Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin (1813) - 19th century English Society

Extract

[...] In other words, instead of prioritising her own feelings, passion and the power that love can offer, a young woman must first think of the repercussions. Thirdly, in the time of Jane Austin, will and desire over marriage were controlled by society, especially by those in the highest position. In fact, during her visit to Longbourn, Lady Catherine, a haughty and very wealthy woman insists on the absurdity of such a girl as Lizzy marrying a man like Darcy, especially if he is supposed to be engaged to her daughter. [...]

[...] Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, focuses a lot on the stereotypes of women in the Elizabethan era (for instance, they role was to be a mother and a good wife) and how Juliet defies those values to be with Romeo. In order to conclude, we can see how important the power of love is to fight the limits of the society. If one indefinitely love his significant other, he would not be stopped by wealth, social position, pride or prejudice. This is what make this novel incredibly powerful, by the way Jane Austin mastered to inspire many couples to fight no matter the circumstances. [...]

[...] Bingley, her eyes light up with plans for Jane, the oldest one. As she is at that moment twenty-two years old, her beauty is considered ephemeral and she must find a wealthy husband at all costs. In fact, women were likely to spend the remainder of their lives alone and in a bad social condition if they could not find a man until a certain age since they were extremely dependent on them at the time. They would have no formal role in society and occasionally would become a burden to their families. [...]

[...] Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin (1813) - 19th century English Society Society, a theme that has been the focus of many novels over the last few centuries. No novelist, however, has mastered to approach it in such a unique manner as Jane Austin. During the Regency Period in 1813, one of the most transformative eras in European History, Jane Austin wrote and published her illustrious novel Pride and Prejudice, where she denounces, at the time, the absurdity of the place of a woman in the society. [...]

[...] This is demonstrated when Elizabeth is frequently invited to play the piano. This shows that society encouraged women to have many "accomplishments" such as drawing, needlework, playing an instrument, singing well or mastering languages in order to make their homes more lively. A woman with many "accomplishments" was therefore more marriageable. Despite the fact that the periods in which the novels were written are different, we can see a certain similarity with the novel The Great Gatsby and the play Romeo and Juliet. [...]