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Explain the importance of physical appearance
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Explain the importance of physical appearance
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Feminists contend that throughout history, women have been treated as less than human by men. However, women are not exempt from putting down other women, especially those who are of lower social rank. In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, women are seen treating other women unequally based upon their appearance, manners, and skills.
During the Regency era appearance was extremely important. If a woman arrived at a party under or overdressed she would be mocked and ridiculed for days by other women. Since propriety was valued as well, those who were dressed scandalously would be avoided by others to safeguard their reputation. Appearance was also and indicator of social status and wealth, which determined whether or not a person was worthy of acquaintance.
Jane, the eldest of the Bennet daughters, is considered the most eligible of the family for marriage because of her appearance; she is considered very attractive. At a ball the Bennet family attends, Mr. Darcy says to Mr. Bingley, “You were dancing with the only handsome girl in the room”i in reference to Jane. Whereas Elizabeth, who is considered less attractive than Jane, is said to be, “tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me”ii by Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy immediately dismisses Elizabeth because she is not attractive enough.
Elizabeth's appearance is also scorned by the ladies at Netherfield when she arrives to visit Jane, who has fallen ill. Instead of admiring Elizabeth for her dedication to her sister, the ladies choose to focus on her appearance: “I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild. Her hair so untidy, so blowsy... And her petticoat... six inches deep in mud, I am certain; and the gown which had been let down to hi...
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... makes them worth less. Lady Catherine continues on to say that her daughter knows how to play the piano and practices every day, making her a much more valuable woman.
Mary, one of Elizabeth's younger sisters, is considered to be the least valuable and least eligible for the marriage because of her lack of skills. She has few talents; she cannot draw and she cannot play the piano or sing despite her numerous attempts: “Her voice was weak, and her manner affected.”xii Elizabeth's piano playing is considered to be “pleasing but by no means capital”xiii and Jane is noted to be an accomplished player, making them superior.
Although men often treat women as lesser, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, women are seen putting other women down. The worth of a woman is based upon her appearance, manners, and skills.
Works Cited
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Despite the gathering winter she felt relieved to see that her sixteen- year old daughter, now her only child after the early death of her son James, was acting normal again. For the past fortnight the younger Elizabeth had been carrying herself in a strange manner. While walking along normally she would sometimes cry out. Last week she had shrieked at extremely inappropriate time in Sunday dinner and that day in church she had been overcome with irreverent laughter. She was always quick to offer a reasonable excuse to spare the swift punishment usually dispensed to children at the time, but the extravagance and immodes...
Elizabeth's strength of character is emphasized by its contrast with the weak, naive acceptance of Jane's, the instability and excess of Mrs. Bennet's and the blind, weak-willed following of Kitty's. Her strength is also shown in her rejections of the proposals of Mr. Collins and Darcy. Unlike her mother, she does not base her choice of lovers on the financial security they will give her, and has the strength to reject them. This is especially evident in her rejection of Darcy's initial proposal, when she displays a passionate strength in her anger due to her belief that he has willfully prevented Jane and Bingley's marriage and wronged Wickham by refusing to grant him the property that the old Mr. Darcy bequeathed him. In both cases, the suitor is self-assured that his suit will be accepted, and as a result Elizabeth's rejections are amplified by the size of the blows that their egos receive. In Rosings, she does not let Lady Catherine tyrannize her as "the mere satellites of money and rank, she thought she could witness without trepidation." The Lucases and Collinses are submissive to Lady Catherine, with Maria being "frightened almost out of her senses", and it is probable that society as a whole behaves likewise, as Elizabeth suspects she is "the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with such dignified impertinence". She is again presented as a rebel against ideas of class when Lady Catherine pays a visit to her to ensure that ...
Jane Bennet most exemplifies the traits and fits the mould of an ideal eighteenth-century Englishwoman, by which she ultimately finds her happiness. Amiable women of this time possessed “improved understanding and gentle manners…[and a] good sense”. Vapidity and moroseness were “deadweights [of] every kind…” on the social scene, and should be replaced with joy and sprightly conversation as “female conversation in its best form” was charming and alluring (Fordyce 396-397). Other than being the “most beautiful creature [Mr. Bingley] ever beheld”, Jane is kind and good-natured (Austen 50). She desires to see the best in others, shown when she stays neutral about Wickham and Mr. Darcy’s feud and suggesting that it must have been a misunderstanding with neither one being at fault. Upon meeting Mr. Bingley, Jane holds his attention throu...
Pride and Prejudice Essay Throughout Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett faces many challenges to realize that she was in the wrong and her prejudice against Mr. Darcy was misguided. Austen emphasizes the importance of wisdom through Elizabeth, who faces the challenge of overcoming her prejudiced judgement to reach maturity and recognize the man she loves. At the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth Bennett’s first meeting with Mr. Darcy was marred by Mr. Darcy’s pride to which, “Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him.” At the end of the novel, after Elizabeth learns the truth and unravels her prejudice against Darcy, she begins to realize that she does have feelings for him.
Elizabeth's lively, straightforward, daring character and her disregard for considerations of rank show through clearly in her reaction to Darcy's proposal. Her pride is also evident, for the lack of civility in her refusal is due primarily to injured pride resulting from Darcy's frank explanation of his reservations about proposing to her because of her inferior connections.
Meanwhile Darcy starts to see Elizabeth differently. He is starting to put his prejudice aside and see her beauty and wit. Darcy admired her more after he saw the way she was taking care of Jane after she became ill from traveling to Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet wanted Jane to be trapped there by the weather however she didn’t plan on her getting sick and having to stay there for days. Elizabeth continued to ignore Darcy affections for her. Mr. Bingley’s affection to Jane continued to grow as remained at his estate. Jane returned home with her sister once she had recovered.
