Based on your reading of chapters I-XV of Pride and Prejudice, select a scene that made you feel discomfort for the character(s) involved, then do the following:
- Explore the reasons for this discomfort. Was it a particular sentence that elicited your unease, or did this discomfort arise from the scene in its entirety? What details created this feeling of unease?
- Consider the character dynamics, societal expectations, and any underlying themes that contribute to this feeling of unease. Using specific examples from the text, and based on what you’ve read from the novel so far and on what you know of the 18th century during which Jane Austen was writing, how does this scene reflect Austen’s narrative intentions and her critique of societal norms at the time? Explain how this scene and the sentences you discuss above relate to one or more of the larger themes of the novel.
Remember that I am not interested in summaries! Be as detailed as you can in your responses and think critically about how the examples you reference showcase the novel’s complexities and reflect Austen’s society at large.
A scene that made me feel discomfort for a character is in Chapter 3 of Pride and Prejudice, for Elizabeth when Darcy met her. Darcy was bluntly rude and degrading to Elizabeth. He was confronted by Mr. Bingley to be introduced to her, in which he replies “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.” (p.13) It seems that Elizabeth was hurt, but did not respond in any matter at all. Darcy was overly harsh (because he “could” be since he is a wealthy male) to her and the fact that he held so much power over her gave the scene a sense of uneasiness. I feel that the Bennet family collectively chose to stay quiet about this and other remarks from Darcy in the hopes of one of the sisters being able to marry Mr. Bingley.
The time period of this novel is taken into account when dissecting this scene. During a time where women were treated simply as providers for their husbands, Elizabeth’s (non) reaction is fitting. Considering the Bennets’ initial intention of meeting Mr. Bingley was for one of the daughters to marry him, Elizabeth could have ruined this opportunity for her family as well as created a dangerous situation for herself. The 18th century social structure, as well as one of Jane Austen’s themes; being the inferiority of women, is supported by a later quote by Elizabeth. Elizabeth, regarding Darcy, stated “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.” (p.21) I believe that if this meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth happened in modern day, Elizabeth and/or her family would have not stayed quiet about it to him. Rather than expressing her feelings behind closed doors, Elizabeth would most likely have put Darcy in his place in the moment.
I totally agree with you and I have also discussed similar issues in my post, but it dealt with arrogance since he is so self-assured and believes that these country folks are beneath him. But I truly loved how you brought up Darcy’s unrestricted speech due to his money.
I didn’t consider how Elizabeth could create a dangerous situation if she spoke up against Darcy’s remarks. You’re right though, if Elizabeth dared to speak up for herself from the get-go, she would immediately be categorized as “independent,” which Miss Bingley uses in Chapter 8 as a pejorative.
By far the most discomforting scene for me was the visit of Collins, who will inherit the estate, in chapters 14 and 15, in which both the egotistical and hypocritical Collins and Mrs. Bennet, who is eager to marry off her daughter, made it unbearable for me.
Collins’ visit itself has a strong purpose, to ease his relationship with the Bennet family and to find a wife. As the book begins “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man important off good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Collins, as a pastor, had already owned some property, and it was time for him to enter into a marriage, as was expected of men in society at the time. The scene that makes me most uncomfortable is when he first looks at his eldest daughter, Jane, and after being rebuffed by Mrs. Bennet, he chooses Elizabeth outright. The passive state of the female characters, the daughters of the family, who are like commodities to be chosen for marriage, and Collins’ choice of wives according to age and beauty show the a sorrowful situation of women in the society at that time. Whether it is time to get married or choose a wife for marriage, Collins makes his choice according to the expectations of society and ignores the necessity of love as a way to enter into marriage.
Mrs. Bennet, who had always been concerned with marrying off her daughter, was very repulsed when she heard that Collins was coming to visit her home, but when she learned that Collins wanted to marry Elizabeth, and that one of her daughters was about to be married off to a rich family, she changed her attitude at once. Mrs. Bennet can be seen as a typical representative of 18th century English women, as women’s economic and social status at that time were almost entirely dependent on marriage, and the law of inheritance stipulated that daughters could not inherit the family property, so they were given the opportunity to marry their daughters out to men of good economic conditions and high social status. In my opinion, although Mrs. Bennet is a bit short-sighted, she, as a woman, was also a victim of that era, and herself lacked financial independence and social status autonomy. Moreover, marriage at that time could be regarded as a utilitarian act, and other women in the book, such as Miss Bingley, also flattered men such as Darley, who was financially well-off, or officers of high status, just as she did.
