Jane Austen's View on the Social Class and How It Affects Elizabeth and Darcy's Relationship in Pride and Prejudice.

Jane Austen’s View on the Social Class and How It Affects Elizabeth and Darcy’s Relationship in Pride and Prejudice

Although Pride and Prejudice does not wholly concern with the difference of social classes in the late 18th Century Britain, the idea of social rank does play a big role in the plot of the novel. By the 18th Century Britain has already been a powerful trading nation. There were 2 significant social classes: the upper and the middle classes. The upper class consisted of aristocrats and gentry landowners, who considered themselves to be in a higher position than other people in the society according to their birthrights and properties. On the other hand, the middle class comprised of tradesmen and ordinary people who made their fortune through business and trade. Though members of these two classes did socialise, there was social separation, by which the upper class members are likely to look down on the middle class.

In Pride and Prejudice, the audiences are first introduced to members of the middle class, the Bennets, consisting of seven members: the witty Mr. Bennet, the ridiculous and ambitious Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Later the author mentions the Lucas family, of which the man, Sir William Lucas, is an example of a businessman who makes his money through trade. Then appear Mr. Collins, the Bennets’ relative, who is a priest in Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s church, and finally the Gardiners, family of Mrs. Bennet’s brother. Mr. Gardiner is a lawyer in London. These characters are examples of the middle class in the 18th and 19th Centuries that got a ride along the growth of trading and business. They are not born in aristocrat families; furthermore, they do not inherit a large fortune from their ascendants. However, through working, they are able to improve their lives, increase their income and become accepted.

The characters those are considered the members of the upper class in Pride and Prejudice are Mr. Bingley and his two sisters, Mr. Darcy and his sister, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. These characters have the pride for being members of the gentry in some way. They own property and receive large income per year. Mr. Darcy’s property is called Pemberly, while Lady Catherine’s estate is Rosings. Lady Catherine is an insolent woman who puts herself above everyone. Mr. Bingley’s sisters are proud and insincere people. Mr. Bingley, though seems to be in different on this issue, does not realise the existence of social difference. And finally, Mr. Darcy’s pride is mainly based on the awareness of his superior social position.

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In his first appearance, Mr. Darcy demonstrates his pride by choosing not to dance or even talk to anyone outside his company in the party at Maryton. When his friend, Mr. Bingley, tries to persuade him to dance with some lady; instead of following his friend’s advice, he replies, “I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.”(Volume1, Chapter3, Page 13) Not only that he refuses to dance because he does not know anyone, but he does not make an afford to be introduced to any woman. His saying “such assembly” reveals that he is looking down on everyone at the ball, and thinking that they are not worth his acquaintance. Despite his popularity at first for he is a handsome man with great fortune, he soon becomes so disgusted by everyone that “not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.” (Volume1, Chapter3, Page 12)

The conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is also originated from the same reason. Mr. Darcy’s pride in his superior social class makes him say about Elizabeth, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me,” (Volume1, Chapter3, Page 13) Elizabeth hears this insulting statement herself. And from this moment on, Mr. Darcy becomes her worst enemy and, in every possible opportunity, the object of her sarcasm.

Later when Mr. Darcy finds himself in love with Elizabeth, he tries to discourage himself from that feeling because of his concern about their social difference. Even in his proposal to Elizabeth, he cannot help bringing up the issue. “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?” (Volume2, Chapter11, Page 159) Certainly, this is not a kind of proposal any woman would wish for. So far Mr. Darcy has not behaved himself as a proper gentleman. He has shown nothing to prove that he belongs in the aristocracy. He has been treating Elizabeth without respect.

