Essay on the Feminist Background of ‘The Story of an Hour’ and ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’

There are always parallels when you compare two things, no matter how hard you try to differentiate them, since all things come from one place and spread. This happens to be the case with ‘The Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin and ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Both of these authors come from the same period and geographical location, which means that their writings have some similarities due to their location and literary period. This can be proven by comparing both of their stories to the events of the movement at the time and seeing if this is the case to prove this as being the case. In this case, they were both born in the United States during the mid-1800s, which meant that they lived through the women’s rights movement, and that impacted their writings and views, as well as the era of naturalism and realism of the time.

The women’s rights movement (1848-1917) is an event that helped women fight for true equality in an age that did not support them as we do today. This allowed women who felt tied and held back to speak their minds and prove that they are more than what society thought. Women were put down and many of their rights were taken away, and no one was ready to speak up until this major movement in society. Kate and Charlotte used their platform and words to write books about their life and experiences, and they spoke to thousands of people about the sad reality of women’s life. Literature during this time was known as ‘naturalism and realism’, which mainly focused on sharing the true story and events as to how they truly were. Realism is the type of literature that stayed true with no bias and just facts on how things occurred. “Realism sets itself at work to consider characters and events which are the most ordinary and uninteresting, in order to extract from these their full value and true meaning” (Tadjibayev et al., 146). On the other hand, naturalism was used when authors wanted to share a true story with exaggeration on some points which made it not factual since some events were not true as stated. This will be seen in the following two stories as they are compared to each other and their true intentions behind them.

The story that showed that it was heavily influenced by the women’s rights movement was ‘The Story of an Hour’ since it portrayed Louise, a married woman, who was supposedly happy in her marriage and did not have any regrets until the worst came to be. She was notified of the death of her husband, Brently, which brought her to her knees, and this was made worse by the fact that she had a weak heart and it was hard for her to bear this information by herself. This soon led her to fall ‘ill’ and look out her window with sorrow, but that soon changed when she felt relieved that she was no longer held back by her marriage and she was truly free from the shackles that held her back. Louise kept whispering the following: “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin, 2). Louise kept looking out the window since for her it symbolized that freedom she always wanted, as seen with this quote: “Feeling momentarily free, Louise breathes deeply and this gives her the feelings of elation and power as if she had achieved victory in widowhood” (Jassam and Jassam, 3). This relief soon ended when she was informed of his well-being, and she died of a heart attack due to the shock of knowing that she will never get the same freedom as she did when she was informed of her death. When this story is analyzed, we can see how much it was influenced by the women’s rights movement and the suffering and mindset they had about their dreams and feelings. This goes hand in hand with the realism literary period since it was about showing the truth in any way they could and Kate chose to use her books as that platform. Kate’s family also had a connection to feminist ideals, which could have also influenced how she thought about women’s rights, and we know this to be true since a biography of her told us how she looked up to her female family members and viewed them as role models.

When reading ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, we can see this as well, since most of this story is about how the narrator or the main character is a woman who is trapped inside the walls of her marriage and house. She is always trying to break free of this but is never able to do so since her husband, John, does not allow her to truly be herself and slowly drives her insane with the methods that he uses to treat her ‘condition’, which he calls a nervous breakdown caused by stress. This stress came from her having a baby at such a young age and she was not ready to bear that at the time, which led John to tell her to take some off time and diagnosed her with a nervous breakdown. She did not agree with this, but went along with it since John was a good doctor and a great husband in her eyes and knew that he wanted the best for her: “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression — a slight hysterical tendency — what is one to do?” (Gilman, 1). This led her to believe in everything that he diagnosed her to be true, even if she knew that deep down that was not the case. She later kept seeing someone move inside the walls, to the point that it looked like they were going to tear through the yellow wallpaper. This soon led her to become insane since she could not bear seeing women trying to hurt John and herself in their sleep. Soon she realized that she was that crazy woman in the walls and that drove her to insanity. This story reflects the amount of damage that some women have to suffer through in their marriages just to be ‘happy’ and shows the unfairness and inequality that existed in their society during the late 1800s. The women’s rights movement heavily influenced this story as well since it shows that marriage was never equal and fair until both parties had an equal say in their matters. “It is observed that these two works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘Herland’, represent the feminist rebellion of Gilman in her career as a feminist writer” (ÖZYÖN, 116). This quote also states that she had roots that connected to feminism and it was in her works such as this book.

