fault for letting Wickham intrigue her, or Mrs. Bennet’s fault for emphasizing the importance of marriage to the girls, Lydia decided to marry, not for love, but simply to be married. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses Lydia Bennet’s character to satirize how pride and immaturity can cause a lack of responsibility and consideration for what the future holds.
Lydia took pride in being the first sister to marry, but it was uncommon to be a married girl with single older sisters. Mrs. Bennet had expressed a profuse amount of delight regarding marriage--to her, it was the most important part of a girl’s life. She would do whatever it took to make sure all five of her daughters were paired with suitable husbands; however, this enthusiasm was not the case for most other families. Lady Catherine said, “‘Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet?’”, and when Elizabeth confirmed that indeed all of her ...

... middle of paper ...

...in the future. Lydia thought that all her dreams had come true when she was swept off her feet by an officer. Wickham was practically perfect--charming, handsome, and trustworthy. Tragically, Lydia was soon to find out that her dream man was a phony and he had barely any interest in being in a serious relationship; unless, of course, there might be money involved. Lydia’s family had to agree to give Wickham what he wanted in order to save Lydia’s reputation. If Lydia had consented her parents in the first place, maybe this unfamiliar man would never have gotten the chance to take advantage of her. All in all, Lydia ended up paying the price for her mistakes instead of hitting the jackpot with a great husband and future. It can be dangerous for someone to make decisions when influenced by emotions, like pride or excitement; the input of others should be valued.

Show More
Related

  • The Tone Of Wollstonecraft's On Making An Agreeable Marriage

    267 Words  | 1 Pages

    The angry tone of Wollstonecraft’s “Vindication of the Rights of Women” significantly contrasts with the cautionary tone of Austen’s “On Making an Agreeable Marriage,” seeking to reform society rather than guide people to live in that society. When Austen describes the drawbacks of loveless marriage, she writes that “Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection” (Austen 72-73). Austen uses “preferred” and “endured” to warn her niece against marrying too quickly, creating a cautionary tone. Moreover, “anything” emphasizes the miserableness of a marriage without affection, beseeching Austen’s niece to verify her love before diving headfirst into a marriage. In contrast, when demonizing the education system, Wollstonecraft

    Read More

  • Elizabeth Bennet Foil

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love and marriage is the focal point of the narrative. But, the lesser known source of richness in Austen’s writing comes from her complex themes the well-developed minor characters. A closer examination of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dear friend in Pride and Prejudice, shows that while she did not take up a large amount of space in the narrative, her impact was great. Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances in the marriage market make her a foil to Elizabeth, who has the power of choice and refusal when it comes to deciding who will be her husband. By focusing on Charlotte’s age and lack of beauty, Austen emphasizes how ridiculous and cruel marriage can be in this time.

    Read More

  • Why Is Lydia’s Elopement Perceived As a Disaster and How Does It Affect the Relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy?

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane Austen lived in the higher class society. It was the world she knew and as a very good observer, she was able to capture the reality of life on paper. The situations she is presenting in her books are very likely to happen in real life too. It is also the case of story of Lydia Bennet and her elopement with Mr Wickham. It was perceived as a disaster, but for the modern reader it can be rather incomprehensible. Why was Lydia’s elopement so scandalous?

    Read More

  • Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice: A Famous Work of England's Regency Period

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Regency Period in England was an extravagant era often associated with prominent social, political, economic, and artistic advancements. It took place in the early 1800’s and was a time of much elegance and aristocracy. Movies and books set in this time period all seem to highlight the elegance and romance that was prevalent at the time. Famous Regency Era literary works, such as Pride and Prejudice, portray young English women getting their happily-ever-after endings with their true loves. Unfortunately, such endings did not actually happen to real women of the era because they lived very austere and vapid lives. They hardly had a choice in many of their lives’ decisions and had little to no career options. These women were raised from birth to be lady-like, obedient, and agreeable in order to attract respectable men to marry, as they were fully dependant on men. Women were essentially treated as property passed on from their fathers to their husbands. They had many restrictions placed on them and often weren’t even allowed to walk outside without proper accompaniment. Because the expectations placed on women were so rigid and absurd, some feminist authors from the time ridiculed these social standards in their writing. Famous novelist Jane Austen was known for satirizing many social customs of the Regency Period in her romantic fiction novels, placing a special emphasis on women’s rights. Pride and Prejudice in particular depicted protagonist Elizabeth Bennet as a smart, headstrong, free thinking individual who didn’t let negative outside forces sway her beliefs. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen challenges the social propriety and creates her own ideals for women through Elizabeth Bennet’s independence, intelligence, and stron...

    Read More

  • Jane Austen’s Novel Pride and Prejudice

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of” (Austen). The bluntness of this quote fully encompasses the main theme of an advantageous marriage for the English novelist, Jane Austen. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen’s major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between the years 1795-1815. During those twenty years England was at the height of its power facing many historical landmarks (Thomson). It is no coincidence that Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, coincides directly with the historical events of this time period.

