Pride And Prejudice Social Landscape Essay - 1600 Words

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen carefully depicts the social landscape of England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Seemingly mirroring this social landscape is the physical landscape of the English countryside. In a pivotal scene in which the novel’s protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, ventures to the home of her future husband, Austen uses the natural landscape to show how Elizabeth, born of the landed gentry class but with no financial stability, physically ascends to the location of Mr. Darcy, her love interest and a wealthy gentleman. Yet, the natural landscape is just as much tied to Elizabeth as it is to the role of society, used to characterize her as strong-willed and individualistic. Thus, the thesis of this paper is,†¦show more content†¦Bennet makes it â€Å"[t]he business of her life [...] to get her daughters married† (Pride and Prejudice 1.1 (3)). Austen uses the word â€Å"business† to emphasize how, more than anything, marria ge is an economic institution meant to guarantee that Mrs. Bennet’s daughters not die of starvation. Austen then uses the rest of the novel to track the Bennet sisters and their ability to find financial security through the ascension of social classes via marriage. This ascension is ultimately epitomized by the novel’s protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who rises from her family’s (relatively) low station to become the wife of the wealthy Mr. Darcy. The landscape of England itself seems to mirror that ascension. When Elizabeth first visits Mr. Darcy, one of the main turning points in the novel, she is forced to travel from low elevation to high elevation, foreshadowing her rise in status through marriage: â€Å"[Elizabeth and the Gardiners] entered [the park leading to Pemberley] in one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood, stretching over a wide extent† (Pride and Prejudice 3.1 (185)). Here, Elizabeth is marked as having entered the park at â€Å"one of its lowest points†, signifying her family’s relatively modest income, particularly in comparison to Mr. Darcy’s. Ultimately, â€Å"[t]hey gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and theShow MoreRelatedA Cultural Analysis Of Katherine Boo s Behind The Beautiful Forevers1728 Words   |  7 Pages Owen Boice August, 2016 English 10A Summer Essay A Cultural Analysis of Katherine Boo’s Behind The Beautiful Forevers INTRODUCTION Culture: â€Å"the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group† (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, definition 5b). In her book Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo examines issues of culture, integrating them into a unique, nonfiction work. Ms. Boo—anRead More A Comparison of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen Essay2446 Words   |  10 PagesLANGUAGE ESSAY Of the many authors to emerge during the nineteenth-century, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen were among the few who would make a lasting impression on the literary world for generations. Hard Times, often referred to as Dickens’ ‘Industrial novel’ and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have been much read and well-loved classics for many years. It is the purpose of this essay to compare and contrast the different worlds depicted in both Hard Times and Pride and Prejudice. It will Read MoreThe Rise of the Novels in the Eighteenth Century4179 Words   |  17 Pagesestablished as the most outstanding and enduring form of literature. The periodical essay, which was another gift of this century to English literature, was born and died in the century, but the novel was to enjoy an enduring career. It is to the credit of the major eighteenth-century novelists that they freed the novel from the influence and elements of high flown romance and fantasy, and used it to interpret the everyday social and psychological problems of the common man. Thus they introduced realism,Read MoreHow Chinese Cinema Has Reflected And Shaped The Idea Of Nation2724 Words   |  11 Pagesoccasionally have to catch up to the idea of nation, however sometimes it leads and shapes nation too. According to Berry and Farquhar (2006), Chinese movies have played a critical role in shaping nation and national identity amongst Chi nese. This essay will mainly focus on how Chinese cinema has reflected and shaped the idea of nation. Apart from that, the history of Chinese cinema, other famous traits such as Beijing opera and martial arts are also debated in how it reflects nation. AdditionallyRead MoreSocial Determinants of Health10939 Words   |  44 Pages3 The Social, Cultural and Historical Context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians PatDudgeon,MichaelWright,YinParadies, DarrenGarveyandIainWalker OVERVIEW To understand the contemporary life of Indigenous Australians, a historical and cultural background is essential. This chapter sets the context for further discussions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and issues related to their social and emotional wellbeing and mental health. The historyRead MoreThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Summary and Analysis11462 Words   |  46 PagesThe Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., which offers the European contrast. It is still apparent here, however. Sleepy Hollow is an old town inhabited mostly by descendants of its original settlers. This would seemingly make it prone to family prejudices, a younger parallel to the European aged communities, yet there is no evidence of this kind of hierarchy. Instead, people are valued for their merits, such as their book learning or their ability in teaching, activities requiring strength, or singingRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesdetails of appearance often provide essential clue to character. Details of dress and physical appearance should be scrutinized closely for what they may reveal about character. Details of dress may offer clues to background, occupation, economic and social status, and perhaps, as with Robin Molineux, even a clue to the character’s degree of self-respect. Details of physical appearance can help to identify a character’s age and the general state of his physical and emotional health and well-being: whetherRead MoreAn Assessment of the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Nigerian Society: the Examples of Banking and Communication Industries18990 Words   |  76 PagesJournals Full Length Research Paper An assessment of the impact of corporate social responsibility on Nigerian society: The examples of banking and communication industries Adeyanju, Olanrewaju David Department of Financial Studies Redeemer’s University, km 46, Lagos Ibadan Expressway Mowe, Ogun State E-mail: davfol@yahoo.com, Tel No.: 07037794073 Accepted 30 January, 2012 In the Nigerian society, Corporate Social Responsibilities [CSR] has been a highly cotemporary and contextual issue toRead MoreNotes18856 Words   |  76 Pagesthe early years of both Christianity and Islam, evangelical work was often carried out with military campaigns. Later, other  ­ ethods m of persuasion were applied. Missionaries were dispatched to Africa. They set up health clinics, schools, and social service centers. They treated the sick and taught people how to stay healthy. They taught European  ­anguages l to Africans, who in turn assisted missionaries in translating the Bible into African  ­anguages to help disseminate Christian doctrinesRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagessystem. But much of the country was beginning to question in earnest the structure of colonial society by the early 1930s. The emergence of Rasta during that period corresponds with so much that was happening around the world. Rastas could tell that social unrest in Jamaica was going to lead to a movement away from colonial rule and, having heard Marcus Garvey speak of the importance of Africa to black people in the New World, found in his remarkable success as a leader of thousands in the United