Combined with the rest of the novel, especially the gossip between the characters, it can be seen that social class and marriage were seen as a very important part of 18th century England. The plot depicted by the author Jane Austen conveys the disadvantageous status of women in the society at that time, criticizes the utilitarian society that only marrying a man with high status is the only way out, and shows the expectation for women to pursue personal happiness through the insistence of the protagonist Elizabeth on love.
I was also discomforted by this scene. I dislike how Mr. Collins “settles” on Elizabeth because she is the second-best option. He definitely views the sisters as commodities/objects that he can pick and choose from.
These scene is absurd too, and it shows a very important reason for women to start the feminist movement. It was so unfair for the families, and daughters to lost what belong to them just because society didn’t consider that women were good enough to manage it.
The scene that initially made me feel discomfort was when Jane sent a letter home about being sick. When he hears that, her father, Mr. Bennett says if she dies, comfort could be found in knowing that the reason is that Jane was in pursuit of Mr. Bingley. (32) This causes discomfort for all the women in the 18th century. This shows how important was for them that the daughters get married at any cost. This gives a feeling of unease because it appears that a woman’s only purpose is to marry. And it is so normalized that a woman is chasing a man. It’s interesting to see how women overall were pursuing a man when it’s supposed to be the opposite and man should be after a woman. From one single family, Mr. Bingley had so many options from the beginning. He could choose between the 5 sisters. This shows that in this time, man picks and woman’s goal is to be picked. Marriage for girls was so glorified. This goes back to Mary’s Vindication of the Rights of Women because she talks about how mothers were teaching daughters to get married, which is very highlighted here too. We can also connect it to Kant, because all these women are not enlightened and not using their reasoning, but rather living by the norms of society that are so suitable for men. However, their behavior could to some extent be understood because women didn’t have any options at that time. They couldn’t get their heritage by law, so they had to marry a man who was in good standing, that seemed to be their only option. Page 62 says: “ Mrs Benett was beyond a reach of reason “ because Mr. Collins was the next to get the estate after her husband. This gives me the impression that she could see that it was wrong that only men can inherit, especially a random cousin “ that nobody cares about”, but there was nothing she could’ve done about it. So by marrying her daughters, she was doing what she believed she had to for them to have a better future. When it comes to Mr. Jenett’s statement, when thinking a bit more, maybe that was sarcasm on his part, not quite sure. When he says
“under your orders” we see he blames his wife for having that idea of their daughter going in the rain. (32) Indeed she didn’t care much about Jane being sick as long as her stay in their house was longer and her goal of marrying her was fulfilled. We can see that on page 41: “She had no wish of her recovering immediately”. We can see that in this period women didn’t have a mindset that what was meant to happen would happen but instead, various games were played for them to get what they wanted, and it wasn’t even about love.
I totally agree with your analysis of that scene. You provided great insight and dove deep into certain aspects of the book along with its themes. You have a great point about the pressure on women to marry in this scene. It’s definitely uncomfortable how Mr. Bennet phrases his comment.
I was a little uncomfortable with the passage in chapter 3 where Mr. Darcy snubs Elizabeth Bennet at the first ball. The uncomfortable thing was not a single statement; rather, it was the entire scenario. When Elizabeth witnesses Bingley informing Darcy that Jane is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, and where Darcy treats Elizabeth exceedingly rudely. Bingley recommends Elizabeth to Darcy as the person he should dance with. But the statement she isn’t attractive enough, according to Darcy. Elizabeth becomes irritated upon hearing this. (13-14 )This whole part gives me a feeling of unease as it’s like a genuine social bad dream, being judged and found needing in such an open setting by hearing almost yourself, and to be honest, the entire situation seems arrogant. For instance, Elizabeth has pride of her own, but Darcy’s insult still hurts her and seems to have created tension and unease in their relationship from the beginning.
Class and reputation had a major role in defining society in the 18th century, and the Author uses these characters to examine and question these standards. The two main themes of the story are Elizabeth’s prejudice and Mr. Darcy’s arrogance. As was typical of the upper classes in Austen’s day, Darcy takes great pride in both himself and his social station. It illustrates how important social hierarchy is and how it may breed superiority complexes and a devaluing sense of self in others. For instance, Darcy states in Chapter 11 that his primary failing is that “My temper could be described as resentful.” In my view, once something is lost, it’s lost forever. When Elizabeth responds that he also says, “And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody,” I really cannot laugh at it. (56-57) Darcy claims Elizabeth is misinterpreting people if his flaw causes resentment. Darcy misidentifies his own weakness, which is his extreme self-confidence and social status. However, he accurately diagnoses Elizabeth’s condition: she becomes susceptible to her preconceptions and blinds herself to the truth because she places such a high value on her own capacity to see things clearly. Through the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, Austen challenges the social mores that support such bigotry and arrogance. Her story implies that these characteristics are not just the result of individual shortcomings but also of structural problems that the society of her day fostered. Austen encourages the concept of personal development and the need to look past cultural expectations to uncover the actual nature of people by having these characters overcome their imperfections.
