Gender Archetypes in Pride and Prejudice: Evolving Perspectives

Shifting Societal Values in Pride and Prejudice

In the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the text reveals a shift in society’s values through the interpretation of characters and gender-bias archetypes revealed in the past and connecting them to today. The different opinions in the articles show how others interpret the novel by comparing the past issues to the present stereotypes of society. Austen discusses the juxtaposition of following social norms or revolting against them.

Interpreting Dramatic Appeal: Literary Perspectives on Pride and Prejudice

Article 1 provides information about Pride and Prejudice’s dramatic stories that turn out to be taken too literally. Walker D.T. states that Pride and Prejudice became overdramatic in effect to appeal to literature enthusiasts. However, Jane Austen crafted her novel with intriguing dramatic appeal. Furthermore, he calls Pride and Prejudice an unintelligent novel. This statement is overriding but a supported opinion. In addition, he calls the novel not very realistic, presenting a thoughtful critique of Pride and Prejudice, deeming Pride and Prejudice exists as an over-dramatized novel.

Marital Dynamics and Social Norms in Austen’s World

Paalman, Susan. “‘In Want of a Wife’–or a Husband–in Pride and Prejudice.” St. John’s Review, vol. 57, no. 1, Sept. 2015, EBSCOHost
Article 2 mentions the specific aspects needed for characters to marry in the novel. The author of the article, Susan Paulman, discusses the opening sentence of the novel, which explains that every man desires a wife. Throughout the novel, the sentence serves important significance as the novel focuses on some of the Bennet daughters finding a husband in good fortune.

The weaknesses and strengths of the characters prove to be helpful in their marriages. Upon Lizzie’s rejection, Charlotte Lucas becomes engaged to Mr. Collins. When looking for a wife, Mr. Collins only wants to please her. This article acts as an amazing source for learning more about how marriages were in the time of Pride and Prejudice. This article explains in more detail the marriages in Pride and Prejudice.

Unveiling Social Hierarchies: Class in Austen’s Society

This article provides different aspects of the societal norms in Pride and Prejudice. Ashfaq Samina and Nasir Jamal explain the details of all the families in the novel. The Bennet family comes across as very wealthy. However, their five daughters make it difficult to save money. According to the authors, the Lucas family exhibits selfishness and cowardice repeatedly throughout the book.

In a similar vein, Lady Catherine’s invitation to Mr. Collins and other acquaintances serves as a lesson in the book to demonstrate the social class that Mr. Collins and his friends belong to, which turns out to be an affluent one. However, throughout the book, people from the same social class have divergent opinions about how people from other social classes should behave. When Mr. Bennet comes off as not caring if his daughter marries a wealthy person like Mrs. Bennet, this seems evident. This essay claims that Pride and Prejudice does a fantastic job of portraying various social classes.

Subtle Sarcasm and Social Mores: Unpacking Literary Commentary

The underlying significance of a dialogue between Mrs. Hurst and Lizzie is discussed in Article 4. Lizzie’s description as an ‘excellent walker’ by Mrs. Hurst is explained by Olivia Murphy in more detail. Since there isn’t a carriage nearby, Lizzie must go a considerable distance to get where she needs to be. Long-distance walks were discouraged during the romantic era, so Mrs. Hurst makes a fairly snide remark to Lizzie. Even so, at first glance, Mrs. Hurst’s comment to Lizzie does not appear to be impolite. However, it becomes evident she is being sarcastic when one considers the romantic era and social mores of the time. This source functions well as an illustration of reading more deeply. This article also deeply explains a sarcastic comment in the novel.

Evolution of Literary Adaptations: Pride and Prejudice in Contemporary Context

The distinctions between the romantic era, which serves as the setting for Pride and Prejudice, and the present are discussed in Article 5. Andrew Davies is first introduced in the essay. He discovered the data that was used in this piece; he is widely known for adapting older publications. He even managed to work for the BBC. The authors of this article also go on to describe how literary adaptations function. Older literature frequently employs adaptations, which are modest changes made to fit current ideological trends to make the material easier to understand. They also discussed the 1990s and the shift in ideological trends that occurred during that decade. This article outlines the efforts made to simplify Pride and Prejudice.

References:

1. Walker, D. T. (2020). Pride, Prejudice, and Skeptical Intimacy. Eighteenth Century: Theory & Interpretation, 61(4), 433–452. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
2. Paalman, Susan. (2015). “‘In Want of a Wife’–or a Husband–in Pride and Prejudice.” St. John’s Review, 57(1). Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
3. Ashfaq, Samina, & Nasir Jamal Khattak. (2014). Dilemma of Class Classification in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Putaj Humanities & Social Sciences, 21. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
4. Murphy, Olivia. (2013). Jane Austen’s ‘Excellent Walker’: Pride, Prejudice, and Pedestrianism. Eighteenth Century Fiction, 26(1), 121–142. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
5. Trandafoiu, Ruxandra, & Carol Poole. (2018). The Past and ‘The Way We Live Now’: Andrew Davies’ Screen Adaptations of Pride & Prejudice and War Ix Peace. Midwest Quarterly, 60(1), 87–110. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.