How does Jane Austen reflect the social and historical context of her time in Pride and Prejudice

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Pride & Prejudice

How does Jane Austen reflect the social and historical context of her time in ‘Pride and Prejudice’?

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice very much reflects the 18th century in which she lived. She reflects the social and cultural context of this period of time through the characters and their actions, which realistically illustrates how social mobility was limited and class-consciousness was strong. She has also used particular characters to refute certain ideas of her time such as the importance of class divisions. Austen also uses marriage to reflect the trouble of finding financial security that many people of her time faced. This theme is linked to inheritance and second sons which Austen has also reflected in her novel. Finally, Austen reflects the actions and manners of women in regency England.

Jane Austen reflects the strictly regimented nature of life for the middle and upper classes of late 18th and early 19th century England. There was an unwritten code of behaviour and morals to which these classes lived by. Although it was acceptable for middle class citizens, such as the Bennets, to socialise with the Bingleys and Darcys, who are upper class, the Bennets are social inferiors to them and are treated as such. Through the Darcy and Elizabeth’s and Bingley and Jane’s marriages, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices, thereby implying that such prejudices are hollow, unfeeling, and unproductive. Austen satirises this type of class-consciousness, particularly in the character of Mr Collins, who always appears to be putting on a façade when around others, to make him seem classier than he really is. Collins is also shown to be fawning to his upper-class patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, countless times throughout the novel. His sycophantic behaviour is used by Austen to demonstrate the division between the social classes in her time. Collins always speaks very high of her, “It is the greatest of favours when Miss de Bourgh comes in.” Yet it is not only Collins who has this particular conception of the importance of the upper class. His view is shared by Mr Darcy, who believes in the due respect of his line of decent. Miss Bingley shows evidence of sharing this same view as she dislikes anyone who is not as socially accepted as herself. Another example of a character that sees the importance of social status is Wickham. He is always trying to improve his status and leapfrog into a higher level of society. Perhaps the strongest believer in the importance of social status in the novel is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She seems to cherish the values and behaviour of the previous century and symbolises the old aristocracy, as Collins himself states, “She likes having the distinction of rank preserved.” The fact that she is always in want of flatterers around her who constantly acknowledge her greatness reflects her deteriorating status. Her dependence on the sycophantic characters, such as Collins, certainly affects the security of her status. Therefore, this illustrates that although life in the upper and middle classes appeared to be comfortable on the surface, internally, those living in these two classes were victims of their own social hierarchy. These characters, though wealthy and well entertained, become obvious sufferers of their social class and its code of morals. The more wealth one has, the tougher their rules of etiquette become, often forcing these people to give up their roles as thinking human beings. This fact not only rings true in Pride and Prejudice, but also in life in Jane Austen’s time.

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Jane Austen clearly emphasises the importance of marriage in the 18th century in Pride and Prejudice. The first sentence indicates that the novel is very much outlined by the theme of marriage, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”  For women, marriage was the only sure way to gain financial security, if, like the Bennets, there were no brothers to inherit the family money. In their case, the estate could only be inherited by a male; this explains why Mrs Bennet is so anxious ...

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