To fully understand the meaning of a text, several approaches are used when analyzing or interpreting literature. When approaching Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, a particularly appropriate approach is the topical/historical one, as it emphasizes the relationship between the novel and its historical setting. By understanding the world in which Austen lived, it is possible to achieve a better understanding of her novel and its characters. Most importantly, through the character of Elizabeth Bennet, Austen was able to reveal her feelings about society and satirize the practices and beliefs of the upper classes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although often considered a Victorian author, Jane Austen lived during the Romantic period, from 1775 to 1817. The era was turbulent. As Reidhead writes, “England experienced the severe test of change from a predominantly agricultural society, where wealth and power were concentrated in the landed aristocracy, to a modern industrial nation” (Reidhead 2). This was the beginning of what was called the “two nations”: the division between rich and poor in England (Reidhead 4). In terms of social structure, the Industrial Revolution “witnessed the triumph of a middle class of industrialists and businessmen over a landed class of gentry and gentry” (Cashell). Varying degrees of economic independence, social influence, and power created clear distinctions between classes. The divide between the middle and upper classes is particularly evident in Pride and Prejudice between the Bingleys and the Bennets. Mr. Bingley is financially well off, having "inherited property amounting to nearly one hundred thousand pounds from his father..." (Austen 11). Like Mr. Bingley, those who were born rich usually remained so throughout their lives through inheritance. Furthermore, individuals who belonged to the middle or lower classes tended to be reminded of their status by those who belonged to the upper class. Mr. Bingley's sisters demonstrate this in their reaction to Elizabeth Bennet's appearance, for it "created a great surprise. That she should walk three miles so early, in such dirty weather, and alone, was almost incredible to him. " Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley..." (Austen 23). Elizabeth was regarded less because of her "less than adequate" behavior. Likewise, Elizabeth and her family also experience the bad favor of Lady Catherine De Bourgh due to their social status and lack of wealth. Lady Catherine describes Elizabeth as "a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world" and "without family, connections, or fortune" (Austen 231-232). and the snobbery of the nobility, even towards sympathetically portrayed families such as the Bennets, Austen mocks the British upper classes. Her criticism makes sense in the context of the time: aristocrats often believed that a powerful family, bonds and a luck were what made a person worthy of something. It is clear that Austen describes throughout the novel the harsh realities of the society in which she lived. As difficult as it was to belong to the middle or lower classes, being a woman in the eighteenth century had similar disadvantages. Women “had only limited (or no) education, were subject to a strict code of sexual behavior, and (especially after marriage) were deprived of legal rights” (Reidhead 5). When it came to women's education, the attitude was that their education "should not have the same extensive, classical, commercial character as that of men"("Women's Rights"). Lady Catherine De Bourgh displays this attitude when she questions Elizabeth about her lack of education and creative outlets: "Do your sisters play and sing?" “One of them does.” "Why don't you all learn? - You should have all learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father doesn't have as good an income as yours. Does he draw?" "No, not at all." “What, none of you?” "Nobody." "It is very strange . But I suppose you have not had the opportunity..." (Austen 109). Lady Catherine investigates only Elizabeth's talents in playing instruments, singing, and drawing, not the intellectual education a man would expect to receive. This is because "professions, universities, politics were not open to women" ("Women's Rights"). For the most part, “women were educated to…accept that their role in life involved raising children, running the household, and nothing more” (Reidhead 5). Women were not even allowed to live alone. Women "depended on their male family members" to "secure their future in case their husband treated them badly or they did not marry at all" ("Women's Rights"). Lady Catherine supports this regulation as she states that "young women should always be properly supervised and cared for, according to their situation in life" (Austen 139). keep her house...", since she was still unmarried (Austen 11). To summarize, "women survived by pleasing and charming if they belonged to the middle classes..." (Weldon 35). The most practical way to survive for women was to marry. Many women "were willing to marry only because marriage was the only permissible way to obtain financial security or to escape an uncongenial family situation" ("Women's Rights"). of Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte Lucas. "Without much regard for either men or marriage, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honorable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune..." (Austen 83). Charlotte finally gets what she wants when she accepts Mr. Collins's proposal. She tells Elizabeth, "I'm not romantic, you know, I've never been. I only ask for a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connections, and situation in life, I am satisfied that my chance of happiness with him is equally fair." , as most people can boast of entering into the married state" (Austen 85 ). Charlotte, like most women in the eighteenth century, treats marriage as a business arrangement rather than a decision driven by love. Likewise, Mrs. Bennet considers it "the business of her life to marry off her daughters" (Austen 4). She is afraid, like many women, that if she does not marry her daughters, they will no longer be cared for when she and her husband die. Far from being limited to fiction, her concerns were echoed by other women in eighteenth-century Britain. Despite the attitudes of many of her contemporaries, Jane Austen had a range of opinions on issues such as love and marriage, which she displayed through the character of Elizabeth. . Since most of the other characters in the novel fulfill society's demands and expectations, Elizabeth refuses to view her life as a business venture and follows the desires of her heart, not society. It is important to note that Elizabeth rejects a marriage proposal which would have been an excellent decision to accept from a financial point of view. When speaking to Mr. Collins, Elizabeth explains that “my feelings in every respect forbid it” – because she is not in love with him, she cannot accept his proposal (Austen 74). Unlike".>.