Both of these stories show that women needed change to happen, and their stories show that. We can also see how the women’s rights movement influenced both Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman when writing their stories. The literary period of realism and naturalism also shows this to be true since they wrote about the events that were occurring with fictional characters. This made it to the hearts of many women and showed their support for the movement, and it had an impact on them. This is something that a lot of women were proud to stand up for, and it showed how they were proud of that.

Synthesis Essay on ‘The Great Gatsby’

Since it was the end of the war, America in the 1920s was a huge materialistic culture, and the roaring Twenties erupted, with wealth and status as major core values. The relationships in ‘The Great Gatsby’ depict this appearance of wealth as a core value; Jay Gatsby spends the entire novel attempting to be of a higher social class than he was raised in. He tries desperately to persuade others of his social standing. Similar to this, the relationship between Robbie Turner and Cecilia Tallis, in which Robbie is working class and Cecilia is the daughter of a wealthy man, reinforces this theme, as their relationship is divided by class, making it difficult for them to be together. As a result, the social climbers in both novels, Jay and Robbie, attempt to gain approval from others who are associated with the women they desire and hope to be with, in order to gain the attention of said women, as wealthy in their twenties was very desirable, and a woman during this era could only gain her social status from either being born into wealth, or marrying into it, meaning a poor man would not be very desirable.

Fitzgerald used Gatsby to express the social reality of the period, and those who attempted to improve their fortunes. Towards the end of chapter six, Nick Carraway, the narrator, writes about the night Daisy eventually went to one of Gatsby’s parties, and Gatsby came to realize that what he believed was glamorous and extravagant was still not up to Daisy’s standards: ‘she didn’t like it – she didn’t have a good time’. The phrase ‘she didn’t like it’ outlines the differences between them, as he was merely a poor boy pretending to be rich, while she was born and bred rich, and he would not know the true standards of a wealthy, lavish but classy lifestyle. However, almost in the same breath, while explaining to Nick why he and Daisy should be together, Gatsby further deludes himself into believing his own lies about his wealth and convinces himself that there are no differences between their social status. A.E Dyson claims that ‘Gatsby is the apotheosis of his rootless society! He really believes in himself and his illusions’, while Andrew Green describes Gatsby as ‘an actor, a construct, a deceiver’. In contrast to this, in McEwan’s novel ‘Atonement’, Robbie actively tries to distance himself from Cecilia as their relationship starts to become romantic, and he possibly comes to believe that he is more of a guest in the Tallis family home, than just the housekeeper’s son whom grew up on the property; ‘There was something in Robbie’s manner lately! Two days before he had rung the front doorbell- in itself odd, for he had always had the freedom of the house. It could be considered that this was because he was attempting to be seen as more socially acceptable than he is, and of a higher status than simply a maid’s son.

