The Closing Musical Number Remains A Clear Example Of The Film

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?”

Jane Austen was a Georgian era author who was best known for her novels that commented on social issues and class, and Northanger Abbey is no exception. Austen’s social commentary is apparent in this novel’s plot, as the reader follows a seventeen-year-old protagonist, Catherine Morland, as she matures and forms intimate relationships with fellow characters in an England town called Bath. Marriage between characters in the novel is heavily based on wealth, and because of England’s unstable economy at the time, marrying into wealth meant maintaining a high social class and economic stability for the characters. The importance of economic prosperity and social rank heavily influenced marriage in 19th century England, and this idea bourgeoisie classism and marrying for wealth is contradicted by Austen in her novel, Northanger Abbey.

The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love

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.

She is dressed very wealthy, has expensive jewelry, drinks alcohol, and has a bob cut. These were the qualities of the new woman compared to the previous traditional woman’s beliefs and ways of life. James Braddock’s luxury lifestyle, including his family, home, and wealth, represents the 1920’s atmosphere of growth and the booming time that was soon to vanish from the Great Depression.

The Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age describe an era of prosperity and entertainment. With fancy parties, cars, houses, and a multitude of wealth, people go about their day with frivolity. However, not all were willing to accept the social changes that goes with the 1920s. One such novel that addresses the liberal era and some reluctance is Eudora Welty’s novel Delta Wedding. Beginning with Laura McRaven travelling to visit her extended family, the Fairchilds, at their plantation in the Mississippi Delta, she experiences the turmoil surrounding her departed mother’s family: the uproar of the oncoming wedding, the tension between her aunts, and the difficulties one must face in becoming a Fairchild. Despite Laura playing the main role of the novel, Welty uses her minor character Robbie Reid to explore the compact Southern family and the polarity between precedent archetypes and the liberal woman of the 1920s.

To marry for money and not love is frowned upon as a social norm, but is also seen as an opportunity for women to rise in the social hierarchy. Though, love is to be the reason why bonds like marriage exist. Being a woman in the nineteenth century limits social advancement and makes it seem impossible without wealth, a background of family fortune, or matrimony to a man labeled high class. Emma Woodhouse, from the novel Emma written by Jane Austen, defines what it means to seek stature through marriage and how couples can aid in contexts such as social groups. Austen clearly covers social groups in her novel, but making the novels focal point circumvent around Emma. We look beyond how class enables opportunity for women and see just how

Heckling has transformed Emma through a new set of social values, a new medium and a different context. She shows the changed ideologies and values by transforming the provincial setting of Highbury and upper class (gentry) systems whereby wealth, property and status govern strict codes of behaviour and social relationships to a microcosm of modern Beverly Hills. In Emma, marriage is a social custom and expectation acting as a medium for security, financial assets, wealth and social status. Class systems made social interaction and experience limited with rank giving rise to insensitive, arrogant and pompous individuals like Emma and Cher.

The novel is set in the 1930s during the great depression, where women were expected to marry and look after the children. A woman was not expected to have her own opinion and they did not have numerous rights. These social expectations and views are reflected through the character of Curley’s wife in the novel.

The setting was analogical genius. Just as American society was reconstructing it's values and identity after the civil war and with the rise of the industrial revolution, so was each character. Victoria Woodhull, born into a transient poverty-stricken criminal family, envisioned, planned and executed a life of wealth and respectability for herself. Freydeh Levin, disadvantaged in wealth, heritage, familiar ties and with limited means of supporting herself carved out a niche in an oppressive society in which she not only thrived financially but created a much longed for family. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the ideal of the time; a devoted wife and mother. Although she has attained such status she envisioned and worked for more for herself and all women, renovating society and herself. Even Anthony Comstock, the true ideal of the time: male, national and ambitious is fueled to restructure society and by doing so transforms himself. Although each personality differed greatly, they all shared the struggle against the society of their time and their success at re-shaping themselves and subsequently society, on their own terms; therein lies the theme.

In ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’, the two authors J.B Priestley, and J. Steinbeck shows us their highlights that illustrate their beliefs, that will examine the opinions towards women and the role they play in society. In the time that the plays were set 1912s and in the 1930s. As we regard back to ‘Of Mice And Men’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’ the two victims Curley’s Wife and Eva smith possess the similarities of their character traits. Both Eva Smith and Curley’s wife are victims of their class as Eva is victimized by each member of the Birling Family, who each make her life harder and each of them are eventually partially responsible for her death.

The nineteenth century for American history marked an era of prosperity and rapid progress in economy, agriculture, psychology, industrialism and even literature for both men and women. Much of written history discusses the major accomplishments and triumphs of our rising country, yet it fails to discuss the social culture in depth such in terms of the darker aspects in which women faced oppression and discrimination, similar to slaves, by the 'superior' white male. Susan Glaspell’s dark and dramatic short play, Trifles, brings into light the harshness of gender roles and its effect on certain individuals when it breaks down the tale of how sweet and gentle Mrs. Minnie Wright committed the ultimate crime and brutally murdered her husband of

During this time period, woman were suppose to be seen as ornamental figures that did not necessarily do much but establish a dominance for their family name in social circles. Thus, men usually looked for a trophy wife that would highlight their success in the most positive manner, and that was in fact what Mr. Rosedale was looking for when he initially asked Lily Bart to marry him. Wharton makes Mr. Rosedale’s marriage proposal to Lily Bart look more like a business proposition which illustrates how love and emotions were not as important as social standing and social power to most of the elite group of wealthy people. Thus, Wharton further establishes the superficial behaviour of the upper class.

While the proud, wealthy male protagonists of these novels offer their half of the link between the two novels, they each find themselves tormented by the alluring, independent nature of their romantic, female counterparts Catherine and Elizabeth, who resist equally, though differently, in being defined by marriage. For women, it is a perilous task to obtain a suitable husband who improves the status and wealth of their family, and perfecting every aspect of a model woman to achieve this. This enormous pressure is well acquainted with women of high society wishing to preserve their status through arranged marriage as well as women of lower societal ranking wanting to improve their quality of living through a wealthy husband. These two novels offer an example from each side: Catherine Earnshaw of Wuthering Heights as the wealthy woman of great expectations who is pressured to marry Edgar Linton for her family’s interest, and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice of lesser class, who is expected to compete with countless others for the attention of a few scattered bachelors. With marriage being the utmost priority for these women, love is a luxury few can spare. Catherine, due to her expectations in marriage for preservation of wealth, feels helpless in her refusal of her true love Heathcliff, who is not of enough notable rank to compete with her other suitors (Hagan 146). Oppositely, Elizabeth is of lower class and expected to accept the hand of most notable rank in

Jane Austen’s well-known novel, Pride and Prejudice, discussed multiple social themes in the 19th century. Austen mainly criticized marriage during her era, when she says that, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 3). As she explains that it was valuable to women since it provided them with security and a social title. The author explored the diverse motives behind matrimony in her time period by using a humorous and romantic plot to discuss the social issues. For instance, Charlotte Lucas’s unreasonable marriage to Mr. Collins is a vital example of how women needed to secure a future and attain social status. To conclude, Lydia Bennet’s meaningless marriage to George Wickham shows that entering the marriage estate could have also been for mainly financial purposes. Contrastingly, Jane Bennet, the heroine’s older sister, marries Charles Bingley for love, security, and a social ranking. On the other hand, Elizabeth Bennet marries Fitzwilliam Darcy after months of misunderstandings and romantic drama for none other than true love. Thus, Austen uses her leading characters’ marriages in Pride and Prejudice to exhibit the various attitudes and reasons for marrying in the 19th century. (Lane 2015)