Judging Characters in Literature Works - Essay Example

Judging Character Society was undergoing a great deal of change in a short period during the height ofthe Industrial Revolution in the middle of the 19th century. During this time in history, the economy of Britain and much of Western Europe was shifting from the agricultural base of the past to a more dynamic industrial base on the backs of the rapidly rising factories. The rigid social class structures of the past were failing as a result of the quick fortunes that could be made by even the most common of men and the bad habits of the wealthy that lost fortunes overnight. As more and more people began living in closer proximity to each other with the development of the cities, social interactions changed as well. This included the expected roles of women. This caused a great deal of confusion for young women attempting to find their way in a world under constant change. Young women felt constrained by the traditions of the past yet were aware that they had a chance for a happier, more fulfilling future. These concepts can be discovered in the novels that were written during that time period. The precarious position of young women torn between adhering to ‘traditional family values’ and the more rewarding, less constrained possibilities of the new age is illustrated through such literary characters as Elizabeth Bennett in Jane Austin’s novel Pride and Prejudice and Lucy Honeychurch in E.M. Forster’s novel A Room with a View. Although she is aware of how she is expected to behave within polite society, Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice doesn’t pay much attention to the social norms when it comes to restricting her true nature. This indicates that she has had a lenient childhood in which her actions have not been restricted or curtailed. There are several examples within the novel where she gives herself the liberty of speaking her own mind. She openly tells Mr. Darcy what she thinks of him before she is fully aware of his character, demonstrating an ‘unladylike’ confidence in her own opinions. Although it does not always help her and is not always shown to be a positive element of her personality, this willful streak also allows her to face down the intimidating Lady Catherine when cornered, “I am only resolved to act in that manner which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me” (Austen 307). Elizabeth’s behavior tends to stretch the boundaries of good breeding as even her mother, not the most astute socialite in town, warns her to “remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home” (Austen 35). In just about everything she does and everything she values, Elizabeth defies the social expectations of her time. “In addition to being able to sing, play an instrument and speak a little French or Italian, the qualities a young … gentlewoman needed, were to be innocent, virtuous, biddable, dutiful and be ignorant of intellectual opinion” (Thomas, 2007), qualities both of these women tend to ignore in their thirst for knowledge. This is similar to the main character Lucy Honeychurch in E.M. Forster’s book A Room With a View. The story starts in Italy, where Lucy is touring with her cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett. Charlotte is what was called an ‘old maid’ and insists that her young cousin stick by the bounds of strict social propriety. Lucy, however, was not brought up to have such rigid notions of proper behavior and places value on her own voice, symbolized by her piano playing. She tells Miss Lavish her family is Radical, which is surprising to the other woman because of the more conservative aspect of Lucy and Charlotte’s tour thus far. Lucy also speaks her opinion easily to Mr. Emerson and George throughout her stay in Italy despite often being quieted by Charlotte. Although she is able to appear part of the upper class, this position is imposed upon her from without, as is detailed in the background of her family. The houses around the Honeychurch estate were “filled by people who came, not from the district, but from London, and who mistook the Honeychurches for the remnants of an indigenous aristocracy … by the time people found out that she [Lucy’s mother] was not exactly of their milieu, they liked her, and it did not seem to matter” (Chapter 10). Upon her return to England and her home, Lucy’s natural internal character becomes clearer, indicating she had once used the pond for outdoor swimming, had been active outdoors and had been actively engaged in the processes of the family, all of which were decidedly against the ‘proper’ activities for a young Victorian lady. Both of these characters are then faced with a choice between honoring her family’s wishes or disappointing them and acting according to her own heart in making her marriage choice. According to Fay Weldon, it is not surprising that marriage should be the primary concern of these characters as “only thirty percent of women married. … Women were born poor, and stayed poor, and lived well only by their husbands’ favor” (1984: 37). For Elizabeth, she is offered the hand of Mr. Collins, a sad little self-important man who is the legally designated heir to the Bennett estate, as well as that of the very wealthy Mr. Darcy. She refuses Mr. Collins first although her mother becomes furious with Elizabeth for refusing as this may put the family’s comfort in jeopardy. The lack of emotion involved in the marriage decision is evidenced by Mr. Collins’ systematic approach of offering marriage to each daughter in descending birth order. It can also be seen in the very calculated approach taken by Charlotte in accepting Mr. Collins’ offer. She tells Elizabeth, “marriage with Mr. Collins [is] the preferable alternative” to what else society has to offer young women of the middle class. In the end, Elizabeth’s inability to conform completely to society’s expectations regarding economic security, feminine submissiveness and ‘proper’ activities are exactly those attributes that attract the attention of the man she’s most suited for. By not hiding her own personality or interests, she ends up achieving a marriage that provides her with the economic security every young woman of her time dreamed of. At the same time, she achieves a marriage of mutual affection and intellectual challenge. She also gains the freedom she’s sought to pursue her own interests as opposed to pursuing the interests foisted upon her by a cold and unfeeling society. Lucy is also forced to choose between a man who fulfills her family’s expectations and the desire of her heart. When she compares the treatment she receives from George following the witnessing of the murder in Italy with the treatment she receives from Cecil, Lucy knows she must choose between her family and her heart. When she faints in Italy, George is solicitous without forcing his will upon her as she recovers. He also allowed her to rest and speak of what was on her mind. “She talked of the murder. Oddly enough, it was an easy topic. She spoke of the Italian character; she became almost garrulous over the incident that had made her faint five minutes before. … She rose without his assistance … a cabman signaled to them; they refused him” (Chapter 4). Respecting her wishes to care for herself, George does not impose his attentions on her, pretend to know her state any better than she does herself except when she is obviously acting in shock and then uses reason to illustrate to her that he is merely responding to her condition. On the way back to the pension, George admits to Lucy that he has uncertainty in his behavior and weaknesses in his bearing, acknowledging himself to be equally as human as she and Lucy realizes “it was hopeless to look for chivalry in such a man” (Chapter 4). By contrast, Cecil is the perfect mannered gentleman in appearance in that he doesn’t work and he is highly educated. His ideas regarding the ‘proper’ behavior for a young woman are clear and his attitude toward Lucy’s home and community are barely concealed contempt. Mr. Beebe observes that “Mr. Vyse was a tease – something worse than a tease: he took a malicious pleasure in thwarting people” (Chapter 10) when the news comes out that he purposely undermined Lucy’s plans regarding the Miss Alans, but this act is made infinitely worse in that Cecil hasn’t a care at all how Lucy feels about this. When she attempts to explain her feelings, Cecil continues to talk over her until he has finished his story out, finally prompting Lucy to declare “You don’t know what the word [democracy] means … You had no business to undo my work about the Miss Alans, and make me look ridiculous. You call it scoring off Sir Harry, but do you realize that it is all at my expense?” (Chapter 10). Like Elizabeth, Lucy decides to marry the man who respects her without much consideration for his social position. Both of these novels have been adapted to film versions in recent years, bringing them to the awareness of the modern public. In each of these films, the personalities of these characters are brought out to much greater degree because of the way the actors portray them. The character of Mr. Collins, for example, is portrayed to be very fussy, uncertain and yet aggressive in making himself appear more important than he truly is. The live action of the films also help the characters come to life as real people with laughter and tears and body language that cannot be captured in a book. However, this also has the effect of condensing them into near caricatures of people, particularly when dealing with the more minor characters. This is partly the result of the original story and partly the need to condense these novels into the space of a two and a half hour film. Even given its limitations, though, the new films based on the old novels still manage to convey the sense that these women were caught up in a time of tremendous change in the way the world works and had to make a decision whether to honor the material values of their mothers or the more spiritual values of their souls. This is a message that continues to speak to modern audiences. Works Cited Austen, Jane. “Pride and Prejudice.” The Complete Novels of Jane Austen: Vol. 1. New York: The Modern Library, 1992. Forster, E.M. A Room with a View. New York: Vintage Books, 1988. Thomas, Pauline Weston. “A Woman’s Place in C19th Victorian History.” Fashion Era. (2007). August 4, 2009 Weldon, Fay. “England in Austen’s Time.” Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen. (1984). Reprinted in David Bender et al. Readings on Jane Austen. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Read More