The structure of ‘The Great Gatsby’ varies in the book, starting with a chronological order and ending with flashbacks to reveal where Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy started in this passage from chapter 6. The use of flashbacks helps the reader understand Gatsby’s personality. It is through this use of technique that we can understand why and how Gatsby was able to swindle his way into owning his flashy home and projecting a picture of himself as a high-ranking member of society. The framework directs the increasing suspense that leads to the novel’s climax and the impending arrival of the foreshadowed death, which is hinted at in previous events to Gatsby. Similarly to how Fitzgerald told the story of Gatsby over five years and then used Nick as the homodiegetic narrator after the novel unraveled, ‘Atonement’ also takes place over many decades. The novel is divided into three parts, each of which is set in a different location during World War II, ranging from Surrey, England to France. The various points of view are the source of reality in the book since they reveal the motives and loose ends of the characters’ perceptions; however, the reader cannot check the whole story until the last few pages. Nick expresses the tale of Gatsby after the incident occurs in ‘The Great Gatsby,’ which is written in a reflective tense. Since the novel is written from Nick’s perspective, Gatsby is considered to be Nick’s personal hero in the novel, despite Nick’s knowledge of Gatsby’s criminal history. ‘At his lips’ touch, she blossomed for him like a flower, and the incarnation was complete,’ this line written by Nick indicates that Gatsby’s social standing is irrelevant, as he had found out the illegitimacy of Gatsby’s arguments by this point, but still believed he was a symbolism of perfection. A homodiegetic narrator is also present in ‘Atonement,’ since she is aware of all aspects of the story and is a participant in it. Briony explains parts of the novel that she was unable to see, such as during the war when Robbie traveled through France. Each chapter was written from the viewpoint of a different writer, and it was only in the final section that it was revealed that Briony had written the book. One of the characters is said to have written a section of the novel. Ruth Wahlberg states ‘McEwan deploys a variety of stylistic devices and narrative techniques that give the novel its multilayered texture’.

In ‘The Great Gatsby’, Fitzgerald makes it abundantly clear that Tom and Daisy’s wealth is superior to Jay Gatsby’s wealth. Tom and Daisy were well-educated and well-connected, while Gatsby made his fortune by selling illicit alcohol and throwing lavish parties with it. Daisy and Tom represent old money, while he represents new money. Fitzgerald’s best way of describing the wealth disparity is to differentiate between East and West eggs. Although Gatsby is forced to look across the water from his West Egg home, Tom and Daisy are able to live lavishly in East Egg; ‘a cheerful, red and white Georgian colonial mansion, overlooking the bay’. It’s not because they’re richer than Gatsby; it’s only that the way they earn their money and the people they meet make it possible for them to live in East Egg. While Ray Cluley claims ‘America in the nineteen twenties was no longer a virginally innocent, promising land but was in fact corrupted by wealth’, it can be assumed that Fitzgerald is using this as a metaphor to talk about American society during the Roaring Twenties, with new money coming into play. In contrast to this, the central characters in ‘Atonement’, unlike Gatsby who acquired his money illegally to escape a modest past in ‘The Great Gatsby’, the Tallis family reflect old money: ‘Cecilia’s grandfather, who grew up over an ironmonger’s shop and made the family fortune with a series patents and padlocks, bolts, latches and hasps’. However, as Tom and Daisy who also reflect old money in ‘The Great Gatsby’ have a beautiful, extravagant home, you ‘could not conceal the ugliness of the Tallis home’, which highlights the idea that money can not buy beauty or happiness, as Gatsby feels it can in ‘The Great Gatsby’.

In The Great Gatsby, just like the main characters Jay, and Robbie in Atonement, Myrtle is also greatly affected by her own class status and therefore tries to fit into a class that is not her own, by becoming a mistress to the wealthy Tom Buchanan, who buys her gifts and leases her an apartment in Manhattan, where Myrtle dresses up, throws parties, and expresses disdain for servants, as if she were a member of the upper class: ‘Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume sometime before and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored chiffon, which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress, her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur.’ Although Nick previously describes Myrtle in a way that would place her as working class, she clearly owns expensive clothing, obviously gifted to her by Tom, which implies her upward mobility. Both her clothing and behavior change, as she tries to convince others that she is more worthy than she is. Just like Gatsby, Myrtle, when parading around in the expensive gifts given to her by Tom, convinces herself that she is of higher status than she is. She believes that Tom has a genuine love for her, and would marry her if he could separate from Daisy. Myrtle is merely another possession to Tom, and when she tries to assert her own will, he uses violence to put her down. However, Myrtle is also delusional as she will never break the conformity of her own social position, and Tom will never take their relationship seriously, especially with Daisy in the picture which perhaps hinted through their names. ‘Myrtle’, defined as ‘the lesser periwinkle’, is a weed that is also seen as a nuisance. This can be a metaphor for her character, as she will never quite be what she wants to be; a flower, or a blooming member of the upper class. Unlike ‘Daisy’, a delicate, beautiful flower that blooms almost everywhere. These contrasting names and metaphors cannot be a coincidence. Biographically, this fits, as in the 1920s it would have been extremely hard to break the social order, and the working class could not even begin to compare with the higher class. Society was immensely divided by class.

