Pride And The Prejudice By Jane Austen

Some, like the Morlands, consider wealth as something to be conserved. Others, Isabella, links wealth with marriage and obsesses over it. The English Society was based on social hierarchy. Everything from the property they owned to the families they married into had an impact on their ranking in society. Jane Austen shows class-consciousness in relation to wealth and economic status. Edwards Copeland’s, Women Writing about Money, addresses the lives of women in Jane Austen’s time and the use of money in the lives of the women we see in her novels. He makes the relations between economic details and gender in the period of time of Austen and shows how they had no legal access to money yet were held responsible for domestic spending. His work and research is a sensible study of the relation between women and money in Austen’s

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.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen introduces the major thematic concept of marriage and financial wealth. Throughout the novel, Austen depicts various relationships that exhibit the two recurring themes. Set during the regency period, the perception of marriage revolves around a universal truth. Austen claims that a single man “must be in want of a wife.” Hence, the social stature and wealth of men were of principal importance for women. Austen, however, hints that the opposite may prove more exact: a single woman, under the social limitations, is in want of a husband. Through this speculation, Austen acknowledges that the economic pressure of social acceptance serves as a foundation for a proper marriage.

It also depicts how family pressure plays a huge role in the decision of marriage, but love can also have its importance. The connection to family history from class is that women always have inferior roles compared to men in most places back in the 19th century. Female’s status in society always depended on her husband. During revolutionary period in France, many feminists tried to fight for new roles. This poses my historical question: During what time period are women in England allowed to own properties? And if they are allowed almost equal right as men, how far extend will the view of marriage

His sense of her inferiority–of its being a degradation of–the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclinations were dwelt on...” (Austen 12). These words reflect Mr. Darcy’s excessive pride and heightened awareness of social status, while inducing him to recount all the ways in which he and Elizabeth are an illogical union, rather than relaying anything complimentary. In response to this insult-ridden proposal, Elizabeth proclaims that if he had acted in a more “gentlemanlike manner,” she would have been more inclined to express sympathy following her rejection of his advances. Despite Elizabeth’s clear message that she will not observe his insensitive words in submission, Mr. Darcy endures in the conviction that his prideful manners toward Elizabeth are well-justified and merely detail the truthful, adverse nature of her inferior social standing with the utmost sincerity.

During the time period of the 1800s in England, not only was the economic situation different but the social norms were differently. Jane Austen depicts this greatly in her novel pride and prejudice, not only was the social classes a big deal, but the marriage between families was a bigger deal. Throughout the novel many of the characters encounter this problem of, love in marriage or money in marriage, and many of the families and females within this time period choice money in marriage. The author Jane Austen feels that the idea of marring for money rather than love is preposterous and expresses this through the character Elizabeth

Since he has a large fortune to inherit, he is therefore allowed certain amount of social pride, even if it is disagreeable. His wealth seems to justify his low, prideful behavior in society. But, Elizabeth's attitude toward Darcy changes dramatically, when she overhears him talking negatively about her to his friend Bingley, "I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men."

Wealth served a major role between the classes and placement of citizens within them. The queen or the monarch was the richest and flaunted her wealth with items and luxuries such as jewelry and gold (“The Social Structure in Elizabethan England”). The

In yet another example, Mrs. De Bourgh, in her discussions with Elizabeth, reveals that wealth, and the societal station it provides, should be the primary basis for marriage. In her meeting with Elizabeth, Mrs. De Bourgh discusses the importance of planned marriages and how her daughter should be marrying Mr. Darcy instead of Elizabeth, noting that, “While in their cradles, we planned the union; and now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters would be accompanied, in their marriage, to be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the

Humor serves as a universal medicine. A good laugh is surely to cure any case of sadness. In literature, even though many times authors incorporate satire just for humor, other authors like Jane Austen include satire to comment on specific practices of society. So called “good” satire consists of dry humor with weaved in criticism that addresses social norms and common practices of a specific era. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen successfully satirizes society’s view of marriage and the pressures society puts upon women to marry a man not for love but for a “business” relation.

The assumption of money implying the quality of one's past and future is concretely established in this scene. For this very reason, Sir Walter did not want his daughter to marry a working man. He was afraid that if she would settle with someone who was not economically fit, she would be at a disadvantage, which was a common misconception during this time period. “Though every profession is necessary and honorable in any, who can live in a regular way, choosing their own hours... I say, to hold the blessings of health and a good appearance to the utmost” (Austen 20). Austen utilizes this passage to explain the character of Sir Walter and also show how much of an impact his views have on Anne. Although she loves Wentworth, she values her father's opinion much more. Austen goes on to illustrate another important characteristic of a man by creating dialogue between Mr. Shepherd, a family friend who only speaks of non-controversial topics, and Anne. Mr. Shepherd goes on to say, “Wentworth- Oh! Mr. Wentworth, the curate of a Monk-ford. I thought you were speaking of some man of property; Mr Wentworth was a nobody, quite unconnected” (Austen 23). Property was also used as a measurement of one's social class, which made Wentworth “unworthy” of Anne. Wentworth's lower social standing caused anxiety to her family as they were afraid it would hurt Anne if they were to get married. The

Elizabeth’s relationship to Darcy also involved the pressure of living up to society’s expectations of social classes. Darcy is prideful of his wealth and wants to maintain his fame. His reputation is challenged when he meets Elizabeth.

Elizabeth thinks of Darcy as being “the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world” (15). After Darcy discomfits Elizabeth, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” (13), she herself becomes prideful and prejudiced against him. Prejudice also is an issue for Darcy because he dislikes Elizabeth in the beginning for her low social status, for being impecunious and socially inept family: “Their struggle is as much as against each other as it is against the pressure of society or family. The novel presents a balance of power not only between two characters but between two conflicting modes of judgment” (Bloom 50), but Darcy is forced to deal with his pride and prejudice when he falls in love with Elizabeth. Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s first proposal based mostly on his pride and condescension.

Darcy’s inordinate vanity deems him too superior to interact with Elizabeth because of her mediocrity. Although Darcy has the chance to dance with a beautiful young woman, he rejects Elizabeth to protect his superiority. This rejection segregates Mr. Darcy from the ball because he lacks a dancing partner; moreover, his rudeness causes others to judge him. When Mr. Darcy insults Elizabeth, he creates an image for himself that he is “so high and conceited” (10); similarly, Mrs. Bennet blatantly exclaims that she “[detests] the man” (10). Mr. Darcy’s vain attitude changes the way others perceive him and isolates him from the social environment. As Darcy’s vanity is within reason because of his wealth and high class, Mr. Collins’ vanity is more disreputable, as well as excessive. Mr. Collins has a very high self-esteem because Lady Catherine “[speaks] to him as she would to any other gentleman” (45). Mr. Collins uses this statement to assure

When Elizabeth flatly turns down his marriage proposal, it startles Darcy into realizing just how arrogant and assuming he has been. Soon, there is reconciliation between Darcy and Elizabeth where each admits how much they have changed as a result of their earlier encounters. An example of this is when Lady Catherine visits to insure the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. She came in order to prevent it, but when Darcy hears the manner in which Elizabeth answered Lady Catherine, he realizes that Elizabeth regards him differently. He saw that her attitude of him had changed which prompted him to make his marriage proposal. Thus, we can now see that Darcy and Elizabeth both have balance in their relationship because they are able to reflect against each other and each is capable of undergoing a change. In the end, Darcy is willing to marry into a family with three silly daughters, an embarrassing mother and is willing to make Wickham his brother-in-law .It may be that he is more easygoing about other people's faults because he is now aware of his own.