Pride and Prejudice
Going once, going twice, SOLD to the wealthiest and most eligible bachelor in town. In a society based on monetary values, many marriages came to being in this manner and many marriages did not occur because of this monetary priority. The social views and values of early nineteenth century aristocratic England revolved around who had money and who did not producing attitudes both materialistic and self-involved. Jane Austen saw these fallacies in society. Her novel Pride and Prejudice, employs the elements of pride and prejudice to satirize the social values of her era through such characters as Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet's actions of pride and prejudice in her pursuit of social acceptance for her family develops stereotypical early nineteenth century socially driven woman. Throughout the novel, Mrs. Bennet is constantly securing her place in society by making sure her family is acquainted with anyone and everyone who is "someone". Even her marriage is an example of a social victory for her family because Mr. Bennet is a gentleman. His "captiv[ation] by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty usually give, " (155) causes him to mar
ry Mrs. Bennet even though she is socially beneath him. Her inferior status causes her daughters to be deemed less worthy of wealthy gentlemen. Lady Catherine de Bourgh states that Elizabeth is " a gentleman's daughter. But who was your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts?" (232) pointing out that she is not of "pure aristocratic blood" and not worthy of a man like her nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Even though Mrs. Bennet is of a lower social class, she persists in ensuring her daughters' settlement in wealthy estates with esteemed social statuses. For that reason whenever Mr. Bingley moves into Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet wants her husband to be the first to visit so that her daughters come first, and she decides "It is very overzealously exalts Lady Catherine. He is oblivious to any flaws she has and all he can utter is words of praise. As he proposes to Elizabeth, he tells her indirectly that he lives to please Lady Catherine by yet again praising that "her [Lady Catherine] manners [are] beyond any thing I can describe; and your wit and vivacity I think must be acceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much is for my general intention in favour of matrimony" (72-73). In this spiel he reveals that he needs to be married because that is what Lady Catherine wants for him. His ignorance of the truth about Lady
Some common words found in the essay are:
Lady Catherine, Catherine Austen's, Collins Bennet's, Pride Prejudice, De Bourgh's, , Elizabeth Collinses, Darcy Bennet, Bingley Bennet's, Bourgh Elizabeth, lady catherine, pride prejudice, nineteenth century, lady catherine de, catherine de, money status, actions comments, throughout novel, youth beauty, de bourgh, snobby attitude, catherine de bourgh,
Approximate Word count = 947
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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