In both novels, wealth is a main theme and affects almost every relationship and every character. Wealth causes major destruction, just not particularly to those who possess it. In both novels, wealthy people are able to use their wealth to their own advantage, with utter selfishness and no care for who they may be hurting along the way. In The Great Gatsby, this is evident in most characters, but mostly Tom and Daisy. Christine Ramos wrote ‘By attempting to maintain his way of life, Tom has reduced whole people to ashes without any thought of consequences.’ This greatly proves the point of the couples’ selfishness as Tom’s affair with Myrtle is ultimately the cause of her death, similar to the affair between Daisy and Gatsby; ‘Gatsby dies from the shallowness of Daisy, and the hard malice of Tom’, said Kent Cartwright. This was easy for them to do so, as Gatsby and Myrtle are both significantly lower in social class, with Myrtle being obviously poor and Gatsby, rich, but not born into a high class. The utter selfishness the wealth Tom and Daisy possess has given them massively affects their relationships with others and impacts so many people, and allows them to continue on with no shadow of guilt; ‘They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and retreated back into their wealth’. People of lower class and status during the 20s were often treated as inferior. Carlborn, however, noted that ‘atonement! does not put the discussion about class upfront’, which can be heavily disputed as throughout the novel, just like in ‘The Great Gatsby’, people of higher status are selfish and use their selfishness to impact the lives and relationships of others, shifting blame onto those seen as inferior to them. For example, Paul gets away with raping Lola as a result of his high status and shifts the blame onto lower-class Robbie. This leads to Robbie experiencing serious isolation, showing how wealth affects the lives of those around the wealthy greatly. Robbie, who is also guilty of this, then also tries to shift the blame onto a person of even lower status than him. This, again reflects how wealth and class have a great impact on the lives and relationships of the characters in the novels, and highlights the selfishness and destruction that is caused by wealth in each novel, where people of high status consequently shatter the lives of those below them without a second thought.

