Pride and Prejudice - Essay Example

Pride and Prejudice This book has been described by scholars as a very conservative text. Did you find it so? Whatsort of position do you see it taking on the class system? It has also been described as Austen's most idealistic book. What do you suppose is meant by that? In a way, the conservative property of the text is thought to have been derived from the narrative technique of indirect speech in which the character of Elizabeth for instance is made to exude by forming a representative statement out of her thoughtful prejudices. It may be perceived as conservative in utilizing the notion that she would often employ the attitude of contradicting the prevailing social formula or inclination of the society upon which her suspicions rest. I suppose that the prejudices themselves of Elizabeth, as the Austen’s novel guides the reader by way of Lizzie’s point of view, exhibit the capacity to reject the society’s approach to liberation and typical principle of the many toward modernity via a conservative philosophy. Pride and Prejudice was written during the Regency period in which elaborate codes of conduct governed every social interaction in upper-class society. Whether making an introduction at a ball, or ascending a flight of stairs with a person of the opposite sex, specific behavior applied. In this system, upper-class women did not visit men, unless it had to do with a subject on business. As a matter of fact, if a woman was unmarried and under thirty, it was considered inappropriate for her to be seen in a man’s company without the presence of a chaperone. In Austen’s time, a woman could not legally own property, so without the benefit of a good reputation women had little hope of an advantageous marriage, and thus a secure means of sustaining the future living. Reputation was tantamount to life. Regimented ideas as such of appropriate gender behavior favor greatly in Austen’s work, during her lifetime though, female writers were barely recognized, being discriminated to conceive ideas inferior to those of men. So women of her class had been unable to earn reputable wage in a patriarchal society and Austen who opted for leisure over economy in writing, did not at all intend to make a living out of her profession which appeared more of a hobby. As Jane Austen’s most ideal book, Pride and Prejudice may be felt to have been treated with an intellectual approach that taps almost every aspect concerning personal growth and woman’s delicate issue in the society of that period. Besides mere consideration of literary venture, she wrote and lived at a point when English literature was in transition and based on studies conducted by scholars, her original work drew influence from writers in the Age of Reason, prominent of whom were S. Richardson, H. Fielding, and F. Burney. Through the elements of the Age of Reason, Pride and Prejudice is claimed to be ideal in that the novel stressed the common sense of society rather than individual imagination and the literature of this era was generally characterized by the ideals of self-control, reason, propriety, and etiquette. As a novelist, part of Austen’s objective was to find the means for unobtrusive spiritual survival, without open conflict with the friendly people around her whose standards in simpler things she could accept and whose affection she greatly needed. Of course, she found that one of the most useful peculiarities of her society was its willingness to remain blind to the implications of a caricature. Pride and Prejudice is no less deliberately shaped than Austen’s other novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’; its pattern shows an equal delight in the symmetry of correspondence and antithesis; but there is a notable difference in contrivance. This pattern is formed by diverging and converging lines, by the movement of two people who are impelled apart until they reach a climax of mutual hostility, and thereafter bend their courses toward mutual understanding and amity. It is a pattern very common in fiction, but by no means easy to describe plausibly. Furthermore, prior to the Romantic Movement, Jane Austen managed to have displayed carefully crafted portrayals of England’s rural gentry with satiric depictions upon the upper class while in constant recognition of the significance of an individual in the society’s context. In effect, the schools of thoughts from the Age of Reason were found to contain device useful to the Romantic Period where Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continued to shed light in promoting individual freedom, self-expression, and spiritual enlightenment altogether. Austen believed one must be accepted and loved by society in order to survive, though she questioned society’s ability to always judge properly, as in the case of Darcy and Wickham. She also believed it was not just the hope, but the right of every individual to be fulfilled and happy and wondered about the personal cost of social acceptance. 