Gender Representations in Pride and Prejudice
08 Fall 08 Fall “Discuss the ways in which gender has been represented in the text” The traditional English gentleman is typically seen as a strong symbol of masculinity and elegance, it’s hard to not fall for their charm with the English female being the submissive housewife with utter beauty, but never her own opinion. In Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen, this is certainly not the case.
First published in 1813, the story is about the romance between the young heroine Elizabeth Bennet, the prejudiced middle class daughter and the proud, wealthy eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy as they both overcome their judgements and fall in love. Though English gentlemen were viewed as the stronger race with a high regard within society and strong social graces and husbands the head of the family with the final decision, the main male characters in the novel are portrayed as the challenges these characteristics.
Austen uses the novel’s strong female protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet to challenge to idea of women of that era being weak and passive, whereas the eligible bachelor of the town, Fitzwilliam Darcy, lacks in the social expectations as he is portrayed as juvenile, especially when it comes to love and courtship. Mr Bennet, the father of the strong female heroine, is portrayed as withdrawn and passive compared to the erratic personality of his wife, Mrs Bennet.
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Through characterisation, Austen intelligently challenges the traditional masculine and feminine roles of the Regency Era. The novel was first submitted for publication in November 1719 under the alternative title First Impressions between October 1796 and August 1797. During this time, the aftermath of the French Revolution was a time of intense ethical debate about revolutionary ideas and change about politics and sex equality. Austen’s novel does not comment on the events of war in her time, but rather on the imminent change of ethics with regards to gender equality.
Equality between men and women in that era was fairly non-existent as women were deemed the weaker race as a woman was expected to remain passive throughout her life, marrying early and supporting her husband when need be, bearing children and living a rewarding social life. Men, however, being the head of the family and the husbands having superiority within marriage, were deemed fit to defend their country and have high regard within society with strong social graces and a hardworking attitude in the home.
Young women in the Regency period were traditionally seen as property of their fathers, and when married off, they were then deemed the possession of their husband and forever loyal to the men in their lives. The feisty heroine of Elizabeth Bennet challenges this expectation by being maintaining her independence in a time of feminine weakness being told “you speak your opinion very decidedly for a woman of your age. ” In her first marriage proposal from the odd Mr Collins, Elizabeth maintains her strength as rather than marrying for wealth, she refuses his proposal.
Ignoring the expectations of her family, as well as society, Elizabeth maintains her hope in marrying for love in saying “do you not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart” as she implores Mr Collins to understand her motives in maintaining her independence, as she refuses to apologise for what she wants thus showing her strength and challenging the idea of women being submissive with the society.
Similarly, when Elizabeth journeys across the countryside to Netherfield to tend to her ill sister, Jane, as she does so with the bravado and independence not quite readily present within the upper class society. Though others were unimpressed by Elizabeth’s independent behaviour, Darcy was quite impressed by her audacity as he says the “brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion” as it gives women readers of that era an example of how women can be independent and not have to conform to the society’s expectations, that they can rise above and become more than just the property of man.
In the Regency period, upper-class men were deemed the epitome of social grace and confidence. With a facade of social standing, Fitzwilliam Darcy challenges this social stereotype. Though seemingly confident in himself, Darcy’s pride gets the better of him as he is characterised as immature for a man of his time. When discussing his past with Elizabeth, Darcy blames his parents for his lack of social skills as they “allowed, encouraged and almost taught” him to be “selfish and overbearing. This shows Darcy’s willingness to fault his parents for his lack of confidence, and for a man of his time is slightly childish. At the first ball he attends, Darcy’s snobbish behaviour is seen as immature as he blatantly insults Elizabeth Bennet, to whom he first met. To his friend’s, Mr Bingley, suggestion of dancing with Elizabeth, Darcy replies “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” revealing him as a prejudiced man that is too proud to dance with that of the lower class portraying the upper class man as snobbish and conceited.
The character of Darcy contrasts with the gentlemanly figure that has the upmost social graces within society, his awkward nature created by Austen shows the weaker side of man. Born into a reasonably wealthy family, Mr Bennet, though meant to be the head of the household, is characterised as passive and reluctant to be involved in his family’s schemes. Described as ‘so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice’ Mr Bennet does not epitomise the society’s expectations of the fatherly figure.
During conversations with his family, particularly his wife, Mr Bennet would rather withdraw from the dispute to his drawing room or submissively obey to the commands of his wife, especially in the opening of the novel. By marrying his wife based on looks alone, Mr Bennet believes that the “respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown” challenging the idea that husbands had the final say in the relationship, and that marrying based on looks was appreciated within the society.
In the opening, preoccupied by the newly arrived bachelor Mr Bingley, Mrs Bennet has many ideas and demands her husband take part for then he replies “depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all” showing his willingness to make her happy rather than society’s expectation of the woman keeping the man pleased. In a society preoccupied with the importance of marriage, Mr Bennet defends his daughter’s decision in rejecting Mr Collins proposal, telling her “Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins ... nd I will never see you again if you do” showing his unwillingness to conform to the society’s expectations of women marrying for wealth rather than love. The wife in the Regency period was seen as the exact opposite of the husband, a weak passive woman who did mainly domestic work and cared for her family whilst obeying her husband’s orders. Mrs Bennet, however, certainly does not conform to these traditional roles. Described as a woman of “mean understanding, little information and uncertain temper”, Mrs Bennet is Austen’s comment on the equality of marriage.
In the opening of the text, the reader is shown the erratic and overpowering personality of Mrs Bennet in contrast to the passive nature of her husband. Concentrated on marrying her daughters off to a suitable bachelor, Mrs Bennet overpowers the opinion of her husband in ordering him that “you must go, for it would be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not” showing her as domineering towards her husband portraying the wife figure in the novel to be more powerful compared to the husband.
The use of the ‘ultimatum’ type deal from wife to husband, as this is at the beginning of the novel, foreshadows the theme of female authority throughout the text and in a time of oppression within a relationship as Mrs Bennet challenges the traditional role of the Regency era’s housewife. Through Austen’s use of clever characterisation, she defies the traditional masculine and feminine roles of the Regency Era.
The challenging of the society’s values gave an alternative view of life for those living in the era. Though not portraying men in a good light, the novel’s feminist ideas gave women empowerment to speak up for their own beliefs and independence. Through strong characters such as Elizabeth and Mrs Bennet, women were given heroines to aspire to, and through the use of the submissive male characters of Mr Bennet and Darcy the strength of the women contrasts against the weakness of the male characters.
Jane Austen’s comments on gender equality was a powerful motion in her era, and still affect readers now in today’s modern society. Bibliography Ashley Gardner, “The Regency Era”, 2005, viewed on the 5th May http://www. gardnermysteries. com/index-regency. html Heat and Dust, “Gender Roles in the Victorian Times,” April 7, 2008, viewed 7th May, <http://wardariheath. wordpress. com/2008/04/07/gender-roles-in-the-victorian-times/>
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, first published 1813, published in Penguin Classics 1996, updated Further Reading and 1972 Penguin Classics Introduction by Tony Tanner 2003. The Republic of Pemberly, Jane Austen Information, 2004, viewed on the 10th May, <http://www. pemberley. com/janeinfo/> Scribd, Pride and Prejudice Class and Gender, 2012, viewed on the 9th May, <http://www. scribd. com/doc/4110073/Pride-and-Prejudice-Class-and-Gender>
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