Treatment of Men and Women in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Auston and Provoked by Rahila Gupta - Book Report/Review Example

In this essay I have addressed the question of whether the issues of gender bias that existed in the 19th century still prevalent in today’s contemporary world. I have researched the historical, religious, social and cultural biases that have plagued women over the centuries. The historical abuse and misuse of women is well documented in many texts which I have used in this paper, namely ‘History and Gender Some Explorations’ and ‘Feminism and History’ alongside other sources. The religious bias is prevalent even today as in earlier days when man was the image of God and woman the preptator of the original sin.This bias is present in all religons including Christianity, Judism and Hinduism. Social and cultural biases have been somewhat altered by the advent of feminism but the institution of marriage is still considered the best bet for a woman. Many pay only lip service to the concept of womens equality and women of all ages, across all classes and races still suffer at the hands of men. Brutality against women as described in Provoked is widespread. the belittling of women as portrayed in Pride and Prejudice is still common in the homes and institutions of modern societies. Verbal and physical abuse in the form of degratory name calling, eve-teasing, rape and assault are rampant. In conclusion we can summarize that the situation of women is still deplorable and this issue need careful delibration and rectifation. Gender Issues Introduction In this Essay I shall be responding to the research question which is, how are men and women considered to be different form each other giving rise to the trend of prejudice against the weaker gender and how the two books, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austin and ‘Provoked’ by Kiranjit Ahluwalia and Rahila Gupta are instrumental in understanding the same and analyzing its causes in the light of historical background. Both the books are about how woman especially belonging to the middle class suffer both pre-marital and after-marital suffering and pain for no reason except the fact that they are women. None but this truth of women’s plight interests me in delving into the matter further in search of answers hitherto not acquired. In ‘Pride and Prejudice’ the gender differentiation is understandable as the timeline of the books authorship is of an era that had yet to see the rise and success of feminism and the liberalization of society. But in the case of ‘Provoked’ the timeline is of today’s era of globalization, liberty and tolerance so it is a matter of great concern that such gender inequality and brutality towards women still persists in our societies. Women in both the books suffer from male bigotry and the only object this essay has is to awaken awareness in all humans of the seriousness of the issue as a whole. The starting line of the novel summarizes the whole novel," that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife". Characterization is awesome as in chapter three Mr Darcy says to Mr. Bingley about Elizabeth Bennet that "She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me." And in same chapter Mrs. Bennet to Mr. Bennet about Mr. Darcy says that," But I can assure you," she added, "that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set-downs. I quite detest the man". Description of characters and surroundings is done so well that you can feel characters and events happening around you. Austen’s England In Austen’s time, there was no real way for young women of the "genteel" classes to strike out on their own or be independent. (Those of lower classes worked at low paying domestic jobs or unskilled factory workers with almost no rights)Professions such as law, medicine, politics, etc. were not open to women those few occupations that were open to them, such as being a governess, or paid companion were not well respected, and did not pay well. Jane Austen herself could not support herself through her career. She was totally dependent on her family for monetary support and stayed with them till the end of her life. An unmarried woman had to live with their families, or with family-approved protectors or face social ridicule .Even Queen Victoria had to have her mother living with her in the palace in the late 1830s, until she married. (The republic of Pemberly) A woman’s woes did not necessarily end with marriage, as all her property and income legally belonged to the husband after marriage. He could abuse her and misuse her as he chose all under the consent of the English law which decreed the wife property of her husband. The husband generally had absolute custody rights over any children, and could prevent the wife from seeing them at his whim. No atrocities or cruelties were punishable by law and the husband had total control over the wife (he could even imprison her or commit her to a madhouse if he chose). Gender in Pride and Prejudice In the Victorian era, treatment of women as inferior was an accepted fact, as documented by the novel that we are looking into: ‘Pride and Prejudice’. A fiction though it might be, the novel clearly reflects the societal biases that were prevalent based on the rigidity of principles such as patriarchy, morality and dignity in the 19th century. The very presence of six women in a family reflects the inclination of the book towards gender issues in the first place. "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” 1This starting sentence of the novel is a prelude to the subject that Austin wants to expound upon. She has clearly “declared that the main subject of the novel will be courtship and marriage…and she has prepared the