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On the surface, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a romantic story of love overcoming varying vices. However, Austen takes care to feature very complicated characters to counteract the predictability of such a love story. In fact, Austen is often praised for her many-layered male and female characters. Austen creates detailed women who both follow and disregard the stereotypical concepts of femininity in varying social classes. However, she also creates complicated men who both fulfill and shirk the duties of husbands and men. In order to create such complicated characters, Austen seems to employ the duties and stereotypes of individuals as outlined by Mary Wollstonecraft in her work of A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Wollstonecraft …show more content…
and Mrs. Bennet individually. Mrs. Bennet portrays exactly the stereotypical woman Wollstonecraft describes in A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Wollstonecraft aims her work at middle class women, such as Mrs. Bennet and attempts to “convince them, that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness,” (Wollstonecraft, 73). Austen portrays Mrs. Bennet as a strong woman, who chooses to conceal her strong nature from even herself, saying “when she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous,” (7). Mrs. Bennet chooses the word nervous to describe herself, due the idea that being nervous is more feminine than being discontented or angry. Mrs. Bennet, another product of a lack of education “was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper,” and as such “the business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news,” (Austen, 7). Mrs. Bennet is so obsessed with marrying her children off, she neglects their wants. Wollstonecraft would attribute Mrs. Bennett’s neglect of her children to this lack of education. Wollstonecraft asserts that to expect a foolish women to be a good mother would be just “as wise to expect corn from tares, or figs from thistles,” (280). Due to Mrs. Bennet’s acceptance of her stereotypical feminine role, …show more content…
Bennet fails to fulfill the duties assigned to a husband and father that are necessary to create a self-sufficient society. Unlike Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Bennet, as a man, more than likely had access to education and has more of an ability to provide for his children in the way Wollstonecraft outlines. However, he fails to do so, and allows his children to depend on marriage for provision rather than teaching them self-sufficiency. Wollstonecraft equates fatherhood to God’s role in humanities life saying “He—the common father, wounds but to heal,” (Wollstonecraft, 270). However, Mr. Bennet fails to heal after he has wounded. Instead he acts selfishly for his own amusement. Mr. Bennet encourages Mr. Collins eccentricities saying “his cousin was just as absurd as he had hoped,” instead of attempting to resolve the issue of the entail that forces his children to rely on marriage as their savior (Austen, 66). Mr. Bennet also encourages Elizabeth’s love for Mr. Wickham, not for her own benefit, but so she would be “crossed in love,” as her sister, which Mr. Bennet would find amusing (Austen, 123). In combination to failing his children, Mr. Bennet fails to fulfill the duties Wollstonecraft assigns to the role of husband. Instead of choosing a wife for her cleverness as Wollstonecraft suggests, he was “captivated by youth and beauty,” of the young Mrs. Bennet (Austen, 203). He consequently marries her, without considering the long term effects of her personality. After
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
In conclusion, the roles of the Bennet sisters were quite typical to that of their time period. They all were expected to find strength and meaning of self in a submissive state and in dedication to only their home and family. Their educations only prepared them for a homemaking career, while striving for a respectable marriage. It is women like Jane Austen and her creation, Elizabeth Bennet, who lived bending the boundaries of society and have shaped it into the one we live in today.
In the not so quite estate of Longbourn there lived a nice family named the Bennets. This family had five daughters and no sons. Among the second eldest daughter was a Miss. Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is an intelligent lady who has a lively mind and is always thinking. She is very playful, good-natured and does not easily get offended. She is one to laugh everything off and to have a good time no matter what. In the beginning of the book she is described as proud for the quickness of judging other people in social status. Elizabeth is lovely, cleaver, and has a sharp tongue when it comes to conversations of higher social class. She is one to make quick decisions on a person that leads her astray of their true selves. Love is one thing that is always running through Elizabeth’s mind. She wanted to marry for love and not wealth. She would rather be on the streets than marry someone she despises. Even with all of her adjudicating she is an unfailing handsome girl. She is very honest and true to herself.
