Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austene - Term Paper Example

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen Introduction “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 5). This is the most famous of sentences in the Jane Austen’s pride and prejudice. It is also the first sentence and sets the scene immediately. It enables the reader to know that the book deals with marriage and finding a life partner either a husband or a wife. It is a very amusing story but reading it more carefully one is able to know that there is actually more to the book than just an amusing story of finding a husband or wife. The writer has a good command of language and has used the same to help the reader understand the society and culture of the pride and prejudice. The writer has used metaphorical expressions, idiomatic expressions and diction to draw the writer to the society and culture of early 19th century Britain with regards to marriage. Metaphorical concepts, idioms and choice of words in the pride and prejudice George Lakoff and Mark Johnson theory in the book Metaphors We Live By (1980) claim that metaphors are in everyday language and that metaphors present our actions and thoughts. Austen’s pride and prejudice contains at least three metaphorical concepts that deal with marriage. These are, ‘marriage is a market’, ‘marriage is business deal’ and lastly ‘single people are merchandise’. There is so much evidence in the book to support the claim that ‘Marriage is a market’. The market aspect can be taken literally and is actually a place with many different stalls where one goes to compare, pick out and buy the thing he or she wishes. The very first sentence in the books is the first manifestation of the metaphorical concept that marriage is a market. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 15). This sentence is a very good example of the reason marriage was considered to be a market in the culture and society of Britain in early 19th century. This statement also tells why anyone would go to this ‘market’. Single men who had a fortune are thus not be looking for love or companionship but only need a wife and a good looking one who can be picked up at a local sore or market place. Before a market begins, stallholders will display the merchandise. In this case the single people are the merchandise. Focusing on display of merchandise it is important to look at diction or the choice word used to explain the metaphorical market. The metaphor mainly expresses itself through the words like ‘performs’ ‘presents’ ‘displays’ and ‘exhibit’. These words are used by the society to describe women. Thus from these words it can be deduced that the society viewed women as objects which need to be shown to prospective buyers. The words display can be found in the in a number of occasions in describing the single ladies. The ladies play a piano forte during a visit to Longbourn, where bonnets live, from the Nertherfield party. Mr. Bingley is staying together with his sisters, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Darcy in the Nertherfield which was their house. When Mary, One of miss Bennett’s, turn came she was described as ‘always impatient for display’ (Austen, 25). Another occasion where the word display has been used is where Elizabeth has received a letter from Darcy telling her about the conduct of Jane behaviour during the meeting with Mr. Bingley. She agrees with Mr. Darcy. She feels “Jane’s feelings, though fervent were a little displayed, and there was a constant complacency in her air and manner, not often united with great sensibility” (Austen, 202). Here the lack of display is considered as a problem. Mr. Darcy is fully convinced thus for her feelings for his friend and he persuades his friend who is tempted by the offer to back off. The used of the word offer here also portrays how women were regarded as commodities on display. There are a number of occasions in the book where the word display has been used to describe women whether express or implied and that above a just but a few occasions. Moving to the word exhibition an example is where Jane has fallen ill and is staying in Nertherfield and Elizabeth goes to visit her. She walks to the place and by the time she gets there her clothes are covered with mud and thus she cannot be seen with them. She doesn’t care about it but she comments on the state of her clothes Mr. Darcy and says, “I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition” (Austen, 36). Mary takes her place behind the piano again, at Nertherfield ball, and starts to perform. “Such an opportunity of exhibiting was delightful to her and she began her song” (Austen, 98). Elizabeth is embarrassed by the performance. She thinks her sister is not very talented and she tells her dad to stop the sister from singing. Her father tells Mary, “That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough. Let the other young ladies have time to exhibit” (Austen, 98). The use of the word exhibit by the very dad of the ladies shows the state of the society cultural beliefs that women are object to be exhibited so that men could shop for them. Another word choice which has been used in the metaphorical idiom that ‘marriage is a market’ is the word present. Just like the stallholders will present their goods ladies are presented for the whole world to see as a way of making an offer to the world. At an assembly where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are not dancing and Mr. Lucas wants to change this situation. He says “my dear Eliza, why are you not dancing? Mr. Darcy you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner” (Austen, 27). It is interesting that Elizabeth is presented by a neighbour to Mr. Darcy other than her won parents. Thus the merchandise in this market can be presented by other people other than the owners. Another example where the choice of the word ‘present’ has used is where Mr. Collins visits