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Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: Gender Roles and Societal Hierarchies
Unveiling Societal Norms and Femininity in Pride and Prejudice:
Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen and published in the year 1813, is set in the countryside of England. This romantic novel follows the development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the importance of avoiding hasty judgments and the differences between superficial and reality. Additionally, the theme of femininity and women’s reputations within English society is prominent. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice shatters the stigma of social rankings and restrictions placed on women.
In 18th-century England, both femininity and Women’s reputations were of the utmost importance. It was expected of women to adhere to certain expectations and rules set by society, especially in the public eye. This is exemplified by Elizabeth’s sister Lydia, who runs away and lives with Wickham, a gold-digging foot soldier until Lydia’s family gets involved and forces the two to be married. Reputation within the novel is an important theme; when one character’s reputation is flawed, it threatens that of many others.
Upon Lydia crushing her own reputation, she puts the reputations of all of her family members on the line as well. Mrs. Bennet’s fowl reputation with the upper-class members reflects prominently on Jane and Elizabeth. This is also exemplified when Elizabeth appears at the Netherfield estate with mud spattered on her clothing from the walkover; the shock of her appearance is evident in Caroline Bingley’s comments. Christopher Brook’s critical article on rank and class in reference to Jane Austen’s literary masterpieces addresses how carefully observed economic phenomenons and societal rankings were by Austen before writing.
Her observations on social rank are always accurate and satirical. She creates characters from the utmost pretentious snobs, who view the system with all too much respect, to mindless oafs who don’t give an ounce of thought or respect to the system. Robert Uphaus, in his critical article, employs Mr. Collins as an example of Jane Austen’s views of reading in relation to the female sex. Mr. Collins, in the novel, cultivates conventional wisdom upon self-righteously declaring that he never reads novels. When Mr. Collins is invited to read aloud in the family library, it is written: a book was produced; but on beholding it, he started back, and, begging pardon, protested that he never read novels.’
Dichotomy of Characters: Pride and Prejudice as a Mirror of Flaws:
After significant time and banter, it was decided that he read Fordyce’s Sermons. Austen’s novel begins with, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This sentence is wrought with irony that will develop throughout the novel. The characteristics of the title, Pride and Prejudice, introduce the reader to the flaws of the main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy. It is Darcy’s flaw of Prejudice and Elizabeth’s flaw of pride that cause the chain of events, preventing the couple from either noticing or acknowledging their shared love.
Crafting Complexity: Austen’s Literary Techniques in Pride and Prejudice:
Austen uses irony to contrast the significant differences between what is expected by the reader versus the reality of what actually transpires. The irony is the most prevalent and powerful literary device employed by Austen throughout the romantic novel. Austen’s irony resonates in a multitude of different ways within each character. The novel is filled with both dramatic and situational irony. Dramatic irony is mainly present in the first few chapters, whereas situational irony is largely distributed throughout the novel.
Dramatic irony is primarily exemplified when Caroline Bingley, Elizabeth, Darcy, Jane, and Charles Bingley are all together in the Bingley household. During Elizabeth’s absence from this scene, Darcy’s commentary displays to the reader that despite Elizabeth’s feelings toward Darcy, he is at least slightly intrigued by her. Caroline mentions how unkempt Elizabeth looks upon her arrival as though she had walked there, which she had, specifically how this would likely make Darcy think less of her “fine eyes.”
Darcy’s reply incited the dramatic irony: “They were brightened by the exercise.” His comment displays his fondness towards Elizabeth; it is not until later chapters that Elizabeth is made known of this fondness. Situational irony is exemplified during Elizabeth’s stay at her friend’s house; she is visited by Darcy. Before his visit, she is conversing with her friend about her hate for Darcy, which she believes is reciprocated until this visit.
Instead of the expected rude comments from Darcy, he states, “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” He proceeds to ask for her hand in marriage. The reader is instantly taken by surprise due to the fact that we were made to believe his pride had caused him to loathe her. Her writing style is a diverse combination of both neoclassicism and romanticism. Within Austen’s style of writing lies her witty dialogue, which distinguishes her from other artists of her time, as well as intricate individuality within every character. Austen had a talent as well as the pattern of diving below the surface of basic events and turning them into emotionally complex entertainment.
Austen’s diction can most accurately be described as formal diction. Formal diction is characterized by complex words with a lofty tone, usually proper and elaborate language. Elizabeth is highly as well as thoroughly educated by her own doing, primarily through reading. Therefore, her vocabulary is of a significantly higher level than that of her sisters, Kitty and Mary, who are primarily observed using neutral diction often wrought with colloquialisms.
The novel is told from a limited omniscient perspective, through Elizabeth, but not in the first person. Pride and Prejudice is narrated in 3rd person, primarily with Elizabeth. There is no seemingly obvious reason to distrust the narrator. Historically, before the modernist movement, it was assumed narrators were always reliable. Austen employs the technique of wordplay to emphasize the importance of transpiring events. This is exemplified by Darcy during a conversation with Charles; Darcy states, “At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable.
Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.” Austen utilizes the word insupportable; this word has a double meaning; it can mean either not in favor of the previous or unadvised. Secondly, this can be found during a discussion between Elizabeth and Charlotte pertaining to the relationship between Jane and Charles. In this conversation, Charlotte brings to light that Charles does not feel the way about Jane as Elizabeth is claiming.
The following quote illustrates this: “Eliza, remember that he does not know Janes’s disposition as do you.”. The word disposition is used specifically because it can either be applied to her character or the situation. This wordplay employed by Austen is evident throughout her novel Pride & Prejudice, as well as in her other works, almost as a trademark while serving to allow double meaning that can be determined by the audience as well as emphasizing interest. Jane Austen utilizes the love story between Jane and Charles as a ploy to capture the attention of her audience, as well as the complex relationship of love and hate between Darcy and Elizabeth.
Structural Evolution: Themes and Narratives in Pride and Prejudice:
The themes of Pride and Prejudice are developed through the novel’s structure. The structure is simple: the two people introduced in the first few pages are the two who should be together, which the reader can concretely feel and see, and end up together in the last pages. The journey to this is filled with complications that bring a multitude of the character’s qualities to the surface. The title itself is a key factor in the structure of this novel’s analysis.
Pride and Prejudice is an analysis of characters who are so seemingly simple yet so complex. By using Freytag’s structure pyramid, one can see that the structure of this novel begins with the inciting action of Charles Bingley renting an estate nearby. The rising action is centralized around the conflict of Darcy being seemingly unimpressed with Elizabeth Bennet, which is overheard by Elizabeth herself. This incites the many complications to come.
The climax begins when Darcy proposes his love for Elizabeth and asks for her hand in marriage, which Elizabeth finally accepts after a visit from Lady deBourgh. The falling action takes place with Elizabeth confronting Mr. and Mrs. Bennet with the news of the engagement. Neither of the two was fond of Darcy, as they believed Elizabeth was fond of him as well. At this time, it is brought to the attention of Mr. Bennet that it is due to Mr. Darcy that Lydia was to be married to Mr. Wickham at such a small price. The resolution was the wedding of Elizabeth Bennet, soon to be Mrs. Darcy, to Mr. Darcy. The epilogue that followed described the contentment and joy-filled relationships of other couples. Austen Pride and Prejudice is a satirical literary masterpiece pertaining to societal rankings and the conditions as well as expectations of women during this time period, the 18th century.
References:
- Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813.
- Brook, Christopher. “Rank and Class in Jane Austen’s Literary Masterpieces.”
- Uphaus, Robert. “Mr. Collins and Jane Austen’s Views on Reading in Relation to the Female Sex.”
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