Lady Catherine De Bourgh And Mrs. Bennet Essay - 1554 Words

When considering the concept of life or death, one tends to imagine someone deserted on an island with no tools to survive or someone getting attacked by an animal or some abnormal situation like that. Most certainly, the Regency period does not come to mind. However, women of the period experienced the concept quite vividly- if they could not marry and they had no brothers or sons, they could often lose their fortunes and homes upon the death of their father or husband. Their entire livelihood depended on men solely because society refused the idea that women were actually equal to men and Jane Austen knew this well. Accompanied by the enlightening insights of Charlotte Lucas, Austen cleverly utilizes an extreme caricature in the form of Lady Catherine De Bourgh and Mrs. Bennet in order to reveal how marriage was the only way to ensure the financial stability of a young woman due to the constraints the patriarchy placed on women during the period. Women clearly recognized this as th e sole means of avoiding a life filled with hardship and misery, which manifests itself within Pride Prejudice through Lady Catherine’s and Mrs. Bennet’s constant worrying over their respective daughters’ marital status. Accordingly, Austen is blunt about this concept of marriage equating survival for women from the beginning, although many overlook her brutal honesty upon first read. In particular, she opens the novel with this iconic line: â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that aShow MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1359 Words   |  6 PagesOne of these examples is expressed through the comparison of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mrs. Bennet. They serve as the obliviously loathed and laughed at females in the novel. These characters complement one another in their foolishness, regardless of the fact they originate from opposing classes. As such, Austen shows that class does not determine a character’s classiness or couth. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Collins patroness and Mr. Darcy s snobbish aunt, is a sarcastic woman fixated withRead MoreThe Theme of Society in Pride and Prejudice Essay976 Words   |  4 Pagesregarding social class. Austen follows the development of an outspoken middle-class British woman, Elizabeth Bennet, as she encounters and overcomes the many social barriers that separate her from her wealthy upper-class neighbors. Throughout the novel, Lizzie must confront society’s class-consciousness, particularly with her family’s growing relationship with the wellborn Bingleys and their friend, Mr. Darcy. It is clear that the author, Jane Austen, intended Pride and Prejudice to be a parody of the OldRead MoreJane Austens Presentation of Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice1043 Words   |  5 Pagesof Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen presents Mr Collins as a character with many different traits. Mr Collins is a man who is very aware of his social status, likes to impress people, is extremely proud and has an inflated ego to name but a few. The first time we get a mention of Mr Collins, is in chapter thirteen, where we learn that Mr Bennet has in fact never met the man who will inherit the house upon Mr Bennets death. We learn this from Mr Read MoreEssay Class Consciousness in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice1173 Words   |  5 Pagesregarding social class. Austen follows the development of an outspoken, middle-class British woman, Elizabeth Bennet, as she encounters and overcomes the many social barriers that separate her from her aristocratic neighbors. Throughout the novel, Lizzie must confront society’s class-consciousness, particularly with her family’s growing relationship with the wellborn Bingleys and their friend, Mr. Darcy. It is clear that author, Jane Austen, intended Pride and Prejudice to be a parody of English society’sRead MorePride and Prejudice, Parenting1478 Words   |  6 Pagesand discuss the theme of parenthood. I will only comment on the characters that are parents or come over as parents, namely, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner and Lady Catherine De Bourgh. The last character mentioned may not come over as a parent but she acts like one. To begin with, I will start talking about the Bennet family. If we look at the Bennets with modern eyes, we could say that their behavior towards their daughters is very different from how parents get along withRead MorePride and Prejudice: Exploring the Chasm Between Love and Marriage in Georgian England1675 Words   |  7 Pagesuses comedy to expose hypocrisy Early in the Novel, Jane Austen is initially presents Mr. Collins with comic irony and as a figure of absurdity to be mocked as a potential husband; Austen reveals Mr. Collin’s s palpable and selfish reasons for marrying in a simple comic statement â€Å"Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth — and it was soon done — done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire† Mr Collins an obsequious, egotistic and contemptible man uses a shallow approach to marriageRead MoreJane Austen Satirises the Social Standards of her Time in Pride Prejudice2367 Words   |  10 Pagesthan everyone else. Jane Austen gently satirises Mrs Bennet, by showing the constant mention of her nerves and her attempt to get all her daughters married. Mrs Bennet is a miraculously tiresome character in the story. Mrs Bennet got married to Mr Bennet because of her looks not because of her brains. Mr Bennet is quite sarcastic to her; in the story when Mrs Bennet is excited about the new occupants of Netherfield estate, Mr Bennet doesnt really seem interested. For example You wantRead More An Analysis of Characters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice1662 Words   |  7 Pagesthe characters who display these traits are Mr. Collins, Mr. Wickham, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Miss Bingley, and, of course, Darcy and Elizabeth. Although Darcy and Elizabeth are the two central characters, and are the ones who are proud and prejudiced respectively, there are several others who are plagued with character flaws. At the opening of the story, Mr. Collins is introduced as the cousin of the Bennets who is coming to Longbourn for a visit. Mr. George Wickham is an officer introduced towardRead More Analysis of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Essay1389 Words   |  6 Pagesin â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† are that Mr Bennet has five daughters and no sons. This may be the reason why Mrs Bennet is obsessed with getting her daughters married. â€Å"A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!† Mrs Bennet always mentions the amount the possible candidate earns a year this shows that the financial aspect is vitally important as it ensures there daughters future security. Because Mr Bennet has only daughters there will be inheritanceRead MoreMiss Mary Bennet, By Jane D. Austen1177 Words   |  5 Pages Miss Mary Bennet, â€Å"the only plain one in the family, [who] worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments,† (Austen 11) provides her readers with another perspective of the female sphere. Even at the Netherfield Ball, young Mary occupies herself at the piano, connecting rarely with others, and even more rarely dancing with a gentleman (Austen 48). Unlike her sisters, Mary Bennet has no preferences on males; â€Å"what are men compared to rocks and mountains† (Austen 73). Her devotions in her youth are