The 1920s were known as the ‘Big Boom,’ when Wall Street was at its peak and there was a relief from the sorrow that the First World War had brought. Speakeasies were common, and the number of wealthy individuals was increasing, but only a small portion of the population was wealthy. Throughout both stories, there is a recurring theme of wealth and social status. Differences in social rank and income have a significant impact on what happens in relationships and how long they survive in The Great Gatsby. The hollowness of the population of 1920s America is reflected in their fixation with material. Gatsby highlights this materialistic state of mind when he claims ‘She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me’, when disputing Daisy’s love for him with Tom. This indicates that the only reason Daisy was to marry was for money and status, and not the fact that she loved Tom. This, again, indicates that wealth plays a great role in impacting the lives and relationships of the characters. This is also solidified when Daisy claims that all a woman could be in the society of the 20s was a ‘beautiful fool’, in order to bag a wealthy man and earn a good life. Fitzgerald even further solidifies this when using wealth imagery to describe Daisy, ‘her voice is full of money’, which only again indicates the need for money as a personality. Jay Gatsby, ‘the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West’ and then soon ‘came into a good deal of money’, progressively builds character. Daisy Buchanan, the woman Gatsby spends so much of the novel attempting to please appears to live in her own ‘artificial world’ that is trimmed to perfection. Daisy soon betrays Gatsby after does not attend his funeral. From what we’re told, Gatsby started his life alone as ‘he had never really accepted! his parents’; he never wanted to be considered in the same class as them, so pushed for a better life for himself. Ultimately, Gatsby ends up exactly where he started: alone. Similarly, social class is partly to blame for the way Robbie and Cecilia see each other in Fitzgerald’s ‘Atonement’. There are two significant moments within the novel that break the social convention between the characters, the first being when Robbie removes his boots and socks before entering the house. Cecilia reads this as an act of exaggerated difference, whereas in reality, he didn’t want to make a mess on the floor, and he ‘on impulse’ removed them because they were ripped. The second is the part when they are at the fountain together, when jumps in after removing her clothes. Robbie sees this as an insult and believes he is trying to embarrass him. This shows that like in ‘The Great Gatsby’ for Jay and Daisy, unequal social positions cause tension between Robbie and Cecilia, often making situations hard to read and awkward, which is possibly why it took Cecilia so long to fall for him, as it took Daisy to come to terms with the fact that Gatsby was back in her life in Fitzgerald’s novel. However, unlike Gatsby, Robbie is not betrayed by the one he loves, regardless of wealth and social class as Cecila defends him by revealing her love for him and defends him when being accused of being a ‘sex maniac’ and a rapist.

To conclude, wealth is a core theme in both novels, and can either leave those who possess it in tragedy and despair, like those in Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’, or it can leave them with the possibility of hope and redemption, like those in McEwan’s ‘Atonement’. Either way, society in the 1920s was hugely divided by class and wealth, and as we can see in both novels, the poor were often scapegoated, treated poorly, or desperately trying to make a better life for themselves. However, each novel ends in a very different tone.

5 Paragraph Essay for ‘Flowers for Algernon’

Charlie Gordon was a very kind and caring man. He was an example of how all humans should live their lives. And no not as a retard. As a happy and motivated being. Charlie started his life having a very low IQ. He always seemed to see himself as a child because he hadn’t matured mentally like someone with no disability. Because of his low IQ, he was always looked down upon by the people he considered his friends. Of course, Charlie wouldn’t have known. He saw all of his friends as people that he could never be as good as. But frankly, it was the other way around. When Charlie had the opportunity to get picked to be a test subject for the intelligence-altering operation he was all over it. He felt like this was his chance to be like everyone else. Charlie was picked and he got the operation and it practically turned him from a retarded human to a near genius. But this brought Charlie a new understanding of himself and the people around him.

The first thing Charlie started to understand after his operation was that the people he called friends and that he could never be as good as were just dumb little jerks. He understood that they were making fun of him. He realized that he didn’t want to be like them at all. They weren’t his friends. They were his audience. They were using him as entertainment for themselves.

Charlie’s only real friends were Algernon and Miss Kinnian. When Charlie thought about it, he understood that he was being overlooked by the people who don’t have a disability, but that did not change the way he lived his life. He still did everything he wanted, not what they wanted him to do. Charlie’s understanding of how people were treating him had changed. When Charlie had a low IQ, he viewed his actual friends differently than after the operation. Before the operation, he viewed Miss Kinnian as a friend and he used her as motivation.

Over time, Charlie started maturing mentally into an adult-like human. But this brought new emotions that Charlie had never felt before. Charlie fell in love with Alice Kinnian. At first, Charlie was overwhelmed by his feelings, but then they started to ease out after he took her out on a few dates. Charlie was starting to understand the complexity of relationships. He knew that for it to work, he had to be himself because that is what Alice loved about him. With his new IQ and knowledge, he was able to understand what he was feeling and why he was feeling it.

Charlie was a good man. He understood better than anyone else how to deal with his surroundings. Whether it was his feelings or how other people were treating him. He understood his place in the world, being a retard or a genius. He used the struggles of gaining new emotions and a low IQ to understand himself as a person, as well as the world and the people around him. This is what made Charlie an amazing human being. He will be missed.