Longbourne and discuses Miss de Bourgh, the patroness daughter and Mrs. Bennet asks, “Has she been presented?” (Austen, 66). Something is taken ‘out’ when it is carried from a place where nobody could see it to place where somebody can see it. In the book the use of this word is for the girls who were before the time of ‘out’ were considered not available for marriage but after the ‘out’ they are then considered available for marriage. Charlotte’s younger sisters are happy that she is finally getting married as this gives them the opportunity to be ‘out’ earlier since charlotte is engaged, “the younger girls formed hopes of coming ‘out’ a year or two sooner than they might have done” (Austen, 120). Performance is also another word choice that has been used to draw the attention of shoppers. At an assembly when Elizabeth is playing the piano forte at an assembly her “performance was pleasing, though by no means capital” (Austen, 25). The objects on display up to here are women. But men also needed to perform in some instances so that they could too be displayed. Although the instance of display is more in the women the society culture also to same extent had men on display. Mr Lucas comments to Mr. .Darcy that his friend who was dancing ‘performs beautifully’ (Austen, 26). However the book has very rare occasions when men are on display. In fact men in the book did not sing or play piano forte in public. Thus according to this book the merchandise for the market is regarded as women and thus the society regards women as objects. The next procedure in the market place was admiration and comparison of what was on display. In (14) “Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it.”The metaphor marriage is a market place is further explained through attention notice and admiration which follow display. Exhibit and displaying would be pointless, if the notice of opposite sex want drawn. An example in the book is with Bennets younger sisters. While walking to Meryton with their sisters and Mr. Collins they are engaged in a conversation. When they arrived, “the attention of the younger ones was no longer to be gained by him (Austen, 71)” The next step of the market business was to study, value and compare merchandise by peers. The merchandise observed was compared to the peer just like an interested party would do in any market. The merchandise was not bought at first sight but was first compared to the other merchandise in the market, unless this was an extra ordinary object. This can be illustrated when Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy entered a room where a party was on. Darcy is admired right away because is tall and handsome. Soon it is found out that he has twice the money of Mr. Bingley and he is declared even more attractive. Here the men are being valued by everyone in the room and since Mr. Darcy is richer he becomes more valuable. At this point the metaphor that marriage is business deal is perfectly explained. However it turns out that the Mr. Darcy’s character is seriously flawed and it is decided that he was not as handsome as he had seemed to be at first time. The market business does not end with attention admiration or noticing and buying but once an object is bought the purchaser wants to show it off. This was the case of Lydia after marrying Wickham. “He was her dear Wickham on every occasion; no one else was to be put in competition with him” (Austen, 301). The market business also extends to valuing of objects by the potential buyers. Objects are valued by the look and the family. The family can be regarded as the manufacturer of the object and it is used in judging the value of the object. Jane is judged in a similar manner by Miss Bingley who says, “I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart that she is well settled. But such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it” (Austen, 36) Mr Darcy is just like Miss Bingley and he thinks low of Bennet family. This is very clear when he proposes to marry Elizabeth for the first time. He stresses the point that her family is far beneath his and he had struggled to forget her. She is not worth him. In fact, he says, “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?” (Austen, 188). Mr Darcy proposal was an insult out Elizabeth. He made it very clear that he thinks Elizabeth and her family were far beneath him and their marriage would be degradation for him. After the insult he nonetheless expects her to marry him and he has no doubt about it in his mind. Here the metaphor that marriage is a market clearly displays the thinking of the rich in the society when they go to the market. They don’t want to get the girls from the poor families as this brings them no connections. The society believes in connections. Another metaphorical concept that has been mentioned a couple of times above is that ‘market is a business deal’. This can be discussed separately to show what happens after the comparing, admiring and selecting merchandise in the market the two overlap a couple of times. In a real market after one finds the object he or she is looking for an offer is made and after some haggling the object is paid for. In this book there is a lot of evidence that the early 19th century Britain, cultural values on marriage went far into making marriage a business deal (Wiesenfarth, 261-273). It could be regarded as a business just Like in the corporate world or any business stall marriage was a business deal where the price for the object had to be paid after haggling. The choice of words used under this metaphorical concept are; proposals, offers, settlements, terms, advantages and money. These words are strongly associated with contracts and business deals. This is first mentioned in the description of Mrs. Bennet at the beginning of the book “The business of her life was to get her daughters married” (Austen, 7). The elopement and marriage of Lydia to Wickham is referred to as ‘businesses on