Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen
 Jane Austen
 Jane Austen was born December 16th, 1775 at Steventon,
Hampshire, England to Rev. George Austen, (the local rector,
or Church of England clergyman), and his wife Cassandra
Gender Differences
The social class difference left a negative impact on women’s marriage in
the Victorian era. For example, for a woman to be married, her social status
was very important and it was something looked at seriously by the man
who wanted to marry her. The family’s condition was a reason that a poor
woman could not marry a man from a high position or class.

Austen uses satire to provide a social critique on love, class and women’s
position in the eighteenth century England. She satirizes the social
expectation of marrying for wealth and position. The monetary and social
stability that offers women is more important than the compatibility of the
spouses.
The narrator introduces the Bennet family and Mrs. Bennet’s interest in their new
neighbor, Mr. Bingley, “a single man of large fortune,” who had just rented
Netherfield Park.

“The business of her life was to get her daughters married, its solace was visiting
and news.”

The Bennet sisters in their turn tried to put up appearances to get the attention of
some marriageable rich men. Here Austen shows clearly that girls during the
period of the eighteenth century were allowed to show off in public at a very early
age with the intention to find an appropriate match.

Austen shows that the indulgence of mothers during the eighteenth century had a
great impact in their girls, especially at an early age when they were not fully
developed. As a girl of sixteen, Lydia was too much involved in gossiping and
flirtation, which led her to elope with Wickham. The relationship of Lydia Bennet
and George Wickham is a relationship based on naivety and a forced marriage.
Jane and Bingley
The relationship of Jane and Bingley started from the very first time when
they met each other in the ball. Because of Bingley’s good fortune and a
charming nature, Jane’s family thought that he could be a great match for
their daughter. In spite of Jane’s genuine feelings for Bingley, her family
still looked upon Bingley as an object for their economic security.

Elizabeth and Darcy

Austen recounts the attitude of people driven by pride and prejudice and
the complication that follows through the relationship between Elizabeth
and Darcy. The very first time when Darcy appeared at the ball hall, he left
the impression that he felt very proud. He did not even accept to dance
with the girls around because he thought himself superior to the people
surrounding him. Darcy exhibits all the good and bad qualities of the ideal
English aristocrat- snobbish and arrogant. In spite of the fact that Elizabeth
and Darcy belonged to different economical classes, again they both
carried a pride which made them to be similar with each other. Their
stubbornness and their direct confrontation with people made them get
more affected to each other.
Class snobbery and hypocrisy
Austen shows that snobbery and hypocrisy held a sway in the lives of
cultured and rich people’s life through the character of Lady Catherine
de Burg. Jane Austen satirizes her as a representative of aristocratic
pride. Most of all she is the epitome of bad manners. She is directly
comparable to Mrs. Bennet as both are mercenary, overbearing,
selfish and bullying. Lady Catherine is also vulgar in her insolent
inquisitiveness. Jane Austen satirizes the snobbish attitudes of
Bingley's sister and her friend. Both of these two women
are hypocritical because they are very judgmental of the Bennet’s
low status.