I also found that scene to be quite uneasy and cause discomfort! The theme of social hierarchy and societal expectations typically on gender roles was quite relevant, which, as you mentioned is formed structurally by society and not individuals themselves.
Yes I agree these social norms were all set by society. According to society a woman was only good for marriage and kids other than that she was just useless.
One scene that creates a sense of discomfort is in Chapter 19 when Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Collins is somewhat egotistical and has ulterior motives from other than just marrying Elizabeth. First of all, Mr. Collins’ selfish intentions are obvious. His proposal is not for love or genuine interest in Elizabeth but for a desire to obtain a part of Longbourn for himself and his family. It is upsetting to me that Elizabeth is only seen as a way to end this ‘transactional’ marriage. Secondly, Elizabeth’s lack of agency adds to my discomfort, but the societal expectations during this time probably limit the choices she has. Even though she clearly dislikes Mr. Collins, rejecting him is a difficult and potentially dangerous choice because of her limited financial state and pressure from her mother and society in general. Lastly, the objectification of women during the story is evident. The scene highlights the idea that women are seen as possessions that must be passed down through families. To add to the discomfort, Mr. Collins’ wording expresses how he believes Elizabeth’s only worth is her relationship with the estate.
The proposal made by Mr. Collins in this scene of Pride and Prejudice points out important themes in the book. First of all, it displays pride and prejudice because Mr. Collins treats women like sort of assets rather than people, this demonstrates his mindset about social prejudices and a strong sense of entitlement. Elizabeth’s refusal to marry Mr. Collins displays her pride and her choice not to give in to the social norms of unhappy marriages. It also draws attention to the tension that exists between what society values and what people like Elizabeth really want in terms of true love. Austen uses this scene to question society’s rules and criticize the few options people have, this paves the way for Elizabeth’s goal for love and happiness.
This a very clear and accurate analysis. As you have mentioned, the overall theme of “Pride and Prejudice” uncomfortable. Women are seen as assets rather than human beings. Their contribution to society was limited to being the possession of men. Here women’s pride is being trampled on by men and even other women.
A scene in Chapter 1 that made me uncomfortable while reading the text was the conversation between Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet in which they were discussing the girls and Mrs. Bennet became agitated and upset as a result of Mr. Bennet’s harsh attitude toward his daughters. What discomforted me the most was when he said, “You mistake me, my dear. I respect your nerves. They are old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years.” The cause for this discomfort is that, while he claims to have great respect for her, he finds her monotonous and unwilling to engage with what she has to say. I believe there is no true respect for her, and he was being sarcastic, implying that he had to deal with her anxiousness and temper for over twenty years. This caused discomfort in the manner he treated Mrs. Bennet and his daughters, emphasizing the societal hierarchy in which men are higher than women. And the scene concludes by stating that Mrs. Bennett’s motive was to get her daughters married, and her comfort was to come and deliver news. Mrs. Bennet’s character wants to be understood, and her comfort comes from talking about things with her husband, despite being humiliated by him because of her short temper, which demonstrates how strained their relationship is, causing even more discomfort.
Overall, the social dynamics and treatment of women in the novel cause quite a bit of discomfort. In particular, in this incident, Mr Bennet appeared unconcerned with how Mrs Bennet felt, demonstrating the manners and regard males have for women in the book.There are many societal expectations portrayed in the book, such as how women should act, their manners, and how they are perceived in society as being on a lower level than men, which adds to the unease while reading. Some examples seen throughout the book is when Darcy criticizes Elizabeth, and Mr Bennet has to go to Bingley because women were not allowed to go alone and begin introductions to men. These examples pertain to Austen’s critique of society at the time, as well as the book’s underlying subject and based on the title, which is that men have so much pride that they believe it is acceptable to insult women and think about themselves. Furthermore, prejudice refers to misconceptions about women, which are demonstrated by how they are treated and the expectations they must meet. Finally, several themes are discussed throughout the work, including how society structures it and the expectations that individuals must meet, which further demonstrates how things were at the period.
I agree with you, this scene also made me uncomfortable, In this society the woman were just treated as slaves. There ideas were just considered useless even if it was something that would be beneficial. The theme of marriage was such a huge part of the 18th century.
The scene that made me uncomfortable in Pride and prejudice was in Chapter 1, when it says “I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the part.” (pg. 6) This made me uncomfortable because it shows how a woman’s beauty is what everyone sees. Mrs. Bennet wanted Mr. Bennet to go but he was not really interested in the idea and degraded the idea, and this shows how woman are just supposed to be beautiful and quiet but if they contribute ideas, it’s not considered. As soon as Mr. Bingley came to town the people wanted him to marry their daughters. In addition, handsome is a word commonly used for a man. The use of the word handsome makes me uncomfortable not only because it is a commonly used word to describe a man but also because it shows how beauty standards only apply to woman in this society.
