Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice 1813
Jane Austens life
1775-1817, Steventon in Hampshire
Money and marriage in Austens life her fathers position of a
vicar, a serious relationship with Tom Lefroy and a marriage
proposal by Harris Bigg Wither
An understanding of precisely where one stood in the social
hierarchy was important to anyone in England in this period
Romantic plot made her popular, but there is something else also,
her ironic and sharp language, you can learn so much about 18th
century England
Lived in the time of French Revolution, she was aware of those
things, chose not to write about that, belongs to the 18th century,
not 19th, Victorian era, her novels were written in late 18th
century, died in her early 40s, she was born in SE England which
was prosperous, open to foreign influence and invasion
This part of England was traditional and prosperous
Also lived in Bath, her father hoped that she will find a husband
there
Money and marriage are the most important in her novels and
her personal life
Her father was a vicar, above the merchants but below nobility
Her fathers position defined her world view and position, gave
her access to education
In terms of marriage prospects she did not have much to offer,
everything went to her brother
Tom Lefroy was a lawyer and fairly poor, they liked each other,
but there were no prospects, he needed to find someone better
Harris was a great opportunity, but she had a change of heart
These two events were an inspiration
Marriage and money go together
Thats her society
Importance of patronage / connections for ones social identity
Mr Collins, had to have a patron so he could have a position and
money, the same patronage was given to her father, her family
was supported by patronage
Minimalism in style and theme
Microcosm and life in its social aspect
With few words she says a lot, very little description, more
dialogue, she manages to be economic
Working on the little bit (two inches wide) of Ivory ... with so
fine a Brush, as produces little effect after much labour (Kelly,
115,116)
Austen as an acute social observer, severe revisions of her novels,
First Impressions 1796
Lot of dialogues which open up the mind and characters, words
are suggestive, in terms of theme is also a minimalist because she
deals with a small village, only up to three families
They are friends and neighbours and do lots of gossiping and
chatting
Limited scope of interest
Microcosm of life she gives a picture of whole society, whole
their world, acute social observer because she spent her life
observing other people, noticed details and wrote about them
Chapter I an elderly couple, intellectual gap, he barely never
listens to her, propriety and the code of conduct are very
important
The way Mrs Bennet reads other people, in economic figures
people are read
 Mrs Bennet is easy to laugh at, but she is concerned about her
daughters
Bingley waits for Darcys approval because Darcy is above him in
social rank, socially they are far apart, Bingley is a son of a trader,
he lived of his fortune, but Darcys fortune is land and he has lots
of social influence
Elizabeth has been watching them and thats how her position
has been determined, she is the one who has power, casting is
crucial
Marys hair is dirty, no one is terribly attractive
Historical context the militia regiment staying at Meryton leaves
for the huge winter camp at Brighton
The militia were mobilised in the 1790s in direct response to the
threat of invasion of revolutionary France
These things are told in passing, as you learn them you have to
connect them to historical context
English response to the French Revolution and Pride and
Prejudice
Wanted to make sure that no revolution takes place in England
English government created police state where people with
radical political ideas were monitored
Revolution was far away from them but militia reminds you that
this is that period
Can be seen as an attempt to preserve the peace, change and
violent change are not desirable, it has to be subtle Pride and
Prejudice
This book is not revolutionary, promotes customs and peace
UPPER CLASS AS a custodian of the national heritage and political stability
Property, propriety and marriage
Industrial revolution, class and money
Middle -class industrial interests vs. aristocratic landed
interests, new vs old money (Tom Jones vs pride and prejudice)
Middle class subdivided in 3 classes, Bingley was produced by
industrial revolution, he doesnt have to work
His father gave him upper class life, wanted to look like them, but
Bingley is also a gentlemen unlike his sisters he is full of
understanding
His sisters pretended to be ladies
New money would be middle class and old money is aristocracy
Class issue (middle class, gentry, upper class); Darcy vs. Bingley
and Meryton gentry
When they come to a ball everything stops, because being in the
presence of Darcy is something they never encountered, social
gap
Making money for the sake of supporting yourself was
ungentlemanly
Misconceptions which arise from associating codes of propriety
with gentry status (Mrs Bennets vulgarity vs. the natural
politeness of the Gardiners and Darcys snobbery
Tensions between respectability and the origins of ones wealth
(the Bingleys vs. Gardiners
Property and propriety pillars of society and a girls greatest
accomplishments
Gardiner doesnt hide that he is a trader unlike Bingleys
If you dont have money you have to have talents such as dancing
Elizabeth was deficient there
 Capacity of inherited rank to absorb new wealth without
threatening the established political order vs. the violent changes
caused by French Revolution
Darcy represents this stability and that there is no place for
violence and radical change
Continuity of property and history from generation to generation,
subtly altered but never abandoned
Entailment in Pride and Prejudice
Elizabeth fits into a new role without making too much fuss,
subtle change, she takes the role of quiet woman
Once they got married she is accommodated to his world view,
she will learn from him
It seems irrelevant but political message is that the change is
there but it supports the social order, she has to become like
Darcy
She is much less articulate and loud than she was before the
marriage
When you entail property it has to be given intact to future
generation, it belongs to future and past generations, it cant be
sold or lost
Darcys virtues of a responsible guardian are central for the
preservation and continuity of English national life
Darcys library is bigger
Just like with land, he keeps knowledge and gives it to future
generation
French Revolution destroyed books and heritage
Metaphorical significance, Darcys old money library cant be
matched
French Republics persecution and execution of its aristocracy in
the Terror
Darcys house is also elegant and sophisticated, just like Darcy
Elizabeth is realistic, says i could have been the mistress of this
house
Marriage, romantic love and Romanticism
Romantic impulse for change and challenging of established
forms coalition of different classes in Austens novels
Set of ideas in the late 18h and early 19th century, response
against the Enlightenment
Pride and Prejudice as a different kind of romantic comedy of
love and courtship Kelly 113 114 117
Austen does not advocate violation of social norms unless it is
motivated by ethical action (her heroines win by heroic inaction,
Lydia vs. Elizabeth)
Jane Austen lived in the time of romantics
Romantics fight for change like French Revolution
Jane Austen desires subtle change, elegant not rebellious
Romantic love should not transcend convention and tradition
(Charlotte Lucas vs. caricature of social pretention (Mr Collins))
Marriage as way of uniting true minds and social status within the
socially approved context
Austens novels were popular and sold well
Austens reductive approach vs. glamorous treatment of
decadent court culture in fashionable novels and dangerous
alternative of Romantic individualism in novels of passion
She didnt like the romantic outpouring, seemed unrealistic to her
Elizabeth and Darcy
First and second proposal
First was a complete failure because it was against social
judgements
 Marriage as an ideal union of property and propriety (marriage of
Darcy and Elizabeth distributes roles between them in such a way
that social and gender conventions are not violated)
Issue of self-knowledge and marriage
Chapter 50 disposition and talents, her portion is less solid
Feminist critics paid attention to this chapter, even though she
has an edge it is lost in the end
Feminists saw this as the end of resistance, this is change
advocated by Austen
Elizabeth became tamed, she is not as loud as she was
Narrator and the use of language
Third person limited omniscient narration, free indirect discourse,
filtered inward speech and thoughts, narrators ironic stance
towards Elizabeth
All the opinions and irony is Elizabeths
Pride and Prejudice as a novel of perception and a drama of
consciousness, dominance of verbs and nouns of cognition
Drama that takes place is in the mind of people
Cf. Lyrical language and extravagant self-expressiveness of
sentimental novels
Bronte sisters wrote differently and criticised Jane Austen
Her contemporaries used passionate language
She was unromantic in romantic age