Proud and arrogant, Mr. Darcy stands at the head of the room giving a cold, dark stare. He gives the impression at the first ball to the people of Meryton that he is prideful, looks down upon their society, and that he possesses poor manners. Mr. Darcy, new to town, is perceived by the Bennets in a demeaning light. After the ball Elizabeth’s mother says, “…Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! […] I quite detest the man." (Austen. 9.). The opinions Elizabeth holds of Mr. Darcy are completely formed from the opinions of others. She also does this because at the first ball she hears Darcy exclaim to his friend, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me,” (Austen. 7). From then on, she continually attacks him with snide, biting remarks. Because Mr. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth at the first ball in Meryton, she becomes determined “never to dance with him,” (Austen. 13). Elizabeth soon meets Mr. Wickham, who lies to portray Mr. Darcy as a coward who disobeyed his father and ruined Wickham’s life. Through his deceitful charm, he gains Elizabeth’s trust. In ad...
...took to writing. An author would certainly not be looked at as a respectable career, and yet those who achieved so did not care. Her social standing would fall, such did Elizabeth's. Regardless of her efforts the standards remained. A good, respectable woman married wisely, birthed children and acted as a proficient homemaker. Careers were mindfully left to the men in this time period.
In today’s society, women are faced with oppression in many different ways, whether they are denied a promotion at their job over a man of equal or lesser ability or qualification, or brought up to act a certain way as a female member of society. A female’s fight against oppression, be it social or societal, is certainly a difficult one, and one that - depending on the woman and the society in which she lives- may follow her throughout her entire life. Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austen that follows a woman named Elizabeth Bennet through her struggle to fight oppression in a time where certain behaviour and actions are expected of women. In this novel, the reader can view oppression through Elizabeth’s struggle to maintain a sense of self through her constant fight against societal oppression, the Bennet family’s struggles with class segregation, as well as the standards or roles set for the women in the time in which the novel is set.
For the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, we expect the sales to grow in the first quarter of year one. With people still suspect about the phone there won’t be a fixed demand on a per month basis. After a couple months pending no problems with the smartphone people will have their faith in Samsung again and purchase the Galaxy Note 8. After the first year, we expect the Galaxy Note 8 to reach a profit of 1 billion dollars. During this section, I will explain the sales forecast for each month and for the next 3 years. Also, I will discuss the breakeven analysis of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the cost to build the smartphone, how much we are willing to pay for expenses and what expense we focus on the most.
The reader is first acquainted with Mr. Darcy's arrogance at the Meryton Ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly says that she was, " tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" (Austen 9). His feelings of superiority to the people of the town lend Mr. Darcy to be judged as a man with a repulsive and cruel personality. The women, who had found him dashingly attractive at first glance, deemed him a man unworthy of marriage because he offered no positive qualities other than wealth. Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with Elizabeth, but he makes it clear that no woman in the room was worthy or met his standards of a suitable partner stating that, " there is not another woman in this room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with" (Austen 8). In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is only concerned with the wealth and social standing of the people in the town. Because of their lesser social rank, he feels they are un-deserving of his presence and refuses to communicate with them. As the novel progressed, however, Darcy became more and more accepting of the Bennet family. Growing most fond of Elizabeth Bennet, the straightforward, clever daughter, he finally breaks and confesses his true feelings of love for her. "In vain...
Lady Catherine, is another example of pride and prejudice displayed through social status, "Now and then they were honoured with a call from her ladyship, and nothing escaped her observation." Lady Catherine noticed flaws in everyone and used her position and title of "Lady" to rise above everyone and make herself seem superior to them.
and Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte and Mr. Collins, Lydia and Mr. Wickham, Jane and Mr. Bingley, and Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Through these couples she explores the motivations of marriage as monetary advantage, social standing, physical attraction, and lastly love. She reveals her feelings that marriages for love are those that will be the strongest. This is seen clearly in Mr. Bennet 's remarks to Elizabeth in chapter 59. “ I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life. You know not what you are about. '
The Pride and the Prejudice is a story that tells the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they deal with the problems of manners, upbringing, morality and the ever growing pressure of marriage provided by their parents, (mostly by their mother, Mrs. Bennet). Elizabeth Bennet is the second eldest of the Bennet sisters and the protagonist of the story, she is a twenty year old intelligent and attractive woman with a playful and witty personality, and has a tendency to judge on the first impression, she is not the kind of woman who is impressed with titles and money, she believes that marriage should be based on love. Jane Bennet is the eldest of the bennet sisters, she is twenty-two and considered the most beautiful woman around. She is as sweet and playful as Elizabeth, only shyer and not as bright, out of all the Bennet sisters she is her mother favorite because of her beauty. Both Elizabeth and Jane are similar and different in many ways this essay will explain how different and similar they are, determining which sister has a stronger sense of character and who would survive in the real world. Only the strong and willful can make in the modern world.
The article Preface to "What Policies Would Promote Social Justice for Women?" written in 2010 states same idea related to the work Jane Eyre about gender equality. Despite the theoretical relevance of sexual inequality and Jane Eyre the feminist literature signifying the importance of gender issues that needs to change relations on social position. Also, these analyses the impact of changing issues now a days. It is quite surprising that the same issue is continuing over the centuries. The author of the article Preface to "What Policies Would Promote Social Justice for Women?" mentions gender inequality in business, politics, education, and other areas has been closely studied. “Gender discrimination is not limited to the business world. There