Illustration of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy with neutral expressions on their faces

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

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Pride and Prejudice Questions on Social Class

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Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, characters represent various social classes: Charlotte and Sir Lucas (knighthood), Mr. Collins (working class), Wickham (lower class rising through the regiment), and the...

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Pride and Prejudice

The Bingley sisters view the Bennets as socially inferior and are critical of their lower social status and perceived ill-breeding. Although Caroline Bingley approves of Jane Bennet's manners, she...

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Pride and Prejudice

The main conflicts in Pride and Prejudice include the tension between prudential and companionate marriages, resolved partially by Darcy marrying Elizabeth for love. Elizabeth and Darcy's personal...

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Pride and Prejudice

The term "prejudice" in the title largely refers to class. Because class was such a crucial and highly contested aspect of British society in Austen's day, no one in the novel is immune to class...

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Pride and Prejudice

The opening sentence of "Pride and Prejudice" satirically sets the tone for the novel, highlighting themes of marriage and social expectations. It humorously suggests that wealthy single men are...

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Pride and Prejudice

The reason Mrs. Bennet says this is because, in the Regency era, no unmarried woman must visit an unmarried gentleman at his place of residence without invitation. This is especially true if the...

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Pride and Prejudice

The Napoleonic Wars are not directly mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. However, this historical period does play a part in the novel, since it is the reason why there are soldiers stationed in...

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Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, social class plays a significant role in determining characters' relationships and societal interactions. Marriages and social mobility are heavily influenced by class. In...

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Pride and Prejudice

Marxist perspectives on Pride and Prejudice focus on class struggle, economic power, and social mobility, highlighting how characters navigate societal hierarchies. Feminist perspectives examine...

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Pride and Prejudice

The Bingley sisters represent two central themes found in Pride and Prejudice. The first theme concerns consequences of prejudice. However, the Bingleys' prejudice stems from, not just their own...

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Pride and Prejudice

The scenes of weddings, parties, and social occasions reveal the values of the characters and their society. The characters value class distinctions, wealth, and decorum.

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Pride and Prejudice

The final message that Pride and Prejudice gives us is that love conquers all.  A message that Jane Austen was determined to write into her novels since she observed that it was impossible to...

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Pride and Prejudice

Hello! You asked about the social class values and moral values in Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice. Austen's novel is set in the early 19th century. Remember that the American Revolution was...

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Pride and Prejudice

This is a very good question. While the effects of the Industrial Revolution are more apparent in Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility, and even Emma and Mansfield Park, the subplot premise in...

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Pride and Prejudice

The revelations about Bingley in Pride and Prejudice include details about his family, his age, and his inexperience. Bingley comes from a wealthy family, is relatively young, and lacks the...

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Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, the setting plays a crucial role in the thematic development by highlighting social class distinctions and character relationships. The varied locations, from the opulent...

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Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice Mr darcy comes from the Upper classes, old landed classes with power that rested in the land. He is an aristocrat who far outstrips the others around him, including Mr...

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Pride and Prejudice

Mrs. Bennet is one of three characters in Pride and Prejudice thought to mostly function as comic relief. Does Mrs. Bennet have another function in the novel? It cannot be said that Mrs. Bennet...

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Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen was born and raised during the Industrial Revolution, which began in England between 1760 and 1785. Austen herself was born in 1775 and died during the Regency period, which spanned...

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Pride and Prejudice

The evidence of social injustice in Pride and Prejudice is mainly based on the topics of gender historical context (politics) rank/class money Gender and politics are perhaps the most salient...

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Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, Austen is a moralist whose purpose is to analyze how the traditional class system worked and why it was dysfunctional for human beings. She also offers an alternative vision...

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Pride and Prejudice

In this passage from Pride and Prejudice, the narrator describes the first time that Fitzwilliam Darcy confesses his love to Elizabeth Bennett. The class snobbery is referenced as the aristocratic...

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Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen, in Pride and Prejudice, uses Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal to shed a great deal of light on Mr. Darcy's character, and also show society's opinion of the Bennet family. When Mr....

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Pride and Prejudice

During the course of the novel, the men and women of Darcy and Bingley's social class spend their leisure time in very frivolous ways. The balls, or dances, play an important role in the novel, as...

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Pride and Prejudice

Besides Elizabeth's general dislike of Darcy's arrogant nature, her two primary reasons for spurning his declaration of love and offer of marriage are that he "ruin[ed], perhaps forever, the...

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Pride and Prejudice

Mr. Wickham is a handsome, charming man who is only interested in upgrading his status and class in society. Mrs. Gardiner, who is much like a surrogate parent to Elizabeth, recognizes this in Mr....

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Pride and Prejudice

Recurring symbols in Pride and Prejudice include estates, which reflect social status and marriage prospects, and letters, which reveal character intentions and misunderstandings. Additionally, balls...

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Pride and Prejudice

Hope this helps: Historical and political context: The setting takes place around the late 1700's and early 1800's during the Regency period. Regency means that England was not ruled by a King or...

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Pride and Prejudice

Darcy and Bingley are from a different class than Elizabeth and Jane. Darcy is from the landed gentry, and Bingley is from the successful business class. Elizabeth and Jane, on the other hand, are...

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Pride and Prejudice

There a few reasons that Darcy feels superior to Elizabeth Bennet. Some have to do with education. Some have to do with wealth. Some have to do with family connections. Let's examine one or two...

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Pride and Prejudice

In “Pride and Prejudice,” women use marriage to get what they want – raising their station in society. Mr. Bennet, the male head of a household of all girls, calls his girls “silly and ignorant”...

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Pride and Prejudice

The theme of civility in Pride and Prejudice is significant as it highlights the social expectations and manners of the period. Characters such as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy navigate societal...

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Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice explores themes of social class, marriage, and morality. Motifs include courtship and the importance of reputation. Psychologically, characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy...

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Pride and Prejudice

Austen's critique of British society in Pride and Prejudice focuses on class distinctions, marriage as a social contract, and the limitations placed on women. Through characters and their...

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Pride and Prejudice

Interesting question. Much of what is written in history books concerns wars, battles, monarchs and the big advances in knowledge. What Jane Austen does is different. Through her, we get a picture...

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Pride and Prejudice

I can't give you an in-depth analysis in an eNotes answer, but I can get you started. You might begin with this quote—actually an a analysis of a passage from Goethe—in Marx's 1844 essay, "The...

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Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen reflects early 19th-century English society, emphasizing class distinctions, marriage, and social status. The novel showcases the cultural expectations of lineage,...

6 educator answers

Pride and Prejudice

Caroline Bingley's actions and letters in Pride and Prejudice significantly impact Jane and Elizabeth Bennet. Her letter to Jane suggests Charles Bingley's interest in Georgiana Darcy, causing Jane...

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Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen explores themes of social class, first impressions, and the pursuit of true love. The central message emphasizes not judging by appearances, as characters learn...

19 educator answers