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

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

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  • Investigate the transformations in English social hierarchy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Illustrate how attitudes in Pride and Prejudice towards the newly affluent middle class, who amassed their wealth through trade and industry, contrasted with those towards the landed gentry who inherited longstanding family fortunes.
  • A significant portion of Pride and Prejudice revolves around the theme of marriage and other types of unions. Analyze the perspectives of various characters in the novel regarding the institution of marriage and compare these views to contemporary attitudes.
  • In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft released her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which introduced the then-radical notion that women were intellectually equal to men and deserved equivalent education. What subjects were women studying during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries? Although Austen never explicitly cited Wollstonecraft as an influence, many of Austen's characters exhibit traits advocated by Wollstonecraft. Explore Wollstonecraft's ideas and identify instances where Elizabeth embodies many of Wollstonecraft's educational and intellectual aspirations for women.

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