Introduction
Jane Austen’s novels dwell on women who have experienced difficulties and found true love. In the 19th century, writing novels only about women, their feelings, and their thoughts was a bold occupation, and it was considered an element of feminist thought. This paper will examine the historical context of 19th feminism, as well as the material and literary aspects of a woman’s life and how Austin portrays them. The main heroine of the novel Pride and Prejudice is a free woman defending her choice, so I believe that Pride and Prejudice erodes sexist stereotypes of women.
Early Manifestations of Feminism in Jane Austen’s Novels
Although feminism has been gaining popularity since the second half of the 20th century, Jane Austen’s novels are full of feminist motives, ideas of gender equality, and women’s rights. In fact, for the first time, feminism began to manifest itself in the 19th century. Although some researchers consider Jane Austen to be a romantic writer, claiming that most of her novels are written about family and marriage, she was a realist who tried to portray the problems of that time in all their nakedness (Orban 14).
The 19th Century Context: Women’s Social Status and Limitations
The 19th century was very difficult for women in terms of opportunities for status and the place they occupied in society. Practically, they were not equal to men in any field. In such a situation, the only way out was to marry a rich man. Practically, their lives depended entirely on men. Mary Wollstonecraft emphasized that a married woman can only be considered superior to a slave in some way (Fording and Schram 26). That is, even if she gets married, she will not be able to be free. In that case, from the property of one person, it passes into the property of another.
Marriage as a Means of Survival for Women
If a woman’s father dies, the only way out is marriage because if there is no heir in the family, then the inheritance will pass to any other male relative and not to his daughters. Consequently, the fate of the women in this family remains in the hands of a distant relative. In Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet warns her daughter Elizabeth: “You will never have a husband, and I am not sure who will support you after your father passes away” (Austen 198).
This example shows that during this period, women were not able to continue their lives without someone’s support. Given that there were not many opportunities for women to work in the 19th century, women had to choose the second path for the most part. Mary Wollstonecraft used Daniel Defoe’s term institutionalized immorality to reject and criticize such loveless and commitment-free marriages (Orban 17).
Contrasting Victorian Female Archetypes: Charlotte vs. Elizabeth
Jane Austen’s novel is very important for analyzing the issue related to the social status of women in this period. The main character of Jane is a woman who not only got into certain difficult situations but also one who prefers to freely express their feelings and rights and does not want to be sold as a commodity. Such an image can be called the herald of the ideas of feminism, which, as a new ideological and political trend, began to gain popularity in the second half of the 20th century.
Charlotte, the heroine of the novel Pride and Prejudice, who wants to save her life by marrying a rich man, is a typical Victorian woman (Austen 184). However, Elizabeth, the book’s main character, does not think only about material things. She tries to choose a husband based on her thoughts and feelings.
Jane Austen’s Perspective on Women’s Education and Reading
In a letter to her sister Cassandra, Jane Austen was glad that she had started reading the English poet Thomas Gisborne and thanked her for her advice to read this author, but she did not want to read herself. It was about the book A Study of Women’s Responsibilities, where, in addition to numerous responsibilities, Gisborne advises women to read (Chandio et al. 296). In the Appreciate Time section, it is recommended to gradually increase the reading time every day to develop reading skills, regardless of whether they are married or single (Chandio et al. 297).
At the same time, Gisborne does not consider novels to be books that need to be read since the minds of women reading novels are doomed to degradation (Chandio et al. 298). Gisborne does not view women as writers; that is, they can only read books but not write them, and they need help reading.
In her works, Jane Austen depicts both the conflict between the author and the reader and the hierarchy between species. For example, in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins is asked to read the novel aloud (Austen 168). However, Collins admits that he has never read novels. In those days, the novel was considered only as a genre read by women, and there was a hierarchy that determined the novel’s place among other genres, like the hierarchy between women and men (Austen 169). Men wrote novels, and women read them, while men read only more serious theoretical books.
Conclusion
Thus, in her novel, Jane Austen described the life and love of a middle-class woman in England as a truly scientific observer and psychologist. More than other heroes, the images of women created by her attract attention to Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen’s love novel differs from typical novels of that time: in it, both love relationships and the everyday life of ordinary women are expressed sincerely and openly.
The historical background of 19th-century feminism was reviewed in this essay, followed by a look at the material and literary facets of a woman’s life and how Austin depicts them. Therefore, I think Pride and Prejudice undermines sexist preconceptions of women because the book’s main character is a free woman defending her choice. Although feminism has become relevant since the second half of the 20th century, it is possible to call Jane Austen a harbinger of realism and feminism in English literature.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Peacock, 2022.
Chandio, Rashid, et al. “Pride and Prejudice & A Doll’s House: A Comparative Feminist Discourse.” Language in India, vol. 19, no. 8, 2019, pp. 293–304. Web.
Fording, Richard, and Sanford Schram. “Pride or Prejudice? Clarifying the Role of White Racial Identity in Recent Presidential Elections.” Polity, vol. 55, no. 1, 2022, pp. 1–31. Web.
Orban, Panni. “Some Traditions Are Sexist: Should They Stay That Way?” The Morningside Review, vol. 18, no. 1, 2022, pp. 1–18. Web.