Essay on Money in ‘Pride and Prejudice’

During the eighteenth century, the English social life in early eighteenth century such as marriage and social class has been described clearly. The society used marriage as a way to find both financial and romantic fulfillment. Men have great advantages than women in the society because they are more entitled to inherit the land and money that is left off to them from their family and from their wife’s family. Specifically, women get less material resources, social status, and power. Therefore, women’s way to find security and assurance is to marry a wealthy men which can also advance her into a higher rank in the society. Throughout the novel ​Pride and Prejudice ​by Jane Austen, it describes how the society in the 1800s treats men and women differently. The novel introduces marriage in the society through the views of Feminist and Marxist lenses, where the purpose of marriage for women at that time was necessity rather than a choice and was financial gain.

Marriage is one of the main themes in the novel ​Pride and Prejudice​. In the 1800s, men have a lot of power over women. They have greater advantages compared to women, specifically; material resources, social status and power. ​“But even for women who have money, marriage is necessary to secure their social positions and ensure financial stability for the future.”​ (Zhang, 2015). Elizabeth Bennet, the second child of the five sisters is being force by her mother to marry her cousin Collins. ​“Oh! My dear, I cannot bear to hear that mentioned.

Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”​ (Austen, 62)​. ​This quote depicts how society can force a women to marry her cousin to keep their estate and secure their economic problems as they only have daughters and not a son to inherit their properties. Women in the 1800s does not have any shares when it comes to the money and property that their parents gained. It is always the men who will inherit their properties and left nothing to women. The quote shows how women gets less of material resources because the Bennets properties will go to someone who is a close relative from them, which is Mr Collins. Another example of feminist lens seen in the novel is, the female characters in the novel have less power over men. ​“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.” ​(Austen, 9).

According to this quote, it shows how a single men is in want to have a wife. This means men have a lot of choices on choosing their wives, although women in 1800s, their husbands are chosen by their families. It makes a women feel powerless because they cannot chose the man that they will love and live with their entire life. Women will always have to choose a wealthy men to secure their families economy which she can get through her husband’s property. Therefore, they feel powerless because their families get to choose who they will marry and love.

Lastly, a women like Elizabeth is a good example of a feminist. She speaks up and does not let men treat her like she a weak or silly women who a man can easily fool. An example to this is Mr. Collins asking for her hand, but Elizabeth does not want to marry him. ​’Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the complement of believing what I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered, therefore, as finally settled.’​ (Austen, 104). This quote shows how Elizabeth points out to Mr. Collins the equality of men and women. She expresses that right of women to choose and make their own decisions, which her decision is that she would rather lose their Longbourn property than being married to her cousin. Elizabeth did not want to sacrifice her happiness of being married to a man the she will love forever, with this she stand up for herself by telling Mr Collins her right to choose and decide what is best for her. Therefore, the inequality that the women receive during 1800s has helped them grew in a best and inspirational figure for the future generations. ​“Women finding their own voice and independence …. These women take what they want. They are not shrinking into submission, but finding a rather unapologetic voice arguing for their autonomy over their lives.” ​(DeForte, 2016). This quote from the article shows that women were pushed against the societal expectations but still managed to develop toward their potential. They were able to express themselves as woman who have a moral and right to speak and do what she needs to o to develop herself.