This lays down the theme of marriage, woman are expected to get married off even if she is not ready or has other plans for her life. It shows how society expects a woman to get married young and she is another man’s property. In the 18th century this was a huge societal norm, that the woman had to get married young, or she was no longer beautiful and that her “fertility clock” was ticking. The woman at that time were just supposed to be married off and have kids as well as obey everything that their husbands say under no circumstances would they accept a woman who was highly educated or had any ideas for society.
I agree that the book lays down the theme of marriage and societal expectations placed on women. This has been displayed throughout the chapters in which society thinks women are not as capable as men and should just serve their husbands.
I found it odd that they referred to women as “handsome”, it must be how they described females at that time. This scene also made me uncomfortable as the sisters’ thoughts/feelings were not taken into account at all and it was the parents talking about it.
I was most uncomfortable when reading the scene in Chapter 7 where the Bennets receive Jane’s letter, which informs them that she’s fallen ill after going to the Bingleys in the rain. I was particularly unsettled by Mrs. Bennet’s reaction to her own daughter falling ill: “‘Oh! I am not at all afraid of her [Jane] dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well’” (p. 32). Mrs. Bennet’s mind is completely clouded by the prospect of Jane being in Mr. Bingley’s presence. This is why she is indifferent toward her own daughter’s physical state. It is discomforting to hear about a mother neglecting her motherly instincts–that is, being concerned for her sick child–in favor of finding any possible avenue for Jane to be betrothed. It’s almost as if Mrs. Bennet wants Jane to be sick so that her sheer presence at Mr. Bingley’s estate will suit his fancy.
At the same time, I understand that Mrs. Bennet’s constant attempts at pairing Jane and Mr. Bingley is rooted in her desire to help her daughters lead normal, socially acceptable lives. Mrs. Bennet firmly believes that securing advantageous matches, such as arranging a union between Jane and Mr. Bingley, will provide her daughters with financial stability, social status, and a comfortable life. She sees these efforts as a means to ensure their wellbeing and success within the norms of their society. The opening line of “Pride and Prejudice” helps contextualize Mrs. Bennet’s matchmaking mindset: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (p. 5). The prevailing belief that a wealthy single man is inevitably seeking a woman is what guides Mrs. Bennet to match Jane with Mr. Bingley and is what prompts her to disregard Jane’s health.
Austen uses this scene to critique the societal emphasis on marriage as the ultimate goal. She does this by juxtaposing Mrs. Bennet’s obsession with advantageous matches against her disregard for her own child’s health.
I completely agree with you. My taken this is that Mrs Bennett dismissed the sickness of her child because she did not see the worth of her being healthy and well is she remains unmarried. I believe that in this particular instance, women were raised to be wives and only that. It was indeed very uncomfortable to read.
For what I read so far, it looks that in the 18th Century the purpose in life of a women was to be beautiful, to have good manners, to get married and bear children, and to find a good match for their children. Mrs. Bennet was doing what it was expected from her, with 5 daughters in the age of marriage she was in a competition with other mothers in her society, and as you said they just wanted to provide their daughters with financial stability, social status, and a comfortable life. Things like happiness and love were not part of the goal.
Hi Stephanie, we are writing the same scene where Mr.Bennet is not concerned about her daughter’s well-being. So I can totally feel your discomfort. Mrs.Bennet seems more interested in finding a husband for Jane rather than Jane’s health. This makes me feel she does not qualify as a good mother. Even if Mrs.Bennet wants her daughter to have a good life, this shouldn’t be the cost of Jane’s health.
I was intrigued by the scene in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Bennet talks about Bingley’s potential as husband for his daughters: “Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”I found this comment uncomfortable since it highlights Mr. Bennet’s concern for Bingley’s fortune over the happiness or compatibility of his daughters. It exposes Mr. Bennet’s commitment to social norms and his readiness to put his daughters’ financial standing ahead of their love or personal fulfillment.
This scene addresses the issue of socioeconomic status by highlighting the pressure from society to marry into wealth and the importance of having financial stability for a marriage. It shows the difficulties people, especially women, have in a culture where marriage is frequently viewed as a way to achieve both financial security and social standing. The scene gives insight into the difficulties of balancing societal expectations and individual wants.
“How can you be so tired-some! You must know that I am thinking of marrying one of them.” in this scene Mr. Bennet shows his frustration with Mrs. Bennet’s relentless effort for the marriage.
