Final Draft Jane Austen demonstrates in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, the experiences of young women and men who are growing up in the nineteenth century and the expectations of them, as well as the pressure that is put on them from their family and community to get married to a suitable partner that the woman or man can spend the rest of their life with, through a group of sisters and other family members and friends who were living during that particular time period. Women in Pride and Prejudice seemed to be treated fairly for the most part, except that men that were in a higher social class expected the women to be as wealthy and have more or as much experience as them. An example of this would be when Mr. Darcy lists all things women must possess to be desirable, such as reading numerous amounts of works so that the woman could “improve her mind” (Austen 29). All women were expected to marry young and start a family, and those who did not marry were most definitely looked down upon, since this showed a sign of being poor or undesirable. Elizabeth in particular was looked down upon by Darcy in the beginning because she was not as wealthy as he was and also because Darcy had noticed how her …show more content…
Collins is also a very insecure man, and this is shown when he talked to Mrs. Bennet about marrying Jane, and when finding out she was already engaged, he immediately shifted his attention to Elizabeth and gave her no warning in his affections for her. This demonstrates how he is not looking for a woman to love, but just a woman who will be with him and keep his house in order, bear his children and project a good marriage. This relates back to the quote where men of good fortune must also want a wife (Austen 3) because he has the good fortune and knows that what he has to offer is going to be pleasing and attractive to many young women. Even though he is not the best character, he still is presented as a formidable partner who can offer social status and
In the early stages of the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, their connection was nearly nonexistent. Elizabeth was all but normal when she saw him declare his feelings. Unfortunately, the conversation went downhill after the proposal. As an attempt to reinforce his proposition, Darcy recited Elizabeth’s current status in terms of “ her sense of inferiority… degradation…the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination.” (Austen 170).
In those days it was not so. If a husband was poor or a gambler or a
No room for mistakes. All eyes judging. Being the youngest sibling in society is truly a burden. Especially in 19th century England, the youngest carries the ultimate responsibility of representing their family. On top of navigating life with the least experience, imagine being the youngest woman in a family. The Regency Era’s intense pressure for women to marry into financially stable families encouraged them to prioritize social status over love. Although women generally accepted this duty, sometimes the stress resulted in rash decisions, similar to Lydia Bennet’s decision to marry Wickham in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen uses this choice to expand Lydia’s relatively minor role as the semi-supportive youngest sister to that of the person causing substantial family turmoil. Her controversial decision to marry George Wickham, “one of the most worthless young men in Great Britain,” impacts the other characters’ motivations (Austen 292). Austen displays Lydia’s change of consciousness as an act of rebellion, not only to her family,
people in society are, and how they even had to marry a woman or man
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
Collins, as awful as he is, is actually socially equal to Charlotte. Although Charlotte’s father, Sir William Lucas, was once a knight, he is now retired and the family is no longer thriving. Therefore, Charlotte is left in a predicament of being too educated and upper-class to marry below her, as it would be a social demotion to her family, but she is also too poor and average in looks to attract a wealthy, good-looking man. Although Charlotte views Collins as “neither sensible nor agreeable,” she is a realist who recognizes her entrapment in the social web, and directs herself toward a solution to her problem. After Charlotte accepts Mr. Collins’s proposal, she reluctantly tells Lizzy, knowing it will make her upset. When seeing the shock and disgust on Lizzy’s face, Charlotte calmly defends herself, saying, “ ‘You must be surprised, very much surprised—so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state’ ” (147-148). Charlotte simply states that she doesn’t mind she isn’t Mr. Collins’s first choice and accepts a marriage with no love. She explains to Lizzy that her admittance of this proposal is necessary for
During the 1800s, society believed there to be a defined difference in character among men and women. Women were viewed simply as passive wives and mothers, while men were viewed as individuals with many different roles and opportunities. For women, education was not expected past a certain point, and those who pushed the limits were looked down on for their ambition. Marriage was an absolute necessity, and a career that surpassed any duties as housewife was practically unheard of. Jane Austen, a female author of the time, lived and wrote within this particular period. Many of her novels centered around women, such as Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice, who were able to live independent lives while bravely defying the rules of society. The roles expected of women in the nineteenth century can be portrayed clearly by Jane Austen's female characters of Pride and Prejudice.
Over the centuries, women’s duties or roles in the home and in the work force have arguably changed for the better. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen teaches the reader about reputation and loves 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 is reflected 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’. Reputation even today and back in the nineteenth century is still very important aspect in culture. In the twenty-first century, women have attempted to make their lives easier by wanting to be more equal with the men in their society. Women are wanting to be the apart of the ‘bread winnings’ efforts within a family. Since evolving from the culture of the nineteenth century, women have lost a lot of family and home making traditions but women have gained equality with more rights such as voting, working, and overall equal rights. In the twenty-first century world, most women are seen for losing their morals for and manners for others. As for example in the novel when Mr. Darcy is talking badly about Elizabeth she over hears what he and his friend, Mr. Bingley, are saying about her but she does not stand up for herself.
