Running Head: MARXISM IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Marxism In Pride and Prejudice

Julian Hernandez
Period 6
April 14, 2015
West Career and Technical Academy

MARXISM IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Marxism is directly involved with class culture and societal conflicts that revolve around
different classes. Marxist philosophy is deeply engraved into Pride and Prejudice and can be
analyzed if viewed through a unique standpoint. The proletariat and bourgeoisie classes portray
different lifestyles and morals in the story and the characters are engaged to different classes, but
are actually socially similar.
Mr. Bennett is part of the landed gentry class, which means he is of a high social class
and not looked down upon. His Estate, Longbourn, earns his annual income through tenanted
farms. This is not actually stated in the novel, but estates usually gained income through tenants.
Mr. Darcy is a gentleman himself, since he was born into the landed gentry class as well. This
means that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are part of the same social class. The only difference is that
Mr. Darcy is exponentially wealthier than the Bennett family.
Mr. Darcy is married to Mrs. Bennett, which is the daughter of a lawyer. This means Mr.
Bennett married down on the social scale. This is why Lady Catherine was opposing Mr. Darcys
marriage proposal to Elizabeth. You would allow my nephew to ruin himself by marrying into
your family, Eliza replies, Let me remind you that I am also the daughter of a gentleman. Lady
Catherine does not dispute that. She says,Yes, but what about your mother? (MSS Research,
1970).
All of this information results in the formulated opinion that Mr. Darcy was a huge
hypocrite and his ignorance shined through most of the novel. He didnt take into consideration
that his best friend, Mr. Bingley, was of a lower social class than both him and Elizabeth. He
viewed Elizabeth as a misguided, oppressed lady. Elizabeth was in no way, shape or form
oppressed by any social class. Her only oppression was her mother.

MARXISM IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Karl Marx, a philosopher and economist, wrote about his ideas in his Communist
Manifesto. Proletarians, the working class, are making the capitalist bourgeois rich through their
hard work. This is because the products were being made by the proletarians were sold for much
more than actual labor committed to each product. This resembles to capitalistic ideology that
America has preserved for two centuries. Karl Marx believed that in the near future, proletarians
would go into deep resentment of their work, and hold a revolution against the bourgeois class.
Through this revolution, a new communist society would be born which meant that wealth and
labor would be shared with all the people.
The use of social classes developed a fascinating story in Pride and Prejudice. Going
against the capitalistic values during this era was looked down upon, which made the reader
eager to finish the story. Marxism is a fascinating idea that was used extremely well in the story.

MARXISM IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE