While there are many characters that represent the oppressed, Mrs. Bennet is the greatest impact on the reader. Austen uses Mrs. Bennet, as an epitome of the faults criticized in Marxism – as Mrs. Bennett’s only wish in life is to find very rich and high class husbands for her daughters. According to Mrs. Bennett, character, personality and love are undermined when compared to wealth or estates or other materialistic objects. When she informs her husband about Mr. Bingley’s arrival, her only focus is the possibility of his hand in marriage for one of her daughters.
‘ “Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune […] (I, I, I)
“You must know I am thinking of his marrying one of them”
Throughout the text, Mrs. Bennett attempts to best of her abilities for the union of Jane Bennett (her eldest daughter) and Mr. Bingley and when Mr. Bingley is swayed by the pressures of society to marry a woman of his distinction, she is helpless to watch the future she worked so hard to achieve for Jane break under societal demands. Despite, initially repressing this pain into nonchalance, it is obvious that she is extremely happy when Mr. Bingley returns. Clearly, Mrs. Bennett understands the class distinction between Mr. Bingley and her family, but she understands that the differences have existed for too long to be ignored as the bourgeois truly was the dictator and the proletariat (like her and her family) would always be affected by any decisions that the , which relates to Marx’s belief of the immense history behind this inequality.
With the upper class having so much power over the middle class amongst other obvious distinctions, Austen’s class conscious Victorian world depicts the bourgeoisie as a pedestal all that the proletariat are unable to reach despite tremendous efforts. Mr. Collins is one of the characters who show this utmost need for being accepted by the bourgeoisie and represents the helplessness of the oppressed by his pathetic attempts of reaching the upper status. Mr. Collins is first introduced as a distant cousin of the Bennett sisters who comes to visit the family. He executes himself as an arrogant, self- centered and very over-confident man, almost instantly creating an unpleasant impression on the Bennett family.
‘ “How happy for you Mr. Collins, to possess a talent for flattering with such... delicacy. […]
“Oh believe me; no one would suspect your manners to be rehearsed” ‘
His constant praise and absolute devotion for his Lady Catherine de Bourgh show the his desperate want to be accepted into the upper class world but is never able to reach there – as he is always oppressed by the bourgeoisie. A clear difference between Mr. Collins and someone of noble birth – Mr. Darcy, can be seen through their proposal to Elizabeth. Though, in essence they both asked for her hand while stating that their class superior and insulting her social status – Mr. Darcy’s proposal is passionate and intense while Mr. Collins’s is just laughable. Austen cleverly uses the difference in the atmosphere of the two scenes to represent the even bigger difference between Mr. Collin’s social status and Mr. Darcy’s – strengthening the effects of her class conscious Victorian World.
Considering Austen’s text as a Marxist reader, it is apparent that social class, reputation and wealth were also considered to be of great importance on the other end of the scale – the oppressors. Determined to be the upper class, by their wealth, ownership and class, the bourgeois would acknowledge and mingle with the proletariat, but always consider themselves much above them. Miss. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst’s conversation about Jane Bennett clearly demonstrates this
‘ “I have an excess regard for Jane Bennett, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it.” [….]
“But it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world.” replied Darcy
Miss. Bingley is the stereotype for all upper – class woman – proud, vain, self- centered and quick to find faults. She considers herself superior to the middle class, and makes her notions of the distinction and her authority – as noted through the conversation. She is quick to insult Elizabeth and her family at an opportunity – whether it is the way Elizabeth dresses or her family’s jovial attitude. Miss. Bingley, like most bourgeois considers class to be an important aspect to any person. Proud of her higher class, she believes that her class need only mingle amongst themselves and that any person of a lower background was an added annoyance. Miss. Bingley can be seen as a character representation of the society that Marxism criticizes, as she is very class- conscious and represents the inequality as often she is one inflicting it upon others.
The constant comparison between the two classes and the attempts to undermine the other can be explained by Marx’s quote “Historical changes in the fundamental mode of material production effect changes in the class structure of a society, establishing in each era dominant and subordinate classes that engage in a struggle for economic, political, and social advantage.” Class distinction and its consequences are the pushing factors of all the problems in the novel as they all created by the single belief of superiority and authority that the bourgeois class believes it has over the proletariats.