Moreover, the novel is also viewed in a marxist lens. The characters in the novel are come from a different status or different kind of class where it makes woman look for and marry a rich men. What marriage means for a lower class women is finding a man that can sustain their needs and secure them for the rest of their lives. An example for this can be Elizabeth’s best friend Charlotte. She marries Mr. Collins right after she heard the news that Elizabeth declines his proposal. According to Charlotte, she would rather marry a man that has enough money to secure her for life rather than marrying someone who she loves.​“You must be surprised, very much surprised—so lately as Mr Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins’ character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” ​(Austen, 119)​.​ This explains why Charlotte marries Mr. Collins because she wants her future to be secure which is what she really wants in the first place. It also explains, how she is contented with the life that she will have with Mr. Collins because she will be in a comfortable house, and the idea of security is what she wants and needs. Aside from Charlotte, Mrs. Bennett likes to go to parties and bring her daughters with her to introduce them to wealthy men and to show them off. She tries to keep a good relationship with the upper class to gain money and power. She wants her daughters to marry a wealthy man because she believes that this will make them secured in life and those men can give them a nice life.​ “​Mothers and fathers spent much time searching for the the best possible spouse for their child, in order to benefit the family.” ​(British Literature Wiki, nd).​ ​Mrs. Bennet spends her time looking for a wealthy husband to marry her daughters. It is because in her younger years it was her goal to marry a wealthy man, however she was not able to reach that goal. She fell in love and married Mr Bennet who is from a lower class, that is why Mrs. Bennett pushes her daughters to marry a rich man so they can have a better future.​“Oh! my sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have! Jane’s is nothing to it–nothing at all. I am so pleased–so happy. Such a charming man!–so handsome! so tall! … A house in town! Every thing that is charming! Three daughters married! Ten thousand a year! Oh, Lord! What will become of me…” ​(Austen, 342). This quote shows that Mrs Bennet is not only interest for Elizabeth getting a good and bright future, but the idea of how much money she will get and status if Elizabeth marries Darcy excites her. For Mrs Bennet, what only interest her is gaining money from the wealthy man by pushing Elizabeth to marry him.

Marxist views is not only seen through women marrying a wealthy men or being pushed by a family member to marry some that is wealthy in order to gain power and money. But it also seen through wealthy man like Darcy. Darcy pays Wickham to marry Lydia is an example of Marxist lens because it shows how money runs the society. ​’How strange!’ cried Elizabeth. ‘How abominable! I wonder that the very pride of this Mr. Darcy has not made him just to you! If from no better motive, that he should not have been too proud to be dishonest–for dishonesty I must call it.’ ​(Austen, 80). This just shows how a person will do anything for money and earning more money to have more power over other people. Even though, Wickham’s love for Lydia is only an infatuation, the fact that Darcy offers a huge amount of money to him with a deal did not make him think twice to marry Lydia.​ “… ​happiness has nothing to do with money or social status, that happiness is a soulful unification of the realities of life outside ones entity no matter how grisly they may be.”​ (Ashfaq and Khattak, 2015). In this quote from the article, it describes how money affects the social status of the novel by not giving any happiness to the characters. Therefore, it also connects with marxist lens because even though how wealthy a person is, there are still people trying to use them for money.

In conclusion, in the 1800s women are not seen to be important to the society. Their duty is to stay home, take good care of their children, cook and clean the house. The society did not treat them well; they underestimate them, and treat them unfairly. They did not have enough freedom to choose who they will marry because their families chooses it for them.Furthermore, the characters in the novel tries to keep a good relation with the upper class to gain power and money that they never have. Mrs Bennet, is one of the characters in the novel that pushes her daughters to marry for money and social status. She wants Elizabeth to marry Mr Collins since Mr Bennet does not have a son, their estate is entailed to him. The Feminist and Marxist lenses has affected the decisions of the characters in the novel of who is they should marry. Marriage revolves around the desire of certain characters to gain a social status and money from a man who is wealthy and is able to support them throughout their lives. The novel Pride and Prejudice circles around; marriage, money, and wealth which makes them marry a person for their money but not for love. It shows how money runs the society during the 1800s, women will marry a rich men for her to have a social status, have a stable life and advance her rank into the society.