In this scene, Austen addresses the idea that money should not be the main reason for marriage. By showing Mr. Bennet’s unwillingness to support a marriage that is not financial, Austen disputes the commonly accepted belief that a woman’s value is dependent on her capacity to attract wealthy husbands. Rather, Austen suggests that partnerships focused only on money gain are ultimately unsatisfying and unsustainable.
The scenario I choose emphasizes the idea of social pressure because it shows how society’s expectations shape people’s decisions and actions. Mrs. Bennet’s relentless efforts to find a match and Mr. Bennet’s dissatisfaction with them are examples of this. Throughout the book, there is a strong sense of pressure on the characters to act and make decisions based on union and social standing standards. The scene I have selected relates to Pride and Prejudice’s larger themes of social class, social pressure, and pride. It also focuses on the challenges of balancing one’s own needs with those of society and pursuing personal satisfaction in the face of societal constraints.
There were a couple of scenes that infuriated because of the concept of the “perfect” women that existed in the 18th Century, but the one that annoyed me the most was the scene in Chapter VIII. The Bingley siblings, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were having a conversation about the characteristics of a “very accomplished women”. When I finished reading Chapter VIII, I noticed that one person disgusted me a lot, her behavior and her way of thinking was very unacceptable for me. Miss Bingley, she is a very superficial women, is a very good example of how a women should have behaved at that time, very pleasing and never arguing about anything. She is very judgmental too, she is the kind of person who has double standards, she would smile at you, but she would gossip about too. But at the same time, I felt pity for her, her behavior wasn’t her fall at all, she was educated in that way, and she was behaving the way that she was expected, she didn’t know any better.
Miss Bingley starts talking about how “extremely accomplished for her age” is Mr. Darcy sister, and the conversation continues with Mr. Bingley saying how surprised he is that young ladies are very accomplished just for the fact that they can paint tables, cover skreens, and net purses. In what world was that an accomplishment! It blew my mind that those were the only requirements to be successful in life according to the Bingleys and probably most of the people on the 18th Century.
But even when this scene has a sour taste, I’ so glad that Mr. Darcy didn’t agree with them, no wonder why he is so loved by all the ladies that read this book. Right after Miss Bingley said that a woman who is not beautiful and behave with certain manner doesn’t deserve to be called women “or the word will be, but half deserved”, Mr. Darcy said that women should be more than just a beautiful face and have good manners, he considers that a women should also be able to use her own reasoning. A very different opinion from Mr. Bingley, who looked at women as most of the man in his society.
The Author, Jane, probably lived this exact situation in the flesh, and something I wonder if reflected herself in Elizabeth, probably she was too advance for her era. She was able to see these social issues and give a wakeup call to her readers. The Feminist movement was very criticized during the 18th Century and through her words I can see how hard was to be an independent woman, with freedom to thinking and reason by herself, there would be always somebody that looks you as a weirdo, even in your own family.
I totally agree that scene was so distasteful! I didn’t think of Miss Bingley’s behavior that way at all, perhaps she had been exposed to women in her life talking of others like that. I wonder if we will be able to learn more about her as the book progresses. Hopefully, she learns better or at least receives some karma.
I agree that Miss. Bingley’s character was quite annoying. She definitely felt other women to be competition, as all she had to prove herself would be her beauty and manners. I think the fact that so many women were not allowed to have an education leads to the stereotypes we have about women that they r “cunning” and gossip behind other’s backs. I found it funny how Miss. Bingley would try to change the subject when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were bantering back and forth as she couldn’t understand why Mr. Darcy would pay attention to Liz and not herself. At the time, all women had to care about for their future was whether men would want to marry her or not unfortunately.
In Chapters I-XV what discomforts me most is the way other characters describe Elizabeth’s appearance and the way Mrs.Bennet distastefully compares and embarrasses her daughters. In Chapter III page 13, Darcy calls Elizabeth “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt” him. This upset me for Elizabeth, however reading the banter between Elizabeth and Darcy in XI, I understand and enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope between the two characters. Other characters also remark upon Elizabeth’s appearance, for example in chapter viii pages 35-36 when she visits Mr.Bingley’s home to check up on Jane Mrs.Hursts says “ I shall never forgive her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild” which Ms.Bingley replied saying “her hair so untidy, so blowsy” and they remarked on how her petticoats was “six inches deep in mud”. Everyone in these chapters seem to only acknowledge Elizabeth’s appearance, which is accurate to the 18th century as all women have to accomplish in beauty and grace. The way even other women in this novel judge each other and compete with each other is disappointing.
