Themes: The Limitations of Wealth and Class
The opening line of Pride and Prejudice foregrounds the importance of wealth in the novel. Almost every character is defined by society according to their social position and annual income:
- The Bennet daughters, who will receive very little in their inheritance, are driven by their mother to marry well.
- Wickham, hounded by gambling debts, is also driven to pursue women who stand to inherit good fortunes.
- Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, by contrast are comfortably wealthy. For them, contrarily, their class restricts their choices.
Both class and wealth act as limitations on love. For the Bennet daughters, marriage must by necessity also function as a business transaction. From a practical perspective, Elizabeth’s decision to reject both Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy is as rash and irresponsible as Mrs. Bennet claims. Mr. Collins stands to inherit Longbourn, meaning that he could have provided Elizabeth, her mother, and sisters with a place to live. By rejecting him, Elizabeth rejects not only her own financial security but also that of Mrs. Bennet and her younger sisters. For her, however, wealth is not the only factor. Elizabeth was raised by her father to view love as a vital part of marriage. By contrast, Charlotte Lucas accepts Mr. Collins’s proposal in order to ensure her own future, despite not loving him. Whereas Elizabeth is an idealist, Charlotte is a pragmatist.
Another way in which class inhibits love is how men like Darcy are expected to marry noble, wealthy women in order to maintain the reputation and bloodlines of their houses. As a landowner, Darcy is responsible for the livelihoods of those who live on his property. He is expected to behave as a gentleman, and his wife is expected to contribute wealth and status to Pemberley. Elizabeth, though a member of the landed gentry, is poor and, in the eyes of people like Lady Catherine, an unsuitable match. Similarly, Bingley’s sisters disapprove of his match with Jane, because Jane cannot provide the same status or wealth for their brother as someone like Georgiana Darcy could. Since the Bingley family obtained its wealth via trade rather than inheritance, a marriage to a wealthy and respectable woman of the landed gentry would help them solidify their social status.
However, for all that class and wealth dictate social status, they do not impact manners or behavior. The wealthy Lady Catherine de Bourgh looks down on Elizabeth due to her lack of wealth and connections, but she herself has poor manners. She is almost comically rude to Elizabeth, and her visit to Longbourn solely to discourage Elizabeth’s alleged relationship with Darcy is highly inappropriate. By contrast, the Gardiners are some of the most charming and sympathetic characters in the novel. Though they are middle class, their manners exceed those of many of the noble characters. These contrasts emphasize the arbitrary importance placed on class differences.
Expert Q&A
How are Elizabeth and Darcy equals in Pride and Prejudice?
Elizabeth and Darcy are equals in Pride and Prejudice through their shared pride, intelligence, and maturity. Elizabeth's pride comes from her family's reputation and her own intellect, while Darcy's pride is rooted in his social standing and leadership qualities. Both characters display equal intelligence through their witty banter and mature perspectives. Elizabeth manages her family's social concerns, and Darcy has cared for his sister and estate, highlighting their comparable sense of responsibility.
What does the following quote from Pride and Prejudice mean: "The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news."
The quote from Pride and Prejudice means that Mrs. Bennet's main focus in life is to marry off her daughters, while her comfort comes from social visits and news. As a middle-class woman with no employment, her chief occupation is securing advantageous marriages for her daughters to improve the family's status and wealth, reflecting the societal norms of the early nineteenth century.
What was Bingley sisters' opinion of the Bennets?
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 and Mrs. Hurst still oppose Mr. Bingley's potential marriage to Jane, believing he could marry someone of higher status.
In Pride and Prejudice, how does Lydia's reputation affect courtship and marriage prospects?
Lydia's reputation in Pride and Prejudice significantly impacts her sisters' courtship and marriage prospects. Her flirtatious behavior and eventual elopement with Wickham threaten the Bennet family's social standing, deterring potential suitors like Darcy and Bingley. Her actions almost ruin her sisters' chances until Darcy intervenes to restore their reputation. Additionally, Mrs. Bennet's social missteps further harm the family's reputation, complicating all the daughters' prospects.
What role does money play in the lives of characters in Pride and Prejudice?
Money plays a crucial role in the characters' lives, signifying social status and influencing marriage decisions. In Pride and Prejudice, marriages are often economic exchanges rather than love matches, reflecting the societal norms of the English gentry. Mrs. Bennet's obsession with wealthy sons-in-law highlights this priority, as she seeks financial security for her daughters. The novel openly discusses the Bennet family's financial struggles, emphasizing the pervasive influence of money on their lives and decisions.
Discuss attitudes toward marriage in Pride and Prejudice, focusing on Wickham and Charlotte Lucas.
What differences could separate Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and Mr. Bingley and Jane?
The primary differences separating Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and Mr. Bingley and Jane are class and social status. Darcy and Bingley belong to higher social classes, with Darcy from the landed gentry and Bingley from a successful business background. Elizabeth and Jane are middle class, with a family considered improper for high-class marriages. Despite societal expectations, both Darcy and Bingley marry for love, overcoming class barriers and family reputations.
Considering Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins, is Jane Austen satirizing snobs or is she a snob herself?
What social classes do characters in Pride and Prejudice represent, and do any rise?
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 Bingleys (tradesmen rising through wealth). Marriages often result in social mobility, such as Collins marrying Charlotte and Wickham marrying Lydia. Austen critiques how social class structures breed prejudices, exemplified by the Bingley sisters' snobbery towards the Bennets.
How is Austen's Pride and Prejudice a conservative text and what does it reflect about the class system?
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Themes: The Importance of Moderating Pride
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