Dossou1

OrneliaDossou
Mr.Truitt
IndependentStudy

PrideandPrejudice

JaneAusten'sPrideandPrejudiceconcernsprimarilyofthesocialnormsofthe
eighteenthandearlynineteenthcentury,inwhichwasamalecontrolledsocietywhoheld
economicandsocialpower.PrideandPrejudicehascertaincomponentsthatdirectlyfocus
onthemixingofthebourgeoisieandthearistocracyduringtheageoftheNapoleonicwars
andthebeginningofanindustrialrevolution.Interestedinthebalancebetweenpragmatism,
orthenecessityofsecuringamarriage,andidealism,particularlyElizabeth'sromanticism
andindividualism,Austendramatizesherheroine'sstruggletofindaplacewithinthe
conservativeandsocialinstitutionofmarriage.DuringElizabeth'sstruggle,itistobenoted
thatshealsobeginstoemergeasafeministcharacter.ThroughElizabethBennett'soutburst
atLadyCatherinedeBourgh,herlackofhorizontalhostilityandbeingdescribedassporty
beGeorgiana,onecanseethattowardstheendofthenovelElizabethBennetttrulyemerges
asthefeministcharactersheonlysubtlybeganas.
hendreritinvulputatevelitessemolestieconsequat,velillumdoloreeufeugiatnullafacilisisat
veroerosetaccumsan.
WhenElizabethmeetswithLadyCatherinedeBourghwhentheLadyvisitsElizabeth'shome,
LadydeBourghconfrontsElizabethaboutherrelationshipwithMr.Darcyduringwhich


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ElizabethsaystoLadydeBourgh"heisagentlemanIamagentleman'sdaughtersofarweare
equal."(Chapter56,Page306)ThisisthefirsttimeinthenovelthatElizabethcantrulybe
portrayedasafeministcharacter.Feminismisadoctrinethatequateswomenandmenequal,and
thismomentwhenElizabethdeclaresherselfequaltoMr.DarcyiswhenElizabethemergesas
thefeministsubtlyhintedinthepreviouschapters.FromthebeginningofthebookElizabethwas
merelyanoutspokenwomanwithmanyopinionstoexpressandunafraidofbeingsuppressedby
thosearoundher.Shenevertrulyequatedherselfwithmenorheroppressors,shenevertruly
pavedatrueroadforherselfwithherownvirtuesandideasforsuccessforherfuture,unlike
CharlotteLucasdidbymarryingMr.Collinswithonlyintentionsoflivingacomfortablelife.
Feminismduringthattimeismuchdifferentfromhowithasevolvedtopresenttimeanda
perfectexampleofafeministduringtheerawouldbeCharlotteLucas.Charlottecanbeseenasa
feministinsteadofElizabethduringthefirstchaptersofPrideandPrejudicebecauseofher
abilitytomakefirmdecisionsforherselfnotbasedonwantingsolelytoliveforherhusband's
everywantandneed.Charlottestates"IaskonlyacomfortablehomeandconsideringMr.
Collinscharacter,connectionsandsituationinlife,Iamconvincedthatmychanceofhappiness
withhimisasfairasmostpeoplecanboastonenteringamarriagestate."(Chapter22,Page109)
Elizabeth,duringthesefirstmanychapters,wasmuchlikeacarefreeandwittyyounglady,
howeverbymakingsuchastrongstatementagainstLadydeBourgh,shehastrulyroseabove
thatranktoafeministwoman.Equatingherselfwithamanandthattooofamuchhigherstatus
thanherselfshowsthatshehasnotonlygrownasafeministbutalsointhewaythatshehas
becomecomfortablewithherselfaswhosheisthatshewillnottakecriticismfromanyone.
ThereisalsoalackofhorizontalhostilitythatisobservedonthepartofElizabeth.Horizontal
hostilityiswhenmembersofanoppressedgroupfightamongsteachotherbecausetheycannot
venttheirangeroutonthoseinpower.Duringthelateeighteenthcenturyandnineteenthcentury,
theoppressedwouldbewomenandtheoppressorswouldbethemenandthoseofhigherclass.
Womenweretreatedascommoditiesandlessvaluedthereforecausingthishorizontalhostility
amongtheirownkind.Womenwouldnormallypentoutangeroneachotherbymocking,
taunting,belittlingandbackstabbingeachother.Elizabethgoesthroughvarioussituationsin
whichshecanshowthishorizontalhostilityagainstherfellowwomen.Forexample,Miss
BingleywhoseemstohaveakeeninterestinMr.Darcyhoweverwhenshenoticeshisapparent