Additionally I find Mrs.Bennet’s dialogue in these chapters to be annoying. Particularly, in chapter IX page 42 when Mrs. Bennet is bragging to Mr. Bingley about her eldest daughter, Jane’s beauty and character, she says “I often tell my other girls they are nothing to her.” I find it distasteful for any mother to speak of her daughters this way especially in front of others and bad parenting to compare siblings like that. Throughout these chapters the reader is constantly reminded of how beautiful and well mannered Jane is compared to all the other girls and sisters, which shows the constant judgment and standards women of the times were subjected too. This constant societal pressure also encourages hostile feelings between the women as they are all fighting for their only chance of prospering in life: by marrying rich. Additionally, the way Mrs. Bennet encouraged Jane to ride horseback in the rain to Mr. Bingley’s just so she’d be forced to stay longer was also a disappointing decision for a mother to make. I feel that this does more harm than good for Jane’s prospects of marrying as it shows her family to be less elegant and disregarding their daughters. Mrs. Bennet also clearly doesn’t have social awareness when she speaks in front of others as evident in Chapter ix page 44 when she oddly speaks of another man that was in love with Jane when she was only fifteen in front of Mr.Bingley.
Hi Jasmine, I also noticed the constant talk about appearance and beauty, especially with the two eldest sisters Jane and Elizabeth. It made me uncomfortable how society put such importance on it, to the point where women are pitted against each other. Yet, there is something else that I found interesting about your post, and that is the part about Mrs. Bennet intending to help Jane’s prospects with Mr. Bingley but actually hurting them instead. I felt like she wanted to be regarded as a “high-class woman,” but because she isn’t, she often made the mistake of doing things that showed precisely how low-class she was in terms of the societal standards of the time. And her lack of social awareness, as you mentioned, is exactly what gives her away so easily.
I really liked how you pointed out Mrs. Bennet’s behavior when talking to Mr. Bingley because it shows the family pressures as well of having to get a husband set up by the family.
When reading “Pride and Justice” from chapters 1-15, the scene where Jane got sick on purpose to stay at Bingley’s place overnight made me feel uncomfortable. Especially after Mrs.Bennet receives the letter and says “Oh! I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage.”(32) Mrs.Bennet’s reaction shocked me because as a mother, Mrs. Bennet’s first reaction to Jane’s illness does not reflect genuine concern for her daughter’s well-being. Instead, she is primarily concerned with the benefit of Jane staying at the Bingley house. Demonstrates Mrs. Bennet’s prioritization of social status and advantageous marriages over her daughters’ health. This feeling got worse when I read the line “She had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield.”(41) This line just blew my mind, I can’t think of there is any mother will want to see their child suffer in illness.
In this scene from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Justice,” she criticizes how people of her time thought about marriage. Marriage was frequently viewed as a business transaction, similar to buying and selling goods, rather than a romantic union. Jane Austen demonstrates this through characters such as Mrs. Bennet, who treats her daughter as if she were an asset to be traded for money and social status. She also emphasizes the importance of people moving up the social ladder, even if it means using marriage to do so.
Hello Yunxiang,
I totally agree with your point about Mrs. Bennet’s reaction to Jane’s health. The fact that she prioritized securing a wealthy husband and having a high social status over Jane’s well-being serves as an example of the societal pressures that Jane Austen criticizes.
Hi Yunxiang, I really like how you brought up the fact that marriage in that period was like a business transaction because it truly was. Both men and women sought out the person that could benefit them most in life. Of course with the objectification of women, it’s even worse for them, because marriage is their only choice if they want to be able to live any semblance of a good life. How Mrs. Bennet treats Jane as an asset rather than her own daughter only exacerbates the sad reality of how women couldn’t even treat each other as human because the belief of seeking out social status and money to be able to survive ran so deep.
A scene that didn’t sit right with me was in chapter 8 when Elizabeth visits Jane in bed. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley talk badly about Elizabeth. They were talking about how she looked “wild” and “untidy” (Pg.36). They were trying to give reasons why Mr. Darcy should not look at her with affection. At least it backfired, and he said his eyes were “brightened by the exercise” on page 36. However, they’re still trying to dissuade Mr. Darcy from Elizabeth by recommending Jane instead. This points to the idea of how women were supposed to act at that time. Elizabeth was walking in the mud, and these women were really bothered by it. Regardless, Hurst and Bingley were still on about the kind of family the Bennets are. They mentioned that the family had low connections, so there would be a low chance that all the girls were to get married. What I found unsettling was these women joking about lessening the chance of the Bennets getting married, because of who they know. This says a lot about the time and the author’s view on how people found marriages in her day. What’s interesting about this time period is that the love is all arranged and forced; the people don’t seem free to set out on their own. For instance, in the previous chapter, Mrs. Bennet was willing to risk Jane’s safety in order for her to get closer to Mr. Bingley. Women were degraded in the 1800s, and societal roles for women were pretty limited as they were expected to focus on managing the household, raising children, and being a supportive wife. Women had few opportunities for education or careers, and their only goal here was to get married. It was a challenging time for women’s rights, and Jane Austen made the problems that come with that kind of society clear.
