The Bennets, the family of the heroine, belong to the landed gentry class. They are landowners who accumulate money from their property, but they are below the nobility. The class differences are at the core of the central conflict of Pride and Prejudice.
Detailed answer:
The novel reflects the Georgian era of English history. To be more exact, it focuses on contemporary gentry society, ignoring some historical events. The two main classes depicted in the novel are the nobility and the gentry. The main character, Elizabeth, is of the landed gentry. It relates to the fact that Jane Austen, the novel’s author, had the same pedigree. The gentry is close to the nobility in the sense that they are wealthier than the rest. However, there is a gap between the two, which the novel explores.
The class issue mostly arises when it comes to the love affairs of the Bennet daughters. For instance, Jane is fond of Mr. Bingley, who has a higher income than her family. He is not one of the nobility but belongs to the gentry’s higher level. It allows him to be a close friend of a nobility member, Mr. Darcy.
In case you might be asking yourself about other daughters, there is also Elizabeth. She has a complicated relationship with Mr. Darcy, starting with disdain and ending in love. One of the main obstacles to their union is the staggering social and financial differences. It is brought up clearly when Lady Catherine protests their marriage. In the end, the characters themselves do not mind the class differences. It is their families that cling to the traditions and honor.
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