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Jane Austen 's Pride And Prejudice

Decent Essays

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was greatly influenced by the time period in which it was written, This novel follows the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they are faced with marriage proposals. The marriage and roles of women in this time period are shown throughout this story. During the time Austen was writing this novel, a woman’s role for her family changed. Daughters started to become a way for their family to achieve more money. Because their family depended on this financial gain, and a woman was required to get a husband in order to achieve a higher social status, marriage became the center of a young girl’s life. This is shown throughout the novel especially by Elizabeth’s mother, Mrs, Bennet. She is focused on marrying her daughters off, especially to rich suitors. Pride and Prejudice follows the plot of marriage as a means of helping the family even when there is no love involved such as with Mr. Collins and Charlotte. Austen’s portrayal of marriage reflects the customs of her time period that influence in her writing (Sheehan). One of the many elements of fiction that Austen used in this novel is characterization. Characterization is used both directly and indirectly. For example, Austen first describes Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet as:
“so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to

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