I also found Mrs.Bennet risking Jane’s safety to highlight the expectation of women having to be married during that time. With all these expectations being put on women I also think it leaves little room for their personal aspirations. We only ever see Mrs.Bennet wish for her daughters to be married well rather than go to school or pursue any of their interests.
Although there were quite a few scenes that made me feel uncomfortable for a character, the scene I ultimately chose was in Chapter 8. After dinner, Ms. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst begin to gossip to each other about Elizabeth with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. After insulting Elizabeth’s look as she arrived at their home, Mrs. Hurst then says, “I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl… such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it” (Austen 32). I felt for Jane and Elizabeth in this scene when they were all talking about the Bennets’ class and rank in the social hierarchy. Essentially, this scene caused me discomfort due to the rudeness of the girls just because the Bennets were not as fortunate as them. Not only did the way in which Jane Austen wrote the girls’ (and Mr. Darcy’s) views cause me this discomfort, but it was the intention behind it. They feigned concern for Jane’s health when in reality they only wanted to seem sincere when they said they liked her “but” she wasn’t rich in money or family. Intending to keep Jane from marrying Bingley due to her class, it felt extremely prejudiced and thus, made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
What contributes to this feeling of unease lies in almost all the main themes of the book: pride, prejudice, family, class, societal expectations, and gender roles (marriage). For women, marrying well gave much more opportunity economically, legally, and socially, as they weren’t able to work or even own a home (as evidenced by Mr. Collins’ inheritance of the Bennet house). When the girls were speaking rudely about Jane and Elizabeth and their family’s rank in society, the scene was uncomfortable because, in our day and age, we find behavior like this snobbish and unbecoming. This could be Jane’s only chance to marry well, and to a man she actually liked, something of a rarity of the time. The sisters must have known this and understood where she was coming from, but instead, they believed that Mr. Bingley should not marry her because of her background, resulting in their attempts to talk about the Bennets in such a negative way. Additionally, it is interesting that they chose to assault Elizabeth’s looks as unappealing when she arrived, instead of seeing her in the same sisterly devotion as Bingley did. Class was connected to how people acted and how they presented themselves, and yet it was the “higher’ class of the two families that were acting very lowly by speaking this way, even if technically Elizabeth’s look was not according to societal standards of a woman at the time. Ultimately, this scene is a great example of the major themes of the book playing into each other.
Hi Jennifer, this particular scene caught my attention too. It indeed was an uncomfortable one. It shows how easily people will judge you based on things that are not under your control and that they will think what they want to think. Instead of seeing Elizabeth as a compassionate, brave person who cared and dared to walk alone through the dirt to see her sick sister, it was the easiest to find something else to gossip about, which probably wouldn’t be the case if she was from a wealthier family. It shows us everything is about prestige. But, Elizabeth wasn’t naive, she felt that. In multiple situations she mentions ” feeling like an intruder” and she had her pride too. Because, as soon as Jane was better she insisted on getting back home and she found a way, regardless of not having help from their mother and regardless of her wishes for them to stay there longer.
You made a great point about social class that I missed. That is a huge contributor to people’s actions of the time because of what they were expected to do and act.
I found discomfort in reading Mrs. Bennet’s highlight of Mr. Bingley’s financial and single status in Chapter 1 of Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Bennet sees Mr. Bingley as a “golden ticket” for the future of one of her daughters. Her comment: “What a fine thing for our girls,” (page 6) confirms this perception. Mrs. Bennet’s focus on finances highlights the societal pressures of the time that forced women to view marriage as a survival option rather than a relationship based on love.
Mrs. Bennet’s main goal was to find her daughters wealthy husbands. When Mr. Bingley arrived, she saw him as a promising candidate, and with her obsessive dream of securing a “perfect” marriage for her daughters, she allowed Mr. Bingley the freedom to choose which of her daughters to marry as if they were objects in a store waiting to be bought. This perception is confirmed on page 6 when Mrs. Bennet says, “…to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls.”
What Mrs. Bennet had in mind for her daughters reflects Austen’s critique of societal norms at the time. Women had limited options as to who they could marry, as it was a top priority to marry someone for financial security rather than love. Not only that but women lacked education on many topics and were only prepared for marriage, which made them dependent on others and ultimately forced them to marry someone for financial security.
I did not even think of it that way. She is so quick to “auction them off” like they’re something to buy and it’s so upsetting.
