Summary Of The Romance Of A Shop, By Amy Levy

Shopping, a common activity conducted by almost everyone at least once a month, is such a normal subject in our everyday life, one barely puts any thoughts into the potential semiotic explanations behind it. According to the two essays, “The Signs of Shopping” and “The Science of Shopping,” Shopping has significant impacts on one’s self-identification. It is a two way straight, the consumers’ shopping styles can also influence the economic status of the retails businesses.

Two main focuses that encompass life are love and money. Since the invention of money, it has been a competition to see who can become the wealthiest and therefore the most successful. But are people really successful if they are unhappy without a person to love in their lives? This essay will investigate the importance of love and money in the novels The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice. Therefore, the essay will focus on the research question: “What effects do love and money have on the authors’ portrayal of the main female characters in the novels The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen?”

The only way young women could find economic security in early 19th century England was through marriage. Personal wealth was important for a man looking for a wife as well. It was clear in the novel that Catherine’s inherent wealth was an important factor in deciding if John Thorpe, one of Catherine’s love interests, wanted to marry her. Austen describes Catherine’s family as average, or middle class, as she describes Catherine’s father as, “a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man” (15). Although Catherine is described in this way, John assumes her wealth because of her connections with the Allen family.

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.

Keep in mind, during this period of time, women were seem as individual who should learn how to be a good mother and wife. This act of

At the turn of the 20th century, the social and economic climate of urban America saw a boom in industry and productivity. Within this microcosm of economic prosperity, social elites participated in a constant exchange of opportunities, ideas, and social exploitations. In Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, the atmosphere of high society deeply emulates the atmosphere of the market itself. Wharton utilizes economic terminology and vocabulary in this novel to establish the principles of courtship in post-Victorian society. In this society, women, marriage, and social favors serve as commodities which are traded back and forth between the masters of both the monetary and social economies.

Aware that this concept of marriage is a tool for financial security would be misunderstood in a society where women are liberated and independent; Weldon has brought the idea into the 20th century Australia. Weldon has made the connection between Charlotte’s marriage to Mr Collins and the Australian “rich land owners import Asian girls as wives.” The introduction of television and the internet in our context has made the suffering and hardships of foreigner’s woman extremely accessible, therefore we are able to sympathise with and understand why these women would forfeit their chance of true love in order to “escape the hunger and poverty of their own lands.” Through the connection modern responders are able to appreciate the importance of marriage held within society and are able to understand more completely that by making “the business of her life to get her five daughters married, Mrs Bennet was protecting her daughters from financial

Life for women back then was unimaginable. Men did not believe that women were capable of

Money deteriated the moral standards of people. We see this in Daisy from the very beginning when Nick visits his cousin in the Buchanan house. From the moment Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Tom sit down to have tea, there is tension between Tom and Daisy. Tom rudely interrpts her when she speaks, “Tom’s getting very profound,” said Daisy, with an expression of unthoughtful sadness. “He reads deep books with long words in them. What was that word we ——” “Well, these books are all scientific,” insisted Tom, glancing at her impatiently. Daisy is obviously not happy with her relationship with Tom and she is well aware that Tom is cheating on her. Yet, with all of Tom’s physical and emotional abuse, Daisy is still content with staying with him and his money. Wealth has also caused Daisy to put much more importance on superficial things and as a byproduct she now acts, thinks, and talks like the rich. "she 's got an indiscreet voice," I remarked. "it 's full of- I hesitated. "her voice is full of money," Gatsby said suddenly.” (120) She tries to find happiness with money but deeply fails to do so. “You see I think everything’s terrible anyhow,” she went on in a convinced way. “Everybody thinks so

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

The reason this quote is used is because this quote describes a dream that she was thinking that would be accomplished in the years ahead. If one sees of this situation with a creative aspect, one can think that there would be many possibilities for having very large ideal unions in the 19th century. For example, if the girl, before getting married, was not making and her parents would have enough money to support their daughters, she would have the time to choose the guy of her choice. "If they failed to find a husband, and their parents could not support them, daughters were still obliged to support themselves." -Shanny Meideï, Women's work, p.149 All these quotes prove that women did actually get married for financial support.

When a woman married in the Victorian age, she did not have an independent legal status. Women also had no right to any money, including the money that she earned and worked for. She could not make a will or buy property, she had no claim to her children, and she had to move with her spouse wherever he went. If the husband died, he could name his wife as the guardian of the children, but he did not have to if he did not wish to.

Women had to change their lifestyles to be able to marry into wealth. To help the family, the daughters had to change their lifestyles (Sheehan). “A truth universally acknowledged, that a single main possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife,” said Mrs. Bennett (Hall). When the daughter gets married, her father wants to make sure that the husband can take care of her and protect her financially (Ray 140). Some women started marrying for money instead of love. A woman searching for love that cannot find a husband will then begin searching for men with wealth instead. A marriageable woman should not have to choose between marrying for wealth or for true love (Hall). Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins, so when Mr. Bennett passes away, they will get his land. Charlotte Lucas also married Mr. Collins for the money and not for love. Mrs.Bennet wants one of her daughters to marry a wealthy man, so when Mr.Bennet passes away, they will still have a place to live (Pride and Prejudice). Marrying for

This develops the idea that her future with this man as a married woman provided a stable lifestyle where she would not have to live by the rigid patterns of society, reinforcing a modern day feminist reader’s view of the expectations and restrictions placed on unmarried women during the Victorian era.

Most of the women don’t work, and their main responsibility is getting married to a wealthy husband. Marriage was one of the most important things during this time because, who they married resulted in what kind of life they’d have. If they didn’t get married, the woman would have to depend on her family to support her. Another option for an unmarried women was to become a governess. One major quote from the book that shows the importance of marriage is, “It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This quote shows that single men need to marry because, that was what they did back then. (Pride and Prejudice)