Pride and Prejudice Social Class Essay - 1105 Words

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 and it depicts key themes in society and the impact these themes had on life for the characters in the novel. One of these themes is social class, which was a chief contributor to the characters problems in the story. Social class is an underlying issue in the lives of the characters and greatly affects the decisions they make during the novel. Every character is aware of the importance of social standing and it becomes a key factor in the development of each individual in Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Bennet is the mother of five daughters and she is desperate to have them married. Elizabeth wants to marry for love and not social gain. Charlotte is the example of what a woman was expected to†¦show more content†¦She is also very smart in trying to marry off all of her daughters as soon as possible. The key reason was that women at this time depended on the men in their life to survive, it may have been their father or their husban d but they relied heavily on the males in their lives. Because Mrs. Bennet and her daughters were so heavily reliant on Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet was completely justified in trying to have her daughters married off to the richest and most socially advanced bachelors. She was also very aware of a womens role in society and knew that marriage was what society had in stall for them. Charlotte is a neighbour and friend of Elizabeth, who is older and unmarried at the beginning of the story. She is simple in her values and does not question a womens role in society. Charlottes main achievement in the story occurred when she was able to secure a proposal of marriage from Mr. Collins after he had been rejected by Elizabeth, who asked why she accepted. Charlotte explained I am not a romantic you know. I never was. I only ask for a comfortable home; considering Mr Collinss character, connections, situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is fair, as most people can boast on entering a marriage state By this Charlotte is questioning Elizabeths values, believing she is over her head in her ideas. She is simply happy with what she has been dealtShow MoreRelatedSocial Class - Jane Eyre/Pride and Prejudice1761 Words   |  8 PagesExamine the use of the theme of social class in ‘Jane Eyre’ and how this is illuminated by your readi ng of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. The novel ‘Jane Eyre’ highlights the idea of social class and the position of women in society. It tells the story of how protagonist Jane progresses through different social classes in life, beginning as the low position of an orphan and ending in the higher position of being both wealthy and married. 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