reader for a chase in the novel of either a husband in search of a wife, or a woman in pursuit of a husband” 2This further propagates the themes of women’s gendering as the only worthy place in society for them is that of a wife and consequently a mother. When Elizabeth rejects his offer he says “Resignation to inevitable evils is the duty of us all” 3implying that she should have resigned herself to the inevitable fate of marrying him for her future economic support. This was in fact the fate of many women in the Victorian era as genteel women were totally dependent on their male relatives for economic support and marriage was their only acceptable option. Spinsters were objects of pity and ridicule whatever their social status. The idea of marriage and romance is also acutely objectified as a process that is founded by a male. Male and not a female, in the society of Austen is supposed to be the one who has to articulately, ardently and profusely express one’s wish to marry the other and to exhort her to accept his proposal: The issues of property and ‘establishment’ clearly is one ground where Austin intends to relate to especially as affecting to the sex of women, for “in the book the individual is unthinkable without the social environment…” 4 The entire patterns of laws and ethical intricacies, one of which was that of women’s gender inequality that prevailed during the time when the novel was written seem to have influenced the writing of Jane Austen. In the face of her existing social circumstances Austen projects a modal of a social set-up that was prevalent during that time, and none but her dissatisfaction of many aspects of the society is the reason for her thoughts and expressions in the novel. An abject state of affairs of patriarchal supremacy led to the down-play of women’s equality which clearly is portrayed in the setting of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Literary Criticism Pride and Prejudice, employs the narrative technique of free indirect speech. This can been described as "the free representation of a characters speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the characters thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke.”5(Miles, 2003) By using the narrative of Elizabeth, Austen encourages the reader to follow events from her viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and thoughts. On publication the novel received much criticisms from the likes of Miss Brontë, who found the book "...a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but... no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck” 6(Southam, 1995) But she had many admirers as well, George Henry Lewes praised Jane Austens work and declared that he, "...would rather have written Pride and Prejudice, or Tom Jones, than any of the Waverley Novels”7( Southam, 1995) Fergus calls it "her most popular novel, both with the public and with her family and friends”8(Fergus, 1997) According to Holly Johnson, "Austens period, so conversation in generous supply is what we get, often in the form of letters. Still, theres economy in the storytelling, and although the focus is the unlikely romance between the relatively humble Elizabeth Bennet and the aristocratic Mr. Darcy, the subplots and secondary characters are in place"9. According to a review by BBC," Jane Austens classic rendering of passion in polite society got a rude awakening in Bride & Prejudice, but this adaptation of her 19th-century novel Pride & Prejudice is a picture of decorum. Making his feature debut, director Joe Wright doesnt bring anything new to this oft-told tale, but then he doesnt need to. Likewise Keira Knightley adds a few frills to her usual tough cookie routine and gives her best performance yet as the hard-up debutante caught out by love"10. Carrie porter while reviewing pride and prejudice says that," Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen" Pride and Prejudice" is one of those timeless classics that can appeal to everyone". moreover she says about the language of the novel that," The language appeals to those for whom the English language has lost its beauty through the ravages of time and the commentary that is evident throughout will appeal to those amateur and professional social historians"11 Kiranjit’s Story Born into an advantaged family in India, Kiranjit Ahluwalia came to London in 1979 to be married. It was an arranged marriage to a strange man she hardly knew. The next ten years were nightmarish. She was subjected to almost daily, physical, psychological and sexual brutality at the hands of her partner. She could not turn to anyone for help as domestic violence was a taboo subject amongst her British Asian acquaintances. Family honor was at stake for anyone who went outside the family for help and Kiranjit spoke little English, so outside help was also closed to her. In desperation, she killed the man who had tormented her for so long. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. In prison, she surprisingly found a degree of autonomy she had never known in the outer world. Now she was safe from beatings and violence, and was able to take pleasure in the friendship and camaraderie of other women who were in a similar situation. Later after many protests and demonstrations her sentence was reduced to manslaughter. “Provoked” is the Kiranjit’s story of marital abuse and its result. Gender in Provoked When the extent of downgrading the feminine quality goes to the level of unrestrained physical violence, it marks the pinnacle of tolerance in women, once even that pinnacle is breached then all limits, moral or social are nullified. Such is the premise in which the other book under our observation, ‘Provoked’ is based on. Wrong beliefs encourage the tendency of a man supposedly having the right, in his egotistical stance to inflict pain in woman who is always seen someone who is ‘supposed to tolerate’ “He would neither let me live nor die. Day and night he sucked my bones…He was the hangman’s noose that dangled forever in front of me.” 12Extreme cases of male chauvinistic and sadistic attitudes of brute men such as the one in ‘Provoked’ are also prevalent in so called developed nations leading women to echo Kiranjit’s cry that “Life seemed to have become one endless cycle of abuse, beating, thumping, shouting, banging, screaming, breaking crockery…” 13 There seems to be an over- expectation of the geniality of ‘women’. It is taken for granted that women are gentle and nurturing creatures. People constantly overlook the fiercer side of a woman’s nature. Men are supposed to be naturally inclined towards violence and women are generally perceived as non-violent. In fact all humans are multi faceted and can exhibit violent tendencies when provoked. Yet “women’s violence is often discussed in terms of violent women’s gender. Women are not supposed to be violent”14 (Sjoberg and Gentry). According to ken fox," all the gushy feelings, the plight of women like Kiranjit, bound not only by domineering, often physically abusive husbands but by racism and oppressive cultural traditions as well, are poignantly portrayed.15 According to another Indian critic Maitreyee Saha Ganapathy," Kiranjits case remains a landmark, and not just in the United Kingdom, in exposing domestic violence"16 in this regard critic further says that," . It found that the lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual violence or both by an intimate partner ranged from 15 per cent to 75 per cent in the different sites".17 Historical background of both books: Pride and prejudice was first titled as "first impressions" by the author but because of some publication issues in manuscript author revised the novel and named it "pride and prejudice". The title of the novel contains the main components of the novel and one can easily understand the plot of story by going through the title. The dates Austen was writing almost exactly coincide with the great English military victories over Napoleon and the French: the Battle of the Nile, in which Admiral Nelson crippled the French Mediterranean fleet, and the battle of Waterloo, in which Lord Wellington and his German allies defeated Napoleon decisively and sent him into exile. However, so secure in their righteousness were the English middle and upper classes — the "landed gentry" featured in Austens works — that these historical events impact Pride and Prejudice very little. On the other hand provoked is a thought provoking novel to another aspect of women plight which is domestic violence which a woman has to face after marriage. It is the true story which happened with the author kiranjit ahluwaliya her self and later on shed decided to give it a form of a novel and then a film. After suffering years of abuse, Kiranjit Ahluwalia killed her violent husband - and ended up in jail. When she was finally freed on appeal, her case changed the face of British justice. The drama and emotions in provoked has made it popular enough to provoke people to move to the cinemas in order to see the film version of kiranjits story. Language in the essay The women in Pride and Prejudice have been presented with two different but edifying traits: feminine and strong. While the two powerful characters in the book are those of Jane and Eliza, there are certain other female members who strive to play a role for the reader. Jane and Eliza are shown as sensible women driven with an almost male prerogative at seeking an affinity with the rest of society. This trait becomes further emphasized by the ever present and constant exclamations of their mother Mrs. Bennet. It cannot be denied that Austen uses feminine mystique as a source of satire in her novel. This is amply evident in Mrs. Bennet’s constant worry that her daughters will be unable to find suitable and endearing matches “Ah! you do not know what I suffer”18. Along with this is her ignorance of economic matters which are necessary to survive in the patriarchal world. This is presented in her opinion of entailment when her daughters explain the process to her “I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it"19 However, in Jane we notice a strong and willful character. The omniscient narrator comments “Had Elizabeths opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domestic comfort.” This shows Eliza not only as one who is not tempted by the wonderful plans made for marriage but also a philosopher, who looks beyond the shallowness of these relationships. This view is further entrenched in the reader when they discover Lydia’s elopement and the consequences which follow. Her hasty and ill-timed decision seems to take into no account the reputation or results this relationship will pose to her family, when revealed to the rest of society. Thus, Jane Austen draws an image of the world of females, one which is true and accurate. In it she does not fail to show the weaknesses that sometimes afflict women in their time of emotional distress. Yet, at the same time she ensures that the compassion and intelligence of women comes across as a trait that will be recognized and appreciated by readers for years to come. Another book that seeks to instill this feministic element is Provoked. Concentrating on the story of a woman who has been tortured and abused by her husband, the book is certain to create a tinge of compassion in the most unsympathetic of readers. Beginning with a narration from Kiranjit, she states “The story of our lives start when we are born, but my lifes story began after I got married.” These