Class And Gender Discrimination In The Novel Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

Class and gender expectations in the Victorian and Regency periods were based around a fixed social structure. This is the world depicted within Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, written in 1813. Gender expectations controlled and restricted the lives of the people abiding by them, most notably the women of the Regency period, who lived in the shadow of men and were disempowered. Men were expected to be financially viable through means of their occupation or inherited family wealth.

The fixed social structure that Austen portrays has a limited social mobility, with the upper classes and aristocracy extremely reluctant in allowing the middle classes to marry into their families hence dispersing their wealth. A distinctive hierarchal system existed, with notable distinctions between the classes, and each class governed by a separate set of values and expectations that were strictly adhered to. The middling and upper classes were controlled by the expectations placed upon mannerisms, social communication, conduct and courtship, represented truthfully and intelligently by Austen as her life was also governed by these expectations. Austen’s focus on this fixed social structure aids the reader in understanding the messages being presented on class and gender expectations and their effect on limiting and restricting the actions of the people who existed during the time.

The characters within the fixed social structure that Austen depicts are bound as much by the expectations of their class, as of their gender. Darcy, a member of the landed gentry must be able to garner respect from his inferiors, such as the Bennet family, whilst Elizabeth, a member of a lower class must pay appropriate respect to her superiors, which she somewhat refuses to do. Elizabeth’s opinionated attitude never ceases to show, and she is not afraid to confront people wealthier than herself. Close to the conclusion of dining with Lady Catherine deBourgh, Elizabeth strongly asserts her opinion to the aristocratic character. Elizabeth observes that Lady Catherine is ‘quite astonished’ and supposes that she is the first who has ‘dared to trifle with so much impertinence. Lady Catherine illustrates the typical aristocrat of the era in which Pride and Prejudice is set. Although more of a caricature than an actual character, she acts as the most superior of the fixed social structure that Austen is accessible to. Lady Catherine is shaped by the expectations of aristocracy and of women, however she has many more rights than any other female character that Austen writes about and is one of the few characters that Mr. Collins pays respect to. This depicts the expectation of classes according to superiority and inferiority. Collins is disrespectful towards the Bennet family as he will inherit their wealth, but acts in a servile manner towards Lady Catherine as she is of much higher class than him and he is expected to act in such a way towards his superiors.

Pride and Prejudice is a representation of a fixed social structure that affects both Austen and her characters. The Regency Period was a time for limited social mobility, where the upper classes showed reluctance in dispersing their wealth among those who were not born into privilege. Austen’s own experiences of family interference and class discrimination are reflected in Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship through the use of the meddling, aristocratic Lady Catherine. The characters exist under a distinctive hierarchal class system and are governed by a set of values and expectation that are placed upon conduct and mannerisms, challenged by Elizabeth and by Austen. Austen writes Pride and Prejudice with an awareness of the social issues that affect her society. Her commentary on the fixed social structure provides a solution for the social problems of the time; that even the restrictions and distinctions of class can be negotiated when one rejects false first impressions.