several occasions. Elizabeth reflects on the consequences of elopement of Lydia on the rest of the family and says, “in this early example of what Lydia’s infamy must produce, found additional anguish as she reflected on that wretched business’(Austen, 266). After the elopement, the rest of the daughters of this family have slim chances of getting married. Men would not wish to connect themselves with such a family. The chances of getting married for Bennett’s girls are slim. The brother in law of Mr. Bennet writes a ;letter saying that he has arranged everything for Lydia wedding and all that Mr. Bennet was supposed to do was, “ to send full powers to act in his name, throughout the whole business” (Austen, 286) and thus he would be able to take care of everything. The love interest of Jane and Elizabeth is also referred to as business. The mother of Jane was disappointed when the expected marriage of Jane and Mr. Bingley was shattered. She asked Elizabeth, “what is your opinion now of this sad business of Jane’s” (Austen, 219). The choice of the word business has been used to show how the society values and beliefs used to take a marriage like any other business. There are a couple of times when words which imply business to marriage have been used and the above are just but a few examples. The word ‘manager’ has been used on several occasions to illustrate that marriage is a business deal. This example here involves charlotte. She is getting married to Mr. Collins and she knows Elizabeth her friend will disprove of this choice. She is happy she is getting married however the “least agreeable circumstance in the business” (Austen, 120-121). According to Mrs. Bennet, “charlotte is an excellent manager, I dare say” (Austen, 220) she further says that Charlotte’s housekeeping will “take a great deal of good management (Austen, 220). Another choice of word which implies the business deal on marriage is proposal or offer. On about 13 occasions a proposal for marriage is regarded as an offer. In the real contracts when one is bidding for an object an offer is put in. many examples are in the book are when Elizabeth turns down Mr. Collins. He explains why he thinks that she should accept him saying, “The establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable” (Austen, 106) and he further says, “That it is by no means certain that an offer of marriage may ever be made to you.” The use of the word establishment tells of what Mr. Collins feels about the match. What he is offering to Elizabeth is not love but an establishment. This again shows that the society views marriage as a business. The last metaphorical concept that has is also related with the others is that ‘single people are merchandise’. The previous metaphorical concept has clearly shown the thinking of the society that marriage is a business. Tin every market place where there is business being carried there is merchandise for sale. In this book single people have been in several occasions seen as merchandise. The first sentence of the book makes the suggestion that men are the purchasers and the women are the merchandise. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 5). However as the story progresses, it is not only the single ladies who are seen as merchandise but also the single men. The manifestations of this occur when both young women and men are referred to as things or objects in the book. In the ordinary sense objects are things that can be possessed by someone. The objects do not thus have control over who owns them. This is a very important part that helps us to learn on the cultural values of this society in regard to marriage. Objects in the possession of someone can be thrown away, lost or reject an can be used as one pleases. This shows how this society treats spouses. A wife could be treated as an object of the man. There are several examples when single people have been referred to as objects or in the related words. The first good example is when Mrs. Bennet learns that Mr. Bingley with his five or six thousand pounds was going to move into the neighbourhood. The first thing she says is: “what a fine thing out for our girls! (Austen, 6).” Mr. Collins says to his patroness regarding the daughters of Bennet family that, “that they were not the only objects of Mr. Collins admiration” (Austen, 64). Colonel Fitzwilliam was thought to be a very good match and Elizabeth is interested in him but after Mr. Darcy’s proposed “Colonel Fitzwilliam was no longer an object” (Austen, 203). Thus again we can see the writer’s choice of words as she tries to bring to the attention of the reader the societal view of single people as merchandise. Conclusion In pride and prejudice three commercial metaphors have been used to refer to marriage. The writer also has a good command of language and diction and has used words like ‘objects’ to refer to single people. The words like ‘offer’ ‘business’ and many other have been used to help the reader understand the view of the society on marriage and also the belief and values of the society in regard to marriage. In this case the interrelationship between culture, society and language has clearly been expressed. For example, in this society one is able to see how parents treat their children like things they need to get rid off in a manner that brings advantage (Weinsheimer, 404-19). By use of the metaphors these parents can be seen as the stall holders in the market who are selling their merchandise which means their children. It is thus a culture where marriage is regarded as a business. Bibliography Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Penguin Classics, 1996. Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1980 Weinsheimer, Joel. “Chance and the Hierarchy of Marriages in Pride and Prejudice.” English Literary History. London: Penguin Classics,1972 Wiesenfarth, Joseph. “The Case of Pride and Prejudice.” Studies in the Novel. London: Penguin Classics, 1984 Read More