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
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mother had nothing better to do than try to set her and her sisters up with wealthy men. Jane was also expected to marry first since she was the oldest, and this is one of the expectations that were met. Lydia, who is the youngest sister, was not expected to marry so soon because of her age, but her immaturity led her into a marriage with the man who had once been keen on being with Elizabeth and had spread lies about Darcy. These are only three instances where we see how women either failed or met the expectations that the society thought they should have shown promise in. Jane Austen writes a story of Elizabeth Bennet, a twenty year old who is the second oldest daughter of five and is very close with her older sister Jane. Elizabeth is very prejudiced and at first does not like Mr. Darcy, who is very rich and also judgmental and interferes with Jane’s relationship with Mr. Bingley. Mr. Darcy does not like Elizabeth’s family for being poor and because Elizabeth’s mother and her other daughters always seem to gossip, and this makes Mr. Darcy view their family as being immature, but by the end of the story, you see Darcy and Elizabeth’s feelings for each other grow. Throughout the story, we see how each of these characters is expected to act a certain way, especially the women, who at that time, their main goal in life was to find a suitable partner in marriage. This would hopefully be someone who held a prominent position in society and would be financially well off. By marrying someone of a higher social class, the women themselves would be raised in society and most likely viewed as more important. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 3). The very first line of Jane Austen’s book tries to give the reader the idea that every single man wants to be married, and while that may be the case, this story shows how women with little money try to make themselves appear more attractive to men who are much more wealthy, so that in the end, the women could end up well off. This is true of Elizabeth Bennet’s best friend Charlotte Lucas, who is seven years older than her and marries Mr. Collins for his money and not for love. She knows how he can act ridiculous at times, but that he can also give her safety and security because of his wealth. Mr. Collins is shown to be very stuck up and unlikeable for these reasons and he goes from Jane to Elizabeth in one day, and then onto Charlotte a little bit later, in trying to get them to marry him. He does not do this because he is rude, but because he may feel like he may not be good enough for any woman, just as Charlotte does not feel that she would be good enough for any man. Mr.
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
wealth. Mr. Collins does not realize when he asks Elizabeth for marriage that she has no feelings for him, and as said earlier in the book that “if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out,” (Austen 16) she feels that because she has given no reason for him to think she has any interest in him, she should not have to be the one to confess her actual true feelings. When she finally does get it out that she thinks he is ridiculous, she completely blows up and still he does not understand her feelings. Mr. Collins is of course a very persistent man and needs the word from her mother that what Elizabeth said is really true. When Elizabeth hears of her best friend marrying him, her prejudice overcomes her and her first instinct is to judge Charlotte, who she should be happy for, since she is older and late into becoming married. Charlotte had even taken part in making fun of him earlier on, but changes her mind when she realizes that this might be her only chance to marry. Charlotte knows that she is poor and old, and “acts in accordance with her own wishes to devise and then implement her own marital strategy” (Dabundo). Without his initial attention, she would be left alone and poor, most likely for the rest of her life. Charlotte Lucas is just one example of a character in this story that is expected to do something just because it is required of them. Elizabeth Bennet was expected to perform on the piano because Darcy’s sister and friend, and one of her own sisters could. Being a woman, this act should come easily to her, as it was expected for the women of those years to be well accomplished in the playing of an instrument, especially those who were wealthier. Even though we know that Elizabeth herself is not wealthy, she was expected to play in the company of other wealthy young adults. This might have been a source of embarrassment for her, because she could have been afraid of not living up to the expectations. Although this might not have been her best performance, Mr. Darcy made it a point to praise her and tell her how well she did, which meant a lot coming from the man who had once looked down upon her for not having the status he expected. Elizabeth Bennet is also expected to marry, as her and her sisters are, but she is too prejudiced to really consider her feelings for Darcy. “There is no more crucial judgment in the novel than the one she makes about Darcy at the very start of their acquaintance” (Mazzeno). Elizabeth’s first opinion on Darcy is that he is arrogant and rude because she over hears a conversation he has with one of his friends about calling her plain. She pretends not to care, but because she is so focused on other people’s opinions, though she makes many of her own, she starts to hate Darcy for the one comment he said. There are numerous times when Elizabeth encounters Mr. Darcy and each time she seems to find something more to hate about him. There comes a time in the story where Elizabeth has to go visit her sister who is staying at the Bingley’s in Netherfield and she finds that Darcy is there too. He talks about what he thinks a woman must possess: “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved” (Austen 29). He is too full of pride to accept anyone else, and Elizabeth considers that he might be single for this reason. After all of this, he goes on to say, “All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading” (Austen 29). Elizabeth feels as though Darcy expects too much of a woman, and she claims she has never met any woman bearing all of those traits at once (Austen 30). The reader can take from this two different things; one being that Mr. Darcy expects too much, and then to add that she must be very educated just shows how opinionated he is, or two that he wants a woman to be extensive in her reading so that she can think for herself and be her own person. Elizabeth does not of course think of it like this, and for the most part, neither does the reader. When actually thought about, it seems quite nice that he doesn’t just want a woman who is dependent on a man. At this point in the book, you see Darcy has started to fall in love with Elizabeth, and this is also a part where Elizabeth starts to despise him even more. She thinks it is absolutely crazy that Darcy expects a woman to possess each of those