Pride And Prejudice By Joe Wright

In today’s society, young girls have been taught to believe in their perfect Cinderella wedding where they will marry their Prince Charming in a beautiful dress and eventually live happily ever after. The film industry portrays marriage as picture perfect, in which every girl has their dream wedding and true love always finds its way. Contrary to the media’s view, marriage was not always a fairy-tale because women had the responsibility to help provide for their family. During the English Regency period, young girls married for financial security and social benefits to improve their family’s status. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet rebelled against this mainstream idea of marriage set by society, in order to marry for true love.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813(Gary vii) a time when women had “few legal and economic rights or even receiving little respect, women can be seen as oppressed victims of a patriarchal society, subordinate first to their fathers and, then, to their husbands who had, of course, been selected by their fathers” (Swords, 76-82). At first glance one might think that Pride and Prejudice reinforces sexist stereotypes, however upon further examination of Jane Austen and her heroine Elizabeth it is clear that Pride and Prejudice in fact erodes the sexist stereotypes of women.

“The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.” (1) Said Mr Darcy. This is one of the world's most popular novels, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has charmed readers since its publication of the story of the amusing Elizabeth Bennet and her relationship with the aristocrat Fitzwilliam Darcy. During this essay it will explore the construction of characters, in particular it will be Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy also exploring the social situation in which the characters operate and exploring the cultural context (Victorian England).

Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonestly may be intended either to help or to hurt. In Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, George Wickham deceives the characters within the novel. Wickham fooled the Bennet family, especially Lydia, and attempted to fool Mr. Darcy and his young, innocent sister. Wickham purposefully lied to these characters to benefit himself and continue to live in his lavish lifestyle.

In Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice, the setting is around the beginning of the 1800’s in rural England. The audience is introduced to the Bennett family that includes five unwed daughters. Since the daughters have no inheritable rights, they must be married before their father dies. Their rural town does not have many suitors in it, before the rich Mr. Bingley rents a large country home with his sister, and a good friend, Mr. Darcy. Seeing an opportunity, Mrs. Bennett makes sure Mr. Bingley is introduced to her daughters. Love kindles between Mr. Bingley and the oldest daughter, Jane, but misconception and class separates them. The second eldest, Elizabeth, and Mr. Darcy let pride and prejudice stray their views of each other. These relationships go through many trials such as class, pride, and prejudice.

The main characters of Pride and Prejudice and To The Lighthouse are women with a different kind of mind set than the rest of the characters. Elizabeth Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice, cares about her happiness, good-manners of people, virtues, and believes she can choose a man without being impressed by his wealth or title; practically going against women at the time. Then Lily Briscoe, in To The Lighthouse, is an uncommon woman in the novel because she doesn’t regard society, is unattached to family, and a woman painter. These two characters have a different personality of the typical women that lived during their time periods. Elizabeth Bennet’s and Lily Briscoe’s intelligence and defiant attitude towards the other characters show that women can be clever and strong-minded to accomplish their purposes.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ are seen as being mainly concerned with social class and the wealth of those who are in the upper class but readers must consider other themes the novels are concerned with.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is a satire novel from 1813. The story is about a couple named the Bennets who try to get their five daughters to marry kind and rich gentlemen. The main characters however are the Bennets’ second and headstrong daughter Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, her aristocratic suitor. Throughout the entire novel, the two lovers must overcome pride and prejudice before “love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion”. During the novel, there are two marriage proposals between Darcy and Collins, Mr. Bennets’ cousin, which are both for Elizabeth. Both proposals have similarities but also have many differences.

Jane Austen 's novel, Pride and Prejudice, focuses on the social conflicts of England during the 1800s. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fall in love, and face social criticism. Mr. Darcy struggles with the ideology of societal expectations while falling in love with Elizabeth Bennet. After persistent self-reflection, Mr. Darcy overcomes the stereotype of whom he should marry, and marries Elizabeth Bennet. Through dynamic character development between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Austen reveals that love can persevere through all conflict.

As Jane Austin establishes, through the voice of Mrs. Bennet, “…Lizzy does not lose much by suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing” (Austen 9) she forms the general consensus of the sentiment that a majority of the characters feel for Mr. Darcy throughout Pride and Prejudice. Cold, rude, arrogant, and snobbish are what many characters consider Darcy due to his actions towards society and, especially, Elizabeth, Jane, and Wickham throughout the story. At the commencement of the tale, Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth due to his premature prejudices against her looks and “inferior connections” (8). However, at the story’s

Austen uses Pride and Prejudice as a means to express her views on marriage, without being didactic. She frequently satirises views which oppose her own. Austen was a believer that men and women should be more equal. This view was also shared by feminist activist Mary Wollstonecraft, who had once said, “virtue can only flourish among equal”. However, Wollstonecraft disliked the social hierarchy, whereas Austen respected it and thought whoever was at the “top”, deserved to be there. Austen believed that marriage should not be a means of climbing this hierarchy she idealised. Although this opposes the social conventions, Austen agrees that elopement should be condemned and accepts that wealth and social standing must be taken into

Pride and Prejudice’ is concerned with the equality of personhood between characters in the story. For instance, the marriage of Charlotte Lucas marriage to Mr. Collins which can be demonstrate the fact that marriage in the 19 century England, was ultimately seen as being an economic institution, dictated primarily by economic means. Miss Lucas, whom is a woman with small fortune, recognized her requirement for a wealthy husband to ensure that her social and cultural sustainment and thus, she marries Mr. Collins for whom she does not feel any loving emotion, “it is impossible that every moment should be employed in conversing together”. Within this, Austen presents a more cynical view of marriage, that of happiness not as marital

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows headstrong Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to maturity and her discovery of true love. The novel documents Elizabeth’s constantly complicated relationships with those around her, especially her family members. Although Elizabeth’s actions as a sister are central to the story, Mr. Darcy’s role as a brother plays a markedly more important role in the trajectory of the plot.

Many concepts that were very strictly followed during the 18th and 19th century are challenged or rethought by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice such as the rules and regulations of domestic ideology. This ideology confines a woman to her home and cements her to her husband. It is the notion that a woman’s worth is defined by her motherhood and her spousal abilities, that her interiority has no merit to her value, and that her sole desire in life should be to serve her family. Throughout the entirety this text, Elizabeth Bennet is a very strong opponent of this concept and consistently has rejected men’s advances that do not suit her personal beliefs on marriage and how a woman should be viewed. In this scene, Mr. Darcy is offering his second proposal, his first unsuccessful offer being in chapter XI. This passage’s proposal occurs directly after it has been made apparent to Lizzy all that Darcy had done for her sisters: paying for Lydia’s wedding as to save her from complete shame and social destruction, and bringing Jane and Mr. Bingley back together (in contrast to having separated them to begin with, right before his first proposal). Lizzy and Darcy have gone for a walk during Darcy’s visit to Longborne when this passage occurs. The clear difference between this offer of marriage and the previous is Lizzy’s altered feelings for Darcy; she changes from a passionate decline to eager acceptance. This proposal surpasses the ideas that had been presented about Darcy’s

“Pride and Prejudice” written by Jane Austen is set in the Regency era. Jane Austen wanted to show us the life of women in society during this time. Jane did this through Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s whole life is about making relationships. One never knows what to expect the turn out of her relationships are going to be. In Elizabeth’s, relationships of love and twist with Darcy, Wickham, Georgiana, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh first impressions do not set the tone for life.