    Read More

  • Reputation and Love in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jane Austen’s time and nowadays sees the same situation. Not all marriages are based solely on love. As shallow as it might sound, when considering marriage, most, if not all people, consider wealth and the reputation of their partner. The norms of Jane Austen’s time in relation to wealth, reputation and marriage are much more elaborated by each individual's upbringing. Works Cited Austen, Jane.

    Read More

  • Essay On Mr Darcy Character Development

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each of Jane Austen’s characters in her novel, Pride and Prejudice, experiences a significant character development. Whether the change occurs by self-realization or through the assistance of another character varies from each individual character. For Austen’s leading man, Mr. Darcy, his character improvement is documented through his two marriage proposals to Elizabeth Bennet and her subsequent first rejection of his proposal. His first proposal demonstrates his extreme arrogance, elitism, and blindness to his many flaws. While his latter proposal shows not only the recognition of his deficiencies, but the overall improvement in his mentality. Mr. Darcy’s two proposals, though having the same intended end result, are completely different

    Read More

  • Social Norms in Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is well noted for its ability to question social norms. Most importantly, Austen explores the institution of marriage, as it was in her time, a time where many married for security rather than love. Her characters Elizabeth and Charlotte are renowned even more for their outspoken nature and different views on marriage. Though both Elizabeth and Charlotte yearn for a happy marriage, Charlotte has a more pragmatic and mundane approach while Elizabeth is more romantic and daring with her actions. Through the romantic involvements of both Elizabeth and Charlotte, Austen shows that happiness in marriage is not entirely a matter of chance, but is instead contingent on an accurate evaluation of self and others

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stereotypes of the Bennet Sisters Women are supposed to be shy, passive and submissive. Men are expected to be tough, aggressive, dominant and self-confident (Gender Stereotypes). In Pride and Prejudice, a book by Jane Austen, there is a married couple with five daughters and each of those daughters has their own way of showing a different stereotype within themselves. In this paper I’ll be showing that each sister shows a different type of affiliation that is influenced by the way society is set up in the book. In the book, the Bennet sisters are still unmarried and their mother is wanting them to get married as soon as possible.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Elizabeth And The Bennet Sisters

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1813, a woman’s main goal was marriage. Females wanted to find a man who could provide for them and take care of them; not all women wanted love. Many were fine with living on a wealthy estate and living in an upper-class manner. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel about the Bennet sisters, five girls whom, in the time of 1813, are all unmarried and are looking for husbands. The central conflict is based around two young women, the eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. The girls have their similarities and differences, and can be compared and contrasted in many ways; in terms of which is stronger at handling the pressure of relationships, context clues give a valid answer. What the reader must interpret for his

    Read More

  • Pride and Prejudice: Social Class

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    Elizabeth wants to marry for love and not social gain. Charlotte is the example of what a woman was expected to be in society and does not agree with Elizabeth and she is content to secure a future. While Lydia runs the risk of disgracing her family by running a riot around town. This is a clear example of social class and the different perspective characters express on the topic. Mrs. Bennet attempts to marry off her daughters to the best possible men.

    Read More

  • Pride And Prejudice Character Analysis Essay

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    Catherine, nicknamed Kitty, is the fourth daughter in the Bennet family. She is “weak-spirited, irritable, and completely under Lydia’s guidance” (206). Like her younger sister, she is carefree and shows little remorse for her behavior. Lydia is the youngest daughter of the Bennet family and the tallest. As the favorite of Mrs. Bennet, she is “self-willed and careless” (206) and, like Catherine, she is “ignorant, idle, and vain” (207). Little concerns her more than potential husbands and officers of the militia. Each daughter of the Bennet family is vital to the complexity of Pride and Prejudice as each of their temperaments contradicts and complements those of the others.

    Read More

  • Women's Role in Society in Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

    2714 Words  | 6 Pages

    Over the centuries, women’s duties and roles in the home and in the workforce have arguably changed for the better. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen teaches the reader about reputation and love in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries by showing how Elizabeth shows up in a muddy dress, declines a marriage proposal and how women have changed over time. Anything a woman does reflects on her future and how other people look at her. When Elizabeth shows up to the Bingley’s in a muddy dress, they categorize her as being low class and unfashionable. Charles Bingley, a rich attractive man, and his sister had a reputation to protect by not letting their brother marry a ‘low class girl’.

    Read More

  • Women's Role in Pride and Prejudice

    2457 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the early 1800s, British women most often were relegated to a subordinate role in society by their institutionalized obligations, laws, and the more powerfully entrenched males. In that time, a young woman’s role was close to a life of servitude and slavery. Women were often controlled by the men in their lives, whether it was a father, brother or the eventual husband. Marriage during this time was often a gamble; one could either be in it for the right reasons, such as love, or for the wrong reasons, such as advancing social status. In 19th century Britain, laws were enacted to further suppress women and reflected the societal belief that women were supposed to do two things: marry and have children. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen portrayed a women’s struggle within a society that stresses the importance of marriage and strict behavioral customs. As evidenced by the Bennett daughters: Elizabeth and Jane, as well as Charlotte Collins, marriage for young women was a pursuit that dominated their lives.

    Read More

  • Essay on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's Parenting in Pride and Prejudice

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.

    Read More

More about A Young Girl's Pride

Open Document