Throughout the early 1800s, British women often played a subordinate role in society, flexed by many obligations, laws, and the superior males. A young woman’s struggle for independence and free will can often be compared to a life of servitude and slavery. Women were often controlled by the various men in their lives; whether it be father, brother or the eventual husband. Marriage during this time was often a gamble; one can 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 that eventually bore the idea that women were supposed to do two things: marry and have children. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen demonstrates a women’s struggle within a society that stresses the importance of marriage and strict behavioral customs. As evidenced by the Bennett daughters: Elizabeth, Jane and Lydia, as well as Charlotte Collins, marriage for young women was a pursuit that dominated their lives.
The Role of Women in the Society Depicted by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice
The first instance in which she expresses pride occurs at the Lucas Lodge ball in which Mr. Darcy called her tolerable in appearance. She held this action against him and later laughed about the comment with her friends and family. This kind of pride gave her a sense of self-worth that allowed her to not take his comment personally. Her pride, however, does not extend so far as to hinder her from seeing the hubris of other characters. Elizabeth especially hurts the pride of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Collins, both of whom she put in place with ego deflating comments. Arguably, believing Mr. Wickham demonstrates Elizabeth’s worst flaw because of the prejudice she forms against Mr. Darcy after the rumors spread of his “ill-doings”. She quickly judged Mr. Darcy’s character based on the words of Mr. Wickham, whom she knew for a shorter amount of time. Elizabeth directs almost all of her prejudice towards Mr. Darcy, which eventually leads to her pointed rejection of his
Most people who read the story can understand that the main characters of the story are Mr. Darcy and Elisabeth, but most people do not realize that the title of the story defines the main characters. Elisabeth is the prideful one; she refuses to think of Mr. Darcy in a positive manner for the vast majority of the story and her pride prevents her from admitting that she is in love with him until almost the end. It is her pride that stops her from saying that she likes Mr. Darcy. She has already said terrible things about him and made great assumptions of his character, and she does not want to admit that she was wrong. She even admits to her pride being “mortified” (16) by Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is the prejudiced one because he first believes that he is better than Elisabeth because she is in a “lower class” (23) than he is. When he is at a dance he even goes so far as to say that there is not a “woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with” (8) this includes Elisabeth. He carries this belief until the middle of the story. Eventually prideful Elisabeth and prejudiced Mr. Darcy change their opinions of each other and break the hostile tension between them. One of Pride and Prejudice’s many themes is that first impressions are not always accurate. Elisabeth and Mr. Darcy both demonstrate this theme. Mr. Darcy first sees Elisabeth as a lower class girl who is constantly speaking her own opinions
...she is so fickle and shallow. Instead of feeling sorry, the reader almost feels glad that her constant stream of meaningless and some times embarrassing phrases is checked by her husband's witty remarks and one-liners" (Trevor 354). A similar situation is created with Mr. Collins, whom Mr. Bennet is unashamedly amused by during his first call to Longbourn despite the seriousness that the visit carries. Mr. Bennet is glad that "his cousin was as absurd as he hoped" (Austen 60), and "the audience delights with him through that whole scene as he cleverly sets up Collins to make a complete fool out of himself" (Watt 299). It is a cruel endeavor, and yet still the reader stay's on Mr. Bennet's side readily partaking in his little sin.
Literary Analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The novel Pride and Prejudice, is a romantic comedy, by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a story about an unlikely pair who go through many obstacles before finally coming together. Pride is the opinion of oneself, and prejudice is how one person feels others perceive them. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, uses plot, the characters of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and the status of women and social standing, to portray the theme of the novel - pride and prejudice.
Jane Austen is very clear in her writing about class distinction and she uses the novel to look beyond the widely stratified community divided by social classes experienced in the 18th century in England. This distinction shows that class snootiness is simply but an illusion rather than a real obstruction to marriage, given that Elizabeth, though socially inferior to Darcy, she is not in any way academically inferior to him. In this sense, Darcy realizes that his class pretentiousness is mislaid toward Elizabeth, since she also finds out that her prejudice towards Darcy’s snobbish and superior manner is misplaced when he rescues Elizabeth’s family from a scandal and disgrace. In this context, the writer uses Darcy and Elizabeth to show that class distinction does not guarantee one’s happiness in life, neither does it allow him or her to own every good thing desired. For instance, Darcy is brought out as a haughty character, who initially fails to think that Elizabeth is worth him for she originates from an unrecognized family; a middle class girl not so beautiful enough to suit him. However, as the...