lines in themselves prove the role played by any married woman in her life. This introduction seeks to separate the independent life of the woman, merging it instead with the life of a husband. Any role or decision made before marriage ceases to exist once the woman gives up her identity to the man. Again, the torture is quietly borne by the woman until she realizes her sense of morality with the lines “"By 1986, I had two sons and was very sure that I dont want them to be influenced by their father. He wasnt taking responsibility of the family and had even started bringing women to our home. I decided to burn his legs so that he could not run behind me and torture me. I never knew he would die. I did not even once think that I would kill him.” This shows the part that Kiranjit felt men should play in society: the role of a strong but feeling husband. Unable to bear the thought of her own sons growing up in the repressive atmosphere she felt it necessary to take charge of the situation. Even here, the reader notices her inability to show completely cold-hearted prowess. Despite the cruel suffering she has borne, she does not deem it important to kill her husband, only punish him for his ill-treatment. Yet, when he is burned to an irreparable level Kiranjit is still caught. It is in prison that she finds her true essence. "To me, prison was freedom. I could eat, drink, sleep, laugh and do whatever I wanted to do. It was freedom from abuse and beatings. I learnt to live there. I was there for three years and four months, after which they acquitted me.” The utter depravation of the woman is evident in these lines as she seeks to find another place of solace, unfortunately discovering one only in her prison cell. This is coupled with the presence of other women in the jail cells. Many have been convicted for crimes that deserve to be given a better judgment. The female prisoners in these stories each have a streak of humanity that has undeniably been ignored by the rest of society. They seek to survive in the conditions they have been placed in, yet they are not oblivious of their roles. In the case of Kiranjit, fellow cell-mates befriend her and assist her in her time of need, thus showing the basic humanistic trait in compassion that is present in all of us. The role played by the Southall Black Sisters cannot be denied in this story. Not only do they assist Kiranjit in attaining freedom but they represent the light that seeks to free women of their bondage. Their presence in this real life story is the beacon of hope for abused and assaulted women everywhere. As an organization set to protect women, they show the capabilities and ambitions of women and all they can achieve Thus, both books aim to present women in a light which shows their true abilities and feelings to the world. They aim to enlighten the reader of the bondage faced by women and the stereotypes associated to them. In their writings, both books separate women from their role as mothers, wives or daughters to that of an empowered and single identity. Conclusion The institution of marriage has been a source of rigidity in both the books. Pride and Prejudice depicts women who are looking for man of honor and affluence, none but for the sheer pressure that they face form the society. In ‘Provoked’, a woman is forced to marry a man whom she has never seen, and abandon her studies (which she wishes to continue). She is further forced to bear his abuse in silence in order to protect the family honor. Even today marriage is seen as the penultimate goal of women. Many Christian fanatics in the developed world attribute all ills of the world to the fall of the institution of marriage and it is now being promoted as the only solution to the emotional and moral vacuum in society. The under developed nations are even worse, daughters are believed to be burdens on the family and the rate of female infanticide and feticide is very high in China, India, Pakistan and many other nations. if allowed to live females are treated as second citizens in their own homes and married as soon as possible. Arranged marriages, child marriages, honor killings (if the girl marries without families consent), cases of dowry deaths are realities of women lives even today. Gender is one of the universal dimensions on which status differences are based. Unlike sex, which is a biological differentiation of men and women, gender is a social construct outlining the socially and culturally approved roles that men and women are to follow. Alan Wolfe observed in "of all the ways that one group has systematically mistreated another, none is more deeply rooted than the way men have subordinated women. All other discriminations pale by contrast.”20 The subjugation of women heads all other subjugation and that to rid ourselves of all of those other issues - racism, ageism, classism etc. we must first eradicate sexism Bibliography Austen, Jane (1813 ) Pride and Prejudice Ahluwalia, Kiranjit and Rahila Gupta. Provoked The Story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia. Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India: HarperCollins Publishers India, a joint venture with The India Today Group., 2007. Chan, Chrissy. "Pride and Prejudice: An analysis and reflection." www.geocities.com. . Fergus, Jan (1997). "The professional woman writer". in E Copeland & J McMaster. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Cambridge University Press. Ghent, Dorothey Van. ""Rugulated Hatred": An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austin." Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. 303. The Republic of Pemberly, (no date) Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice -- Notes on Education, Marriage, Status of Women, etc.: Read More