Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Feminist Critique of Society

This essay provides a comprehensive review of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, focusing on its feminist themes and critiques of the societal norms prevalent during the British Regency period. The essay examines how Austen challenges sexism, particularly through the character of Elizabeth Bennet, who defies expectations and asserts her independence. It explores the importance of love in marriage, contrasting it with the societal pressures that prioritized financial security. The analysis delves into the portrayal of other characters, such as Charlotte Lucas, to highlight diverse expressions of feminism within the novel. Furthermore, the essay discusses how Austen used her writing to promote romanticism and feminist ideas, offering insights into the societal prejudices of the time. The essay concludes by emphasizing Austen's skill in portraying characters as bearers of feminist ideals, effectively dismantling sexist stereotypes and advocating for gender equality.

Running head: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
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Author Note

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The romantic novel set in the regency period in England by Jane Austen and has followed
the classic regency fiction style. Composed in 1813, the novel explores the societal structure of
then England and the way prejudices played an important role in shaping the lives of the
common mass. This period gave some of the classic literatures based on romanticism and
feminist ideas challenging the prevailing social system and reflecting the importance of love and
marriage which were which were rigid social systems during the period. The whole plot of Jane
Austen’s Novel is based on the social institution called marriage and the importance of love in
marriage was emphasized through the novel (Austen). The concept of love was never associated
with marriage in British Regency period, and was only a means to earn a secured steady life. It
was looked upon as a tool to achieve security in life. The novels during the time tried to identify
the lives of the women through the protagonist, who defining the prejudice, goes on marry
someone she loved deeply. Pride and Prejudice thus erodes the sexist stereotypes of women
prevailing during the regency period in England (Gustavsson). The essay will review the novel
and understand how Jane Austen has struck the prevalent system with her novel and has tried to
portray a feminist approach thereby eroding the existing social stereotypes. Along the course of
the novel Jane Austen has established themes which reflect the existing social bigotry, and
contradicts these preconceptions through the protagonist.
The plot of the story is developed among several characters and their involvement to each
other in an attempt to find the perfect groom for marriage. The story develops around Elizabeth
Bennet, the protagonist who is in a marriageable age and is seeking a hand in marriage. The
novel opens up with the discussion between the Mr. and Mrs. Bennet about visiting an eligible
bachelor who has recently shifted to their neighborhood. Mr. Bennet has entailed his property
and none of his five daughters can inherit it without getting married. This explains the social

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stigma that was prevalent during that time and the way marriage whas been portrayed signifies
the patriarchal prevailing system.
As Jane Austen opens up in her introduction in the novel, she states that a single man
with a possession of good fortune is in the need of a wife and this is a universally accepted fact.
This gives an insight how hegemonistic the society was and choice of women was hardly a
requirement (Manalu). The element of feministic attribute is carried by the Elizabeth Bennet and
has evaluated the strong facets which are revealed when she opposes the rough behaviour of Mr.
Darcy, the love interest of Elizabeth. The story builds thereon where Mr. Darcy replies back to
Elizabeth citing reasons for his behaviour after which we find Elizabeth visiting the estate of Mr.
Darcy where she gets to see a different character of Darcy, which was more gentle man like and
sober. The way Jane Austen has expressed feministic attributes of Elizabeth Bennet in the novel
proves her competence in eroding sexist stereotypes of women (Morrison). As Elizabeth replies
to Lady Catherine de Bourgh with relation to the confrontation regarding her relationship status
with Mr. Darcy, a perfect feministic expression is delivered. As Elizabeth compares herself at
par with Mr. Darcy on grounds that if he is a gentleman and so does she a daughter of a
gentleman qualifies her to be at par with Mr. Darcy. This is a way how Jane has tried to curtail
the male chauvinism prevalent in the society and has demanded of equality through her
expression of thought (Looser).
The character of Charlotte Lucas is another example of a feminist character that Jane
Austen has used to convey feministic ideas and expressions in the novel. Charlotte Lucas is 27
years of age and is still not married when the story opens up and is portrayed as a lady who is
self dependent and takes her own decisions without relying on the society to put upon her. As she
expresses her reason of marrying Mr. Collins to just have a decent living also reflects the

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trueness of her character wherein she has been compelled to marry him owing to her age, which
was a pretty old age to get married at the time and she justifies her marriage as a necessity and a
decision that she took on herself. This is also a true portrayal of feministic expression. Feminism
as we describe now has evolved over time, but the way Jane Austen has created a character that
was so opposing to the social scenario of the time reflects her intent of abolishing sexist
stereotypes (Wylie). On several instances Elizabeth was referred to as a sporty woman, and even
after willing to marry Mr. Darcy, she decides to be independent and free from the shackles of her
husband. Jane Austen has not only developed the character by using a unique voice and
personality, the supporting characters also promoted the femininity of Elizabeth through their
discourses. This was a way to promote feministic expression in her novel Pride and Prejudice
(Wang and Yan).
The British Regency period was a time when the society was hegemonistic, dominated by
concepts of male superiority and female were treated as commodity and instruments to manage
family. The marriage was also an institution where the only reason was to find an eligible
bachelor who could provide a secured established life. The concept of sustaining on the male
counterpart after marriage was the societal norm, and the concept of love for marriage was not
considered. The role that authors during the regency period played in establishing romanticism
and feministic ideas including Jane Austen in several of her novels is exceptional. The novel
Pride and Prejudice not only promotes feminism but gives an insight into the prevalent society of
the time. She uses her novel as a tool to eliminate he societal prejudices prevalent at the time and
does so with expertise in portraying her characters as bearers of feminism.

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Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and prejudice. Bantam Classics, 1981.
Gustavsson, Karen. "Using fiction to support gender equality-the case for Neverwhere and Pride
and Prejudice." (2011).
Looser, Devoney. "Feminist Implications of." Jane Austen in Hollywood (1998): 159.
Manalu, Wira Buana, and Sri Minda Murni. "THE SEXISM IN JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND
PREJUDICE." LINGUISTICA6.2 (2017).
Morrison, Robert. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Routledge Study Guide and Sourcebook.
Routledge, 2009.
Wang, Xueqing, and Yan Liu. "Analysis of the Feminism in Pride and Prejudice." Theory &
Practice in Language Studies1.12 (2011).
Wylie, Judith. "Dancing in chains: feminist satire in Pride and Prejudice.
(Miscellany)." Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal 22 (2000): 62.