characteristics, but I feel that when he talks of those things, that he thinks that Elizabeth herself has almost all of them. This is why Deresiewicz says that “their conversations at Netherfield, though by no means affectionate or even cordial, follow the pattern of communal flirtation and ultimately accomplish its purpose.” Deresiewicz is trying to explain that although she takes what he says offensive, Darcy is happy about her bantering back with him and giving her own opinions on the matter. He likes that she is capable of her own thought, and it shows him that she does have most of the characteristics he wishes for in a woman. There is another character, Mary, who is the middle child and the most plain. Her main focuses are on reading and playing the piano, and makes no effort to be interested in men. Women of this time were not expected to have a great education, but women of wealthier families seemed to be more accepted to learn, hence why Darcy expects his women to have extensive reading (because he comes from a wealthier family), but Mary is not from a rich background and that is why her “bookishness raises an important issue with respect to the position of women in this world because finally their position will improve only when education is open to them” (Dabundo). It is shown that now women are evolving and becoming something more and even though Mary is not the ideal character, and even seen as childish at times, she is becoming part of the world that is developing into a culture that is “becoming more malleable in the early days of modern nationalism” (Kramp). “Pride, she decides: Inexcusable, insufferable pride. The word becomes the tonic note of the book, and the whole course of the heroes’ relationship can be charted through the reorchestrations its meaning undergoes. Some three hundred pages later, Elizabeth finds herself telling her father [surprisingly] that Darcy ‘has no improper pride’ (Austen 376), and the novel is ready to come to rest on its final, glorious harmony” (Mazzeno). What this is basically saying is that Elizabeth went throughout the whole story based on her one judgment of Darcy and does not change her mind until the end when she overcomes her pride. It is known that her pride is based on her judgment of other people, and she was eager to accept any bad news anyone had of Darcy, including what Mr. Wickham had said, only to convince herself that she really did despise him in the first place. In order for Elizabeth to overcome her fear of loving someone who is so prejudiced against her family’s wealth, she “had to step outside of her community in order to mature and fall in love” (Deresiewicz). Elizabeth finally has “opened her mind to Darcy’s antithetical voice” (Deresiewicz) and her “love for Darcy crystallizes only after he has symbolically identified himself as a member of her community” (Deresiewicz). At the same time that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are going back in forth with their love-hate relationship, we find out that his aunt, Lady Catherine, has confronted Elizabeth and tells her directly that she would be terribly displeased if she thought she had any chance of marrying Mr. Darcy. Then, she also presses Elizabeth that she should forget any thoughts of having any type of future with him. Elizabeth, again being true to her own mind, says she will not do such a thing as not marry him. This is a big turning point in the novel because it is the first time Elizabeth outright admits her feelings for Mr. Darcy. Even though it had been obvious in the past that there were emotions and feelings between them, her refusing Lady Catherine’s request that she not marry him is one promise that she knows in her heart she cannot make. Darcy hears of Lady Catherine trying to dissuade Elizabeth’s feelings for him, and immediately after that asks Elizabeth for her hand in marriage. This is the highlight of the entire novel because you see the two characters overcome their pride and their prejudice, and admit their true feelings for each other. _____________________ In this society, certain things were expected of the all of the characters, and they have traveled through many phases of happiness and sadness, and eventually all understood what they should do to make themselves and the people around them content with their choices in life. Charlotte made the choice to only be content with the person she was marrying because she realized it would be her only chance at marriage because she was much older and had no prospects. Living in the society that expected you to be married and a mother at an early age, she found contentment in her choice. Charlotte, Jane and Elizabeth all exceeded the expectations of finding a suitable partner and having a home and family. Even though their situations may not have been perfect, this was a suitable way for them to conform to society’s demands.
In those days it was not so. If a husband was poor or a gambler or a
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.
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
During this time period, men are expected to marry accomplished women who are on the same intellectual level as them, but it is almost impossible for women to be on the same intellectual level as men because they do not receive the same level of education as the men do. Also, women are expected to marry man whose family has a high social status, whether he is accomplished or not. Darcy and Elizabeth disobey this social value at the end of Pride and Prejudice where they get married to each other. Darcy is looked down on for getting married to someone of a lower social status, while Elizabeth is seen as someone who has married up into a higher social standing. Their marriage is seen as an untraditional one because instead of getting married because of society’s social values, they were getting married because of their love for each other. This is an example of how Darcy’s horrible first impression on Elizabeth was turned around by his ability to change his manners because of his love for
It is probable for individuals to disagree with social traditions and expectations. Some people feel obligated to rebel against society. However, most adults realize that compromise is necessary to achieve happiness. This is evident in early nineteenth century England, the scene of Jane Austen’s novel, “Pride and Prejudice.” In the novel, Elizabeth Bennett is a lively, independent woman, whose family’s financial situation, as well as her strong mindedness suggest she may never marry. Her personality contrasts to that of her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, while an intelligent and sensible girl, is “plain” in looks and aging
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).
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.
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.
The Role of Women in the Society Depicted by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice
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.
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.
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...