Laurence Yu 02/04/21

Ms. Jesusita Suarez Jadulco

Feminist Criticism Activity (Pride and Prejudice)

1. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?

- Men and women are often seen as potential matches for each other in hopes to
establish and develop a marriage. Most marriages in the story take into account the
socioeconomic status and family ties of the people involved whereas attraction and compatibility
becomes secondary. Most, if not all relationships between the opposite sex (except for family
relatives) are rarely perceived as platonic as they all are looked at as possible suitors/wives for
the future.
2. How are male and female roles defined?
- In the story, females are defined as future wives who wait to be desired and
domesticated by an eligible bachelor that will pick her as a spouse. They are not seen as equals.
Women are generally seen as glorified servants for their husbands as they have prepared their
whole lives to be chosen. On the other hand, men are depicted as strong, dominant figures in
their society. Men were judged based on their wealth and status, as opposed to their values and
personality. Because of this, rich men were often at the top of the social hierarchy even though
they had terrible manners. During that period, men were seen as superior to women, something
which is heavily reflected through their laws and traditions; Laws that only benefit the patriarchy
by preventing women from inheriting estates or the right to vote since they are looked down as
inferior and incapable of handling complicated tasks.
3. What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
- Masculinity and femininity are a set of traits and stereotypes given by society to
assign roles to a specific gender. Masculinity refers to the attributes traditionally characterized by
males, while femininity refers to qualities based around females. Society establishes these
stereotypes based on the ideals and cultural values at the time. For instance, during the 19th and
20th century (where Pride and Prejudice was set), males were perceived as superior, both
intellectually and physically, while women are regarded as submissive and incapable of making
intellectual decisions. These gender roles oftentimes prevent women from equal opportunities
and basic rights, such as the right to vote or the right to inherit property, simply because of the
sexist stigma surrounding their gender.
4. How do the characters embody these traits?
- Characters like Charlotte Lucas conform to society’s standards of femininity by
marrying a man in order to secure her wealth. The men in the story, like Mr. Collins and
Fitzwilliam Darcy, possess masculinity by exhibiting their authority and dominance towards the
women in the story. They also express their toxic masculinity by making women feel inferior and
powerless, as well as showing other men that they are the so-called “alpha”.
5. Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change
others' reactions to them?
- The story’s protagonists, Jane and Elizabeth, go against the grain and defy
traditional gender stereotypes by refusing to submit to society’s perception and expectation of a
woman during that century. In the story, women are always expected to be submissive and wait
for a man to define their futures. Instead, throughout the plot, Jane and Elizabeth become more
resistant to the patriarchy as they take control of their own destiny the way a man does. Some
people (like Caroline Bingley, Charles’ sister) found the Bennett sisters peculiar, undesirable and
overall inferior since it is unconventional for a woman to take control of her own life decisions
by not letting a man define her future.