Marriage, Wealth And Social Life In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, was published on January 28, 1813. Pride and Prejudice was originally named First Impressions. In 1789 Jane Austen’s father submitted her novel to a publisher, but the story was rejected. Austen continued to work on the novel and was later recognized for her amazing work. In the beginning of Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen states, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (1). This novel consists of different themes and plots. Pride and Prejudice focuses on marriage, wealth, and social class. Many characters in this story have to deal with several challenges. Some characters have to deal with several different …show more content…

The novel is focused mainly on the Bennet family: Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. The Bennets live in Longbourn in Hertfordshire. Some may describe the Bennet family as improper and disgraceful. “Mr. Bennet has never been an adequate head of his family” (Kenneth L. Moler). Mr. Bennet spends majority of his time inside of his library to avoid his wife and daughters. Mr. Bennet is a disgrace to his family. He humiliates his wife and he fails to discipline his two younger daughters, Kitty and Lydia (Hirsch). Mrs. Bennet, the wife of Mr. Bennet, is impulsive, querulous, outgoing, and she humiliates her family. Mrs. Bennet’s primary goal in her life is to get her daughters married (Austen 3). Jane, the eldest of the daughters, is the sweetest of the sisters. Jane is very beautiful, respectful, and elegant. Jane is a very pleasant young women and she defends her family when necessary (Hirsch). Next of the Bennet sisters is Elizabeth. She is her father’s favorite and she does no wrong in his eyes. Elizabeth appears to be very intelligent and snobby. She is very observant and she judges others fairly quickly. Elizabeth is confident and she wants to marry for love and not for wealth. Because of her sisters, Kitty and Lydia, Elizabeth is very ashamed and embarrassed of her family. Mary, the oddest of the Bennets, is not very talkative. Mary is …show more content…

In the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen states, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (1). In this time period, wealth and social prominence made men the perfect candidate for single women (“Overview: Pride And Prejudice”). Social positions are based on whether characters live in the city or the country. Climbing the social ladder was not an easy task to accomplish in this time (“Overview”). A new class of high society is made up of successful merchants, bankers, and manufacturers. This began to emerge at the start of the 1800’s (“Overview”). Income is drawn from trade and manufacturing rather than from property and inheritance. As wealth and power expanded, members demanded an increase in political businesses (“Overview”). “Mr. Bingley represents a member of this new aristocracy. While he does not himself hold a job, his family acquired its wealth and status through trade, not birth” (“Overview”). Even in the first chapter of the novel, it is acknowledged that good fortune is important. Single women were encouraged to marry a wealthy man to carry on their family fortune. For instance, Mr. Bingley is a handsome young man that was born into a family with wealth and high social prominence. Mrs. Bennet discovers that Mr. Bingley has moved to Hertfordshire and

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