As a result, there is no doubt that she would decline him. She angrily replies, “You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.” (Volume2, Chapter11, Page 159)

In the period of this novel or even at the present time, to be married with someone does not mean that you only marry that person, but you also marry his or her family and society. In this case, both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy know that most of the members of the Bennets are not the group of people to be proud of. Mr. Darcy has a point when he writes in the letter to Elizabeth that, “The situation of your mother’s family, through objectionable, was nothing in comparison of that total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed by herself, by your three younger sisters, and occasionally even by your father.” (Volume2, Chapter12, Page 163)

In spite of “the defects of [her] nearest relations” (Volume2, Chapter12, Page 163), as referred to by Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth does have agreeable relatives, which are the Gardiners. Mr. Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet’s brother. He works as a lawyer in London. Although they are in the middle class, their manners are so amiable that they should belong in the aristocracy. They are intelligent and virtuous. Jane Austen describes Mr. Gardiner as follow “The Netherfield ladies would have had difficulty in believing that a man who lived by trade, and within a view of his own warehouse, could have been so well bred and agreeable.” (Volume2, Chapter2, Page 118) He takes responsibility and handles the situation when Lydia elopes with Mr. Wickham. Mrs. Gardiner is a sensible lady, who at times performs the role of a mother better that Mrs. Bennet herself. She comforts Jane and takes her in when her and Mr. Bingley are parted. Moreover, she is the one who always gives advice to Elizabeth about Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Darcy must be affected by Elizabeth’s statement of accusing him for behaving ungentleman-like. When they meet again at Pemberly, after a period of time they parted, he changes dramatically. He treats her very kindly and, very much to her surprise, asks to be introduced to the Gardiners. Elizabeth is certain that he would be surprised to find out that they are merely middle class people for their manners are very amiable. This is the point where the readers learn about the change in his attitude. After he is acquainted with the Gardiners, he talks to them with a warm and friendly manner that Elizabeth has never expected to see from him. He gets along with Mr. Gardiner quite well and invites him to fish in his estate as often as he wants during their stay in Derbyshire. He also asks Elizabeth’s permission to introduce his sister to her. This, of course, causes Elizabeth a great surprise.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, as everything seems to be improving in the proper direction, is threatened again by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt. She travels all the way to Longbourn to discourage any possibility of Elizabeth’s engagement with her nephew, whom she has planned for her daughter to prevent “a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family!” (Volume3, Chapter14, Page 286) When Elizabeth talks back about why she should not marry Mr. Darcy, if he chooses to marry her, Lady Catherine justifies her objection that, “Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest forbid it… for do not expect to be notice by his family or friends,” (Volume3, Chapter14, Page 286) Although Lady Catherine speculates that Elizabeth would not be accepted by Mr. Darcy family and friends; all of his family, Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and his friend, Mr. Bingley, do admire Elizabeth. Only herself and Bingley’s sisters who would object her. Luckily, both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are strong enough not to be influenced by Lady Catherine.

Later in the novel, the audiences learn that Mr. Darcy’s altered manner at Pemberly results from his intention to prove to Elizabeth that he is not an arrogant and cold-hearted man. As he explains to her that, “ My object then, was to shew you every civility in my power, that I was not so mean as to resent the past, and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to. (Volume3, Chapter16, Page 298) In addition, the reason why Mr. Darcy gets along with the Gardiners so well is probably because they are sensible and agreeable people, unlike many members of the Bennets.

In his self-revelation, Mr. Darcy confesses that he has been “allowed, encourage, almost taught to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond [his] family circle, to think meanly of the rest of the world,…” (Volume3, Chapter14, Page 297) However, he learns through his acquaintance with Elizabeth, a lady of inferior connection, and her virtue that he was wrong. He said to her, “You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled.” (Volume3, Chapter14, Page 297) It is clear that the true virtue can overcome the division of classes.

In my opinion, Jane Austen does not defy the notion of class division. She does not challenge the society to change its viewpoint on social position. She only encourages the audiences to look deeper into an individual and seek for their innate virtue rather than only look at his or her social status. For her definition of the upper class is a group of people who are both well-bred and well-mannered. The marriage between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is the integration of the traditional social values placed on status and the natural goodness of the individuals. For Elizabeth, her marriage with Mr. Darcy introduces her to the upper class not only owing to Mr. Darcy wealth and position, and her relationship with him; but because she deserves to belong in the aristocracy due to her own virtue and manner.

Bibliography

Litz, A. Walton. Jane Austen: A Study of Her Artistic Development. Chatto & Windus Ltd. 1965 USA
Pinion, F. B. A Jane Austen Comparison. The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1973 Great Britain
Rubinstein, E. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Pride and Prejudice. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1969 USA
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