Class and Gender Representations in Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austin uses the novel Pride and Prejudice to comment on both class and gender expectations within a fixed society. She questions both the class stratification of the time, and the unreasonable expectations placed on gender, and the inequality between males and females. Written in 1796, Austin lived during the regency period, in which the novel is based and understood both the issues she was commenting on. Austin used setting, and descriptions of the estates to give information on the characters and their social status. Using descriptions of Rosings Park, in comparison to Pemberly, readers are able to see the contrast between both Lady Catherine De Bough, and my Darcy. â€Å"Taste neither gaudy, nor uselessly fine, with less of†¦show more content†¦They depended on marriage to keep their status within society, and to allow them to have a comfortable life. â€Å"I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins s character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state. Charlotte understood this fact, and married him for is security, binding herself the obsequious Mr. Collins. It is also this fact that led Mrs. Bennet to silliness, in trying to have all of her daughters married well, in order to save them from a hard life, as Longbourne, their estate, was to be entailed away to Mr. Collins.† The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.† Austen provides a reason for Mrs. Bennet to be so silly, in trying to have all daughters in a state of security, and not have to worry over the imminent entailment. Austen uses the novel pride and prejudice to comment on society and the expectations placed on gender, and class. Highlighting the class stratification of the times, and people of the upper classes refusal to accept those of a lower class into their ranks. Commenting on the expectations placed both on men and women of society, Austen uses her characters to portray her own dissatisfaction with such requirements. Austin portrays the society she lives in, in such a way that both challengesShow MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1294 Words   |  6 PagesAusten s exceptional novel Pride and Prejudice has been depicted as a classic that is as much a social study on class, marriage and gender as it is a romantic tale. It is an amusing representation of the social atmosphere of the late eighteenth and mid nineteenth century England, and it is primarily required with courtship rituals of the English high class. The novel is more than a romantic tale, however through Austen s sub tle, and ironic style, it addresses gender, class, and marriage. These subjectsRead MoreThe Representations of Femininity in Pride and Prejudice904 Words   |  4 Pagescharacters and stories revolve around the lives of the upper class. It centers on the values, rituals, and manners of high society in England during the Regency Era. 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