Hi Darlin, I really like the way you described these scenes. Throughout the reading, we can see how much women were objectified. Women didn’t have much of a say regarding who they married, as if it was a small thing. And there were not any requirements from the side of her parents, except that he is wealthy. And men seemed not to care either, she just had to be pretty and from a good family. It was very transactional and about who gets what from the other side.
Hi Darlin, I think you described this situation very well. I also found it interesting how Mr. Bingley’s arrival to town was a big deal for them. It really shows the time period, as today there wouldn’t be a family excited for a man to move near them to marry one of their daughters off to him.
A scene that made me feel discomfort was when Mrs.Bennet spoke of the Lucases, Specifically Charlotte, and put her down in a very desperate fashion to Mr.Bingley. Mrs.Bennet completely dismisses the Lucases as suitable wives because of their “lack” of beauty. She states “I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up differently. But every body is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain— but then she is our particular friend’ ‘She is very plain. Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me Jane’s beauty. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane—one does not often see any body better looking. It is what every body says. I do not trust my own partiality’”.(pg. 44). Here it can be shown that she sees value only in appearances and sees it as a factor in marriage as she contrasts Charlotte’s “plainness” with her daughter’s beauty to elevate Jane’s status in the eyes of Mr.Bingley.She further reinforces this when she states that Charlotte’s mother had even admitted so. I think Austen is portraying the values of 18th-century society through Mrs.Bennet. The shallowness and superficiality in society’s attitudes towards women are prominent in her character. As well as desperation in securing a man for any of her daughters because the social expectation for women at the time was not only for them to marry but to marry well. I think a particular theme Austin shows through the Bennet family is competitive social mobility and the lengths people would go to to climb the social ladder. She also contradicts herself by putting down Charlotte who she in the same sentence states is a “particular” friend. This can reflect how societal expectations will always be put above and overshadow the value/meaning of friendship.
You worded that perfectly Jennisa. That scene made me more upset than discomfort. It makes me so sad that society thought that way at some point and we have come a long way.
I agree with you, and feel Mrs.Bennet’s character aggravated me. The way she speaks in front of others really lacks class, and although she means to paint her daughter Jane in the right light, she is really doing the opposite. She clearly lacks social awareness which even her daughters are aware of. I think her parenting style would be extremely frowned upon in our society, because her superficiality and the way she compares her daughters can be really harmful to them.
I completely agree that this scene, in which women had little control over who they married and it seemed like a minor matter, also disturbed me. Her parents also had no prerequisites other than the fact that he is well-off as beauty in women was playing a big role at the time.
After reading Pride and Prejudice chapters I-XV, there were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable all through these pages. One particular scene that stood out to me was in chapter 9 when Mrs. Bennet came to visit her ill daughter, Jane, at Mr. Bingley property. Mrs. Bennet brought along her two youngest daughters. There were two particular parts of this scene that evoked my emotions. First time being when Mrs. Bennet says “for she has, without exception, the sweetest temper I ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing to her” (Austen 42). The way she talks so highly of Jane and sets an unexpected standard for her younger daughters is what gave me the discomfort. Mrs. Bennet has no remorse of how that would make her other daughters feel, only that Jane is viewed in a special image so she can be wed. The other part of this scene that made me uncomfortable was another comment from Mrs. Bennet when she said to Elizabeth “Lizzy, remember where you are, and do not run in the wild manner that you are stuffered to do at home” (Austen 42). Elizabeth, one of Jane’s sister, is bickering back and forth with Mr. Bingley about the type of person he is and it is hard to tell if the bickering is playful or harmful. However, Mrs. Bennet does not approve of the way her daughter speaks to him and immediately reprimands her in front of everyone, no matter her daughter’s intent. Both scenes make me uncomfortable because Mrs. Bennet is trying her hardest to preserve a certain image of her daughters due to her only goal in life: wed her daughters. Living in the 21st century, this point of view irritates me because women are worth more than being wives and reproduce.
One of the many themes in this novel is the reputation of women in society. I think the scene I discussed outlined it well. Women were expected to follow certain social norms and they were looked at differently if they ever stepped out of them. This is strongly enforced with how desperately Mrs. Bennet wants her daughters to marry. We see this within the first chapter of her begging Mr. Bennet to introduce himself to Mr. Bingley so one of his daughters has a higher chance of being his wife. He continues to deny her and shows little interest. He goes on to say “they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters” (Austen 7). The one daughter he admires, is the one daughter Mrs. Bennet is correcting and making sure she is “behaving properly.”
Hello Angelica,
I’m glad that you brought up how Mrs. Bennet sets high standards for her younger daughters, as it confirms the immense pressure placed on women to follow societal norms to secure good marriages, which, at the time, was, unfortunately, the only option for many.