...n criticizing a working man based on his looks. Mary Wollstonecraft says that, women should be allowed to speak up and voice their thoughts as it is a given right to humanity (Arnstein, 1993. pp134). Women were very knowledgeable and hungry for it. For example, Mrs. Croft was more into finding out every aspect of the Kellynch Estate, such as how much its taxes were, compared to her husband (Austen, Persuasion.3.27). Wollstonecraft states that women should not just be placed in the house to perform chores, such as cleaning the house (Arnstein, 1993. pp134). Yet, according to Mr. Sheppard women are the only ones that could take care of a household (Austen, Persuasion.3.26)
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.
In the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, the idea of patriarchy ruled the many societies all over the world. Particularly in Britain, its “overarching patriarchal model” (Marsh) had “reserved power and privilege for men” (Marsh). Also during this time period feminist literature began to arise and was invaded by, “the complex social, ethical, and economic roots of sexual politics… as testimony to gender bias and the double standard” (“Sexual Politics and Feminist Literature”). In Jane Austen’s writing, readers have been aware of her constant themes of female independence and gender equality. However, many have criticized the author for the fact that many of her “individualistic” female characters have ended up
After his wife has declared that the new man shall be “a fine thing for … [their] girls” , Mr. Bennet replies, “How so? How can it affect them?”. Although Mr. Bennet seems for a moment to be less set on the idea of marrying off his daughters, Mrs. Bennet believes that he “must know that … [she is] thinking of his marrying one of them.” The way in which Mrs. Bennet simply expects her daughters to marry this man shows a systematic and societal disregard for choice and women’s rights. Even more startling is the fact that Mrs. Bennet considers the prospect of marriage so obvious that her husband must know what she is planning. Austen clearly acknowledges how widespread the ideas are, which still making it clear that they are to be questioned, as Mr. Bennet did. Mr. Bennet, soon after acting as a critique on expectations, becomes a foil for the power held by his wife. When the idea of visiting wealthy, single men is broached, Mr. Bennet declares that the ladies “will not visit them” . The women in the Bennet family, and society as a whole are literally powerless to make their own choices or attempt to make their own matches since this must be done by their husband or father.
...Bennet up as the protagonist whose unusual actions place her outside the social pale and who does not fit any of the four main female stereotypes, it can be suggested that Austen does to an extent challenge the idea of women being subsidiary to men. However, the ultimate concern of the majority of characters is marriage and how they can achieve a good one. Structurally the novel ends with marriage and this is seen as the resolution as the females are completed by marriage. For example, Lydia Bennet is only seen as a restored woman after she marries Mr. Wickham and as a reader this is the end of her story- her marriage resolves her journey. It is in this that, despite the appearance of strong characters such as Lizzie, Austen does not challenge traditional female roles as the conclusion of the novel centres around the characters reaching fulfilment through marriage.
Austen satirizes the expectation that women must marry wealthy men, primarily through tone and diction. The novel opens by stating that a wealthy bachelor “must” (5) want a wife. The word “must” implies that a rich man is entitled to want a wife, and that entitlement is granted by the social norms of the time. The word also adds to Austen’s sarcasm that a wealthy man is obligated to want a wife, she mocks this mindset. This idea is further ridiculed through the character of Mrs.Bennet, who describes to her husband the man she wishes to be her son-in-law. During this description, Mrs.Bennet mentions the man’s abundance of fortune, and how much he is worth but fails to mention his name. Austen deliberately chooses to leave out the man’s name in her description in order to depict the idea that, personality or compatibility is not regarded when marriage eligibility is being determined, rather only wealth and reputation is regarded. Austen satirizes this mindset interactions between the incompatible Mr. and Mrs.Bennet. Through an abundance of dialogue, it is evident that Mrs.Bennet is talkative and a gossiper. Contrastingly, Mr.Bennet barely speaks or even replies to Mrs.Bennet, suggesting his lack of interest. Mrs.Bennet “impatiently” (5) waits for Mr.Bennet to reply and partake in her gossip, but he does not seem to take much interest
Jane Austen uses derisive irony and caustic diction to criticize how gender has a negative impact on society and how it makes one group feel and act lesser than the other group while the other group feel haughty.Women weren’t allowed to take over their father’s estate so their only option was to marry rich.The Bennet girls are an example of females who are preoccupied with getting married to a rich and single guy. Since they are all girls, they will not be able to inherit their father’s estate after his death. Mr Bennet estate will be entailed to his cousin Mr Collins since he didn’t have no son so getting married to a rich guy will be the girls only way for a better future.
Bennet had some flaws too, but he learned from his mistakes. He was sarcastic and teased his wife, but never once laid a hand on her for any reason. Mr. Bennet didn’t love his wife either though and his daughter Elizabeth saw it. She said that, “her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement” (Austen 159). He liked to tease and make fun of Mrs. Bennet and their daughters. One example is when an eligible young man moved in near the Bennets. His wife and daughters had been pleading him to invite the neighbor over for dinner so he could possibly become interested in one of the daughters. Mr. Bennet refused to extend the invitation but later went behind their backs to invite him over and didn’t tell his family until just hours before he arrived. He found great amusement in this and explained how, “The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest” (Austen 4). This is just one example of his emotional cruelty. Although Mr. Bennet may be emotionally abusive at times, he does attempt to talk and consult with his wife, unlike Torvald with his wife Nora. The Bennets don’t always agree but they do take the first step and hear each other’s opinions. On one occasion, their daughter Elizabeth had just been asked by Mr. Collins to marry him. Elizabeth didn’t want to marry him and tried to tell him no, but Mrs. Bennet strongly felt that she should. Mrs. Bennet went to go get her husband and said, “Mr. Bennet, you are
Weldon presents a more compassionate perspective to the commentary provided by Austen in her work Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen. During the Regency Era, practicality and convenience were prioritised over mutual love and affection in relation to marriage. Austen’s was a primogeniture society where wealth and estate were inherited exclusively by male heirs. Therefore, in order for women to receive financial security, they had few options. Using a statistic of how many women were prostitutes in London during Austen’s time, she states, “70,000 they reckoned . . . out of a population of 900,000” (pg. 29). However, the most preferable option for security was as Weldon states, “. . . to marry.” Austen challenges the accepted paradigm of marriage, through the characterisation and caricaturing of Mrs. Bennet. Austen’s omniscient narrator informs us that “The business of her [Mrs. Bennet’s] life, was to get her daughter’s married (pg. 7). Austen demonstrates the lengths to which Mrs. Bennet will go through the course of her novel. She continually promotes her daughters at any opportunity and often inappropriately. Weldon responds to Austen’s harsh characterisation of Mrs. Bennet, by analyzing Mrs. Bennet’s actions in her cultural and historical context. Aunt Fay satirically comments, “It is the stuff of our women’s magazines, but it was
Misogyny and female oppression are vile practices that can be seen all throughout time even to this day. Thankfully, society has evolved to such a point that the male and female gender can be seen as equals. While society still holds onto some of the once oppressive ways of its past, it can be agreed upon that our society has become a more free and open version than its former self. Once such example of a time in which women were held more so as objects than as people is in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Throughout the course of the novel, Elizabeth is the main source of feminism as she rarely acts in accordance with society’s rules. Rather, her demeanor is more commonly related to that of men in the regency period. In the
Jane Austen, author of the novel Persuasion, is often regarded as the first respectable, prominent female writer of the English language. Unlike typical literature of the nineteenth century, the themes of Austen’s novels fixate on the struggles of being a young woman in England. Literary critics Stefanie Markovits and Kate Nesbit analyze the themes of femininity and marriage in the lives of nineteenth century English women throughout Persuasion.
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.