5. Austen suggests that in order to marry well a woman must be pretty, respectable, and have money. In the world of Pride and Prejudice, which of these is most important? Spare a thought for some of the unmarried women in the book-Mary and Kitty Bennet, Miss de Bourgh, Miss Georgiana Darcy, poor, disappointed Caroline Bingley. Which of them do you picture marrying some day? Which of them do you picture marrying well? Of the three prevailing traits, being respectable appears as the most important in order for a woman to marry with great fortunes in the Pride and Prejudice realms. Respect is a value which Elizabeth manages to earn from Mr. Darcy and in turn, he looks up to her and finds affections developed with each other out of the same value despite pride. Though Lizzie rarely gets approval from her mother who rather favors Jane more due to physical beauty, her character has become capable of withstanding tests of judgment and economy having been able to execute around respect. As such, upon Darcy’s surprise visit to Elizabeth at an instant when the latter makes time to examine her sister’s letter even at a point of receiving the guest with cold civility, still, he expresses “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” By suppressing any tendency to be defensive at her demeaning behavior since Darcy is said to have still kept in regard a sense of her inferiority, he shows how respect for Elizabeth is maintained between his reserved eloquence and the effort to make the other party feel his tenderness. Being pretty and rich may as well account for the attributes of a woman in order to arrive at a highly potential marriage yet Ms. Bingley who possesses as such is apparently not found capable of drawing in Darcy’s interest. Even though both belong to the same class in the proper English society, the type of man Darcy is by nature evidently filters off qualities substandard to the advantage of respectability. According to the novel, Darcy has had stages of evaluating Bennet’s personality beyond immediate fascination of good looks where “Mr Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty ... began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.” At this stage, the course of the story likely conveys that Fitzwilliam is in the gradual unconscious process of aligning his standards with respectful properties which are well within depths of real essence of a woman. In view of the world outside Austen’s creation, Pride and Prejudice still makes it a point to portray reality as expected. The author demonstrates knowledge of the truth in situating Lizzie’s sister, Jane, to acquire frequency of men’s attention during ball feasts at Meryton assembly. Mr. Bingley greatly approves of Jane’s external appearance that he finds delight in dancing with her more than once that his sisters in an equivalent fashion are said to distinguish her from the rest. Hence, in this picture of common society is perceived an ideal concept in which the worth of physical beauty can far outweigh that of respect when it comes to a rather traditional level or standard of judgment. Among the unmarried women pointed out in this work of Austen, Miss Georgiana Darcy builds a picture of a woman who could marry well due to a set of traits which enable his brother to look after her with fondness. According to a conversation with Elizabeth, Wickham shares an opinion on Georgiana saying “As a child, she was affectionate and pleasing, and extremely fond of me; and I have devoted hours and hours to her amusement ... She is a handsome girl, about fifteen or sixteen, and I understand, highly accomplished. Since her father’s death, her home has been London, where a lady lives with her, and superintends her education.” Of whom Caroline Bingley shares a similar opinion exclaiming “I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! and so extremely accomplished for her age!” though encounters with Miss Darcy haven’t been made explicit until Elizabeth herself testifies to the truth upon their meeting. To her, “Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, though little more than sixteen, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense and good-humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle.” Based on these assessments, Darcy’s sister seems to exude favor through general countenance and refined ways which are ideal characteristics of an elite woman. Whenever a man should choose to get further acquainted with her, everything must go well as indicated by Lizzie’s accurate and most important description ‘unassuming’. This way, thoughtful readers may relate how Georgiana’s features could essentially invite not only attention and respect but even intimacy with an affluent man as well. Mary, unlike her sisters, prefers to stay in her comfort zone of studying on her own, content with mere observations of human nature without necessitating to interact with the society whereas Kitty develops a type of behavior patterned after Lydia’s. The latter is quite disposed to invest her moments inquiring of and flirting with the officers in the regiment. On the basis of yielding to such an attitude and establishing belief that Lydia’s fate would later prosper her with abundant wealth, Kitty bears the much likelihood of getting married next to Miss Darcy. References Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classic. Tanvir, Nabila (2009). “Themes of Pride and Prejudice.” Retrieved from http://www.classic-enotes.com/novel/themes-of-pride-and-prejudice/ on September 10, 2011. Read More