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curiosityofElizabeth,shebeginstodislikeElizabethbentonprovingherflawstohim.Through
thishateshowntowardsElizabeth,shecaneasilyputherangeronanotherwomanorbackon
Ms.Bingley.However,shechoosesnottoandinsteadhitsheroppressorsdirectly.Forexample,
heroutburstatLadyCatherinedeBourghinsteadofwalkingawayfromthatsituationwithher
headbentindefeatandexpressingherangeroutonhersistersorfriendsElizabethpromptly
retaliatestoLadydeBourgh'scomments.Thistypeofstandingupforoneselfshowsthe
movementawayfromtheconventionalwomanofthattimetoamoremodernandselfconcerned
woman
TheultimatemomentinthebookwhenElizabethistrulyemergedasafeministiswhen
ElizabethisdescribedashavingasportydemeanourbyGeorgiana."Georgianahadthehighest
opinionintheworldofElizabeththoughatfirstsheoftenlistenedwithastonishmentbordering
onalarmatherlively,sportivemanneroftalkingtoherbrother"(Chapter61,Page333)unlike
CharlotteLucaswhotookontheconventionalroleofawomanaftermarryingMr.Collinsand
caringforhimandhishouse,Elizabethretainsherlivelihoodandfreedomaftermarriage.
ThroughGeorgiana'ssurprise,itmustbenotedthatwomenwouldconventionallychangeafter
beingmarried,takinguptheroleofthehomelycaregiversubmissivetoherhusband'swill.
SportyisdefinedasfondoforgoodatsportsdescribingElizabethassportygiveshermasculine
qualitiesasitwasthementhatwouldplaysportsandbeactive.MaryWollstonecraftstates"I
heardexclamationsagainstmasculinewoman,butwherearetheytobefound?Ifbythis
appellationmenmeantoinveighagainst,theirardourinhunting,shooting,andgaming,Ishall
mostcordiallyjoininthecrybutifitbeagainsttheimitationofmanlyvirtuesor,moreproperly
speaking,theattainmentofthosetalentsandvirtues,theexerciseofwhichennoblesthehuman
character,andwhichraisesfemalesinthescaleofanimalbeing,whentheyarecomprehensively
termedmankind,allthosewhoviewthemwithaphilosophiceyemust,Ithink,wishwithme,
thattheymayeverydaygrowmoreandmoremasculine."(AVindicationoftheRightsof
Women)Inthis,Wollstonecraftintroducesthatcallingawomanmasculineraisesthemtothat
pedestalofbeingahumanbeing,havingknowledge,talentsandvirtuesattributesofmales.By
describingElizabethasmasculine,sheautomaticallyreceivesalltheseattributesbeingput,once
again,asanequaltoMr.Darcythistime,notonlybyherselfbutbythosearoundher.


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ThroughoutPrideandPrejudice,ElizabethBennetthasbeenaconstantheadstrong
personality.Shehasbeenabletospeakwitharangeofpeoplefrombourgeoistothe
aristocraticcomfortablywithasenseofwittiness.However,thesequalitiesdidnotshow
herfeministcharacter,merelythemakingsofafeministcharacter.Clearly,Austen
believesthatwomenareatleastasintelligentandcapableasmen,andconsiderstheir
inferiorstatusinsocietytobeunjust.Sheherselfwentagainstconventionbyremaining
singleandearningalivingthroughhernovels.InherpersonallettersAustenadvises
friendsonlytomarryforlove.ThroughtheplotofthenovelitisclearthatAustenwantsto
showhowElizabethisabletobehappybyrefusingtomarryforfinancialpurposesand
onlymarryingamanwhomshetrulylovesandesteemsandlivingherlifeaftermarriage
stillbeingrespectedbyherhusbandandbeinggivenfreedom.Throughhercourageand
easeatdiligentlytalkingbacktoLadyCatherinedeBourghatherdemeaningcomments
towardsElizabeth,herrespectandempowermentforherwomankindandbybeing
describedassportybyGeorgiana,Elizabethemergesasthefeministthatshemerelyhinted
tobe.AustenreflectshercourageandfemininebeliefsthroughElizabeth,bothtrue
feminists.


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WorkCited
http://www.janeausten.org/prideandprejudice/prideandprejudiceonline.asp
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=pride+and+prejudice+
book+&ei=EKAqV7PXF8ntmAHUl6S4Cg&emsg=NCSR&noj=1