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Vanity and pride in pride and prejudice
The social challenges of the Victorian period
Social concerns of the Victorian period
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Vanity and pride are two factors that have always been affecting our society, and been a driving force for people’s decisions and actions. So when we set the scene in nineteenth century France, what is the result? When Mathilde complained about her lack of a nice dress and her husband asked for her limit, she hesitated to make sure she would have a nice dress for the ball without being rejected. “She reflected several seconds, making her calculations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk” (de Maupassant 23). Mathilde is willing to put their finances and physical well-being in jeopardy at the hands of her prideful desires. After realizing
the precious diamond necklace was gone, Mathilde had to put up with the anxious feeling that the borrowed jewels would never be found. "She waited all day, in the same condition of mad fear before this terrible calamity." (de Maupassant 76) Mathilde was enraptured in her vanity at the ball and during her ride home, which distracted her from the absence of the necklace. Pride kept Madame Loisel from admitting her mistake. "She did not open the case, as her friend had so much feared. If she had detected the substitution, what would she have thought, what would she have said? Would she not have taken Madame Loisel for a thief?" (de Maupassant 91). Madame Loisel never tells Madame Forestier about losing the necklace while she is in debt. However, if she did tell her she lost her necklace, she would most likely not have gone through so much suffering. Pride blinded Mathilde from acknowledging her faults, as it often does to us.We can see through Madame Loisel’s story how vanity distracts us and builds our pride. Pride keeps us from admitting mistakes and thinking rationally.
In the Victorian era, in New York City, men and women roles within the society were as different as night and day. A man regardless of his extra curricular activities could still maintain a very prevalent place in society. A woman’s worth was not only based family name which distinguished her class and worth, but also her profession if that was applicable.
Pride is something that is essential in human life. Due to pride, we are able to see the joys
Pride has been a heavily associated trait with the human race since the existence of time as if it is fused in the blood of the populations. Although not all individuals suffer from pride, it's effects can be commonly seen in a vast majority of individuals. Both Percy Shelley, author of "Ozymandias," and Dahlia Ravikovitch, author of "Pride," explore the effects of pride in relation to an individual's success or legacy. Percy Shelley wrote during the early 1800’s as a primary poet of the English Romanticism Movement. Dahlia Ravikovitch, an Israeli Poet, wrote primarily during the mid-1940s, however, “Pride” is special because it did not reflect her usual patterns. Through the use of literary techniques and tone, both authors present their poem with the intent to communicate that pride ultimately results in ruin.
In the summer of 1788, France was on the brink of revolution. Thousands were starving and peasant revolts were popping up all over the country. At this time, French government and society was in a period called the “Old Regime,” where mobility between classes was nearly unheard of. A person born into aristocracy was lucky, while one born into poverty would most likely struggle for their entire life. Women’s roles were “strictly defined,” no matter what class they were a part of (Streissguth 6). Before the revolution, most women did not question where their place was: in the home. It was very rare for a woman to work outside the domestic sphere, because they did not have as much freedom as men, even men in the lower class. In May of 1789, France had fallen into deep economic turmoil and public unrest was high, forcing the king to call the Estates General. The Estates General, according to Thomas Streis...
McMillan, James F. Housewife or Harlot: The Place of Women in French Society 1870-1940. New York: St. Martin's Press: 1981.
The author Horace Miner’s article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” is a comment on the vanity that is present in the American culture. He focuses on a North American Group, which he considers Naciremas which is Americans backwards. Horace Miner demonstrates that attitudes or daily rituals have a convincing sway on numerous establishments in Nacirema society. The writer uses many metaphors to describe this vanity including his statement that “women” try to cover up their impurities by applying makeup in addition to getting surgeries and other things to fix what they think is wrong. However, in reality Miner uses this metaphor to show that the American culture is vain and always tries to fix its faults and mistakes. Basically, Miner uses the
The majority of Victorian society’s economic dealings can be summed up in two words: credit and debt. These ominous specters, which seemed to haunt Victorian England, were simultaneously able to evoke feelings of delight and doom in their “victims of vanity”.
In “Delusions of Grandeur” by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Gates discusses a big problem and mental state in black communities. He addresses the fact that the mindset of the black youth is in the gutter. In their eyes the only way to fame and fortune is by being a professional athlete. That mindset is destroying and breaking down the black community because out of every black kid trying to be a professional athlete only one out of million is making it to the professionals. Leaving a sufficient gap in black youth striving to be other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, doctors, government officials, business owners, CEOs, accountants, or bank tellers. Furthermore, it ultimately causes blacks to fill out and settle
France she sees herself making millions and coming back to her homeland and spreading her wealth around with her loved ones (136). She proclaims that if ...
Herndon high school marching band also known as "Pride of Herndon" was selected as the only band to take part in the 2013 Pearl Harbor memorial parade in Hawaii. After participating in the parade, the band was awarded grand champion title for their performance. The high school band received recognition by congress for their partaking as the only band to represent the state and their grand champion title in.
The structure of eighteenth century society made this necessary, especially for the lower classes; a family's income would be totally based on the earning power of the man. Thus, logic dictated that he control all the finances. Even so, some of the l...
The men treated their women as if they were an object. After marriage the husbands had full control over any finances or property that the women had once owned. Women didn’t have to many rights if any and were expected to stay at home and be the stereotypical house wife doing the daily house duties, looking after the children and making the meal. Even if women didn’t like it it was almost as if they were forced to be the stay at home mother. Mathilde Loisel suffering from this middle class life style just wanted to live a glamorous and luxuries life. “She would so much have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, to be seductive and sought after."(Maupassant 1). Loisel felt trapped in this life of almost poverty and just wants to escape. She wants to live this glamorous life of having things done for her and being able to have the luxuries that the upper class have and is clearly jealous of her wealthy friend Mme. Frostier and would like to be in her shoes. But at the end of the day she is confined in this middle class lifestyle and can only wish for a better
Pride is not a bad attribute to have, it is actually very important. One definition for pride is: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect. Self respect is a very good quality to have, however, there’s such thing as too much of a good thing. This is especially the case if you are a hero in a Greek play that has too much pride. Pride is the most central flaw in Greek tragedy, even in heroes. In the plays “Antigone” and “The Odyssey”, Antigone’s and Odysseus’ pride causes them unnecessary problems that could have been easily avoided if they had just kept their pride in check.
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 word pride in itself isn’t an important word but it’s meaning implies many things. There are several different definitions for pride. Pride can be referred to as a type of plant, a form of body ornamentation, or even a group of lions. The most commonly used definition of pride is being proud, or having a feeling of great accomplishment and feeling self-satisfaction. The word pride both positive and negative meanings that can be seen throughout history.