Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice - Essay Example

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Introduction Class distinction is one of Jane Austen’s themes in the novel, and the differentiation related to it is evidently depicted. Reading the novel from the first chapter, I realize that the author clearly illustrates that class is what matters most in many of the incidences displayed by the characters. Unless an individual is of a given class, the idea that he or she has cash is not valued, since only birth in a certain background is what is of value. When a person openly values cash over class, such a person is frowned upon. In general terms, the Novel shows a social world extremely stratified and full of pretension and class struggle. Jane Austen is very clear in her writing about class distinction and she uses the novel to look beyond the widely stratified community divided by social classes experienced in the 18th century in England. This distinction shows that class snobbery is simply but an illusion rather than a real obstruction to marriage, given that Elizabeth, though socially inferior to Darcy, she is not in any way academically inferior to him. In this sense, Darcy realizes that his class pretentiousness is mislaid toward Elizabeth, since she also finds out that her prejudice towards Darcy’s snobbish and superior manner is misplaced when he rescues Elizabeth’s family from a scandal and disgrace. In this context, the writer uses Darcy and Elizabeth to show that class distinction does not guarantee one’s happiness in life, neither does it allow him or her to own every good thing desired. For instance, Darcy is brought out as a haughty character, who initially fails to think that Elizabeth is worth him for she originates from an unrecognized family; a middle class girl not so beautiful enough to suit him. However, as they continue interacting, he discovers that Miss Bennett has a honest and forthright manner as well as a lively mind that is quite opposite from Miss Bingleys; a girl from a high class background who only flatters with him. On the other hand, Elizabeth at first also despises Darcy for his superiority and condescending traits saying, “We are not rich enough, or grand enough for them” (Austen 119), but discovers that he is good-hearted when he liberates his family. With the many illustrations shown by characters from different social ladders, class distinction has been a central focus as a critique of the 18th century mentalities about class and feminism. In my opinion, the situation is actually grave for female characters who are reduced to sexual objects and marriage commodities at the mercy of male aspirations and who find themselves greatly subordinated and indebted by men as marriage symbolizes the sole means by which they can escape low status and poverty in society. For example, Darcy expresses, “there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money” (Austen 183). It is very ironic to note that Elizabeth, a woman considered as a mere object succumbs to marry Darcy. Miss Bennett is not the stereotype of the archetypal 18th century impoverished woman as she has an independent mind and a keen intellect despite her class, capable of not surrendering to Darcy on the basis of his wealth. Through the theme of class distinction, we get to know the satire of the marriage institution as a source of women’s entrapment. Beneath the surface of brightness and charm lies a deep anger that girls had on marriage to climb from one class to another. Pride and Prejudice thus gives a description of a satirical society where getting married is a way of social mobility to flee lives of ignonimity and drudgery as governesses’ girls had to fortune-hunt for wealthy husbands for survival (Le Faye 56). In the novel, the heroine always marry a rich man who has a social status different and above hers. Darcy says that with the type of uncle the Bennett sisters have, they “must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world” (37). However, cash is not the only significant thing, a fact that is depicted when Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s proposal, showing that she is not interested in him for his fortune alone. In their relationship, the author seems to support virtual flattening of the levels of distinction above the national gentry. With the theme of social distinction, we can therefore argue that with the upper class privileges came some responsibilities. For instance, people from the high class are expected to handle their money responsibly and to treat others with respect and courtesy. A good example is when Elizabeth does not consider Darcy’s proposals she claims he is pretentious and proud. Class differences are important in the novel because they determine where an individual is placed or categorized and the amount of assets such as land and money as well as a suitor partner worth, where a person is ranked within the classical hierarchy is founded on the grounds of what he or she does to earn a living. For example, the Bennett couple and Mr. Collins are regarded as “landed gentry” indicating that they do not have to necessarily work tirelessly to earn. However, Mr. Bennett was a man born into an arguably wealthy family but he decided to marry Mrs. Bennett from the low middle class for her attraction, meaning that he had to sacrifice his class rank. The point to note here is that characters in the novel are restricted extremely by their specific class expectations (Fergus 9). Conclusion Class distinction is a very vital subject of concern in Pride and Prejudice. The novel is based specifically in a fixed social structure that mostly affects the characters. The period frame or setting used by Jane Austen was characterized by limited social mobility in which the higher classes showed reluctance in distributing their riches among those who were not privileged. Class distinction and family interference are reflected in Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship. The characters live under a unique hierarchical class-distinct system and are controlled by a set of expectations and values that are established on mannerisms and conduct challenged by Elizabeth. From this novel, it is evident that the author wrote it with awareness of the class issues that affect different societies. Her annotations on the fixed social structure are important in giving a solution to the current social issues; that even the class distinctions and restrictions can be negotiated when an individual turns down bogus first impression s. Work Cited Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print Fergus, Jan. “Biography.” The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen. Ed. Janet Todd. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005. 3-11. Print. Le Faye, Deirdre. “England and the World.” Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. 40-125. Print. Read More