Works Cited

  1. Ashfaq, S., & Khattak, N. J. (2015). Of Life and Happiness: Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 23(2), 9. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  2. DeForte, Jenna. ‘An Unfounded Universal Truth: A Contemporary Feminist Understanding of Pride and Prejudice.’ ​The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research​ 17 (2016): -.Web. [June 8, 2019]. .
  3. Social and Family Life in the Late17th & Early 18th Centuries. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/social-and-family-life-in-the-late17th-early-18th-centuries/
  4. Zhang, Luyan. “On Marriage in Eighteenth-century England.” (2015). [PDF file]. Retrieved from: ​http://www.cetljournal.co.uk/ http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  5. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  6. https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol17/iss1/9
  7. https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/social-and-family-life-in-the-late17th-early-18th-centuries/
  8. http://www.cetljournal.co.uk/

Essay on Money in ‘Pride and Prejudice’

During the eighteenth century, the English social life in early eighteenth century such as marriage and social class has been described clearly. The society used marriage as a way to find both financial and romantic fulfillment. Men have great advantages than women in the society because they are more entitled to inherit the land and money that is left off to them from their family and from their wife’s family. Specifically, women get less material resources, social status, and power. Therefore, women’s way to find security and assurance is to marry a wealthy men which can also advance her into a higher rank in the society. Throughout the novel ​Pride and Prejudice ​by Jane Austen, it describes how the society in the 1800s treats men and women differently. The novel introduces marriage in the society through the views of Feminist and Marxist lenses, where the purpose of marriage for women at that time was necessity rather than a choice and was financial gain.

Marriage is one of the main themes in the novel ​Pride and Prejudice​. In the 1800s, men have a lot of power over women. They have greater advantages compared to women, specifically; material resources, social status and power. ​“But even for women who have money, marriage is necessary to secure their social positions and ensure financial stability for the future.”​ (Zhang, 2015). Elizabeth Bennet, the second child of the five sisters is being force by her mother to marry her cousin Collins. ​“Oh! My dear, I cannot bear to hear that mentioned.

Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”​ (Austen, 62)​. ​This quote depicts how society can force a women to marry her cousin to keep their estate and secure their economic problems as they only have daughters and not a son to inherit their properties. Women in the 1800s does not have any shares when it comes to the money and property that their parents gained. It is always the men who will inherit their properties and left nothing to women. The quote shows how women gets less of material resources because the Bennets properties will go to someone who is a close relative from them, which is Mr Collins. Another example of feminist lens seen in the novel is, the female characters in the novel have less power over men. ​“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.” ​(Austen, 9).

According to this quote, it shows how a single men is in want to have a wife. This means men have a lot of choices on choosing their wives, although women in 1800s, their husbands are chosen by their families. It makes a women feel powerless because they cannot chose the man that they will love and live with their entire life. Women will always have to choose a wealthy men to secure their families economy which she can get through her husband’s property. Therefore, they feel powerless because their families get to choose who they will marry and love.

Lastly, a women like Elizabeth is a good example of a feminist. She speaks up and does not let men treat her like she a weak or silly women who a man can easily fool. An example to this is Mr. Collins asking for her hand, but Elizabeth does not want to marry him. ​’Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the complement of believing what I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered, therefore, as finally settled.’​ (Austen, 104). This quote shows how Elizabeth points out to Mr. Collins the equality of men and women. She expresses that right of women to choose and make their own decisions, which her decision is that she would rather lose their Longbourn property than being married to her cousin. Elizabeth did not want to sacrifice her happiness of being married to a man the she will love forever, with this she stand up for herself by telling Mr Collins her right to choose and decide what is best for her. Therefore, the inequality that the women receive during 1800s has helped them grew in a best and inspirational figure for the future generations. ​“Women finding their own voice and independence …. These women take what they want. They are not shrinking into submission, but finding a rather unapologetic voice arguing for their autonomy over their lives.” ​(DeForte, 2016). This quote from the article shows that women were pushed against the societal expectations but still managed to develop toward their potential. They were able to express themselves as woman who have a moral and right to speak and do what she needs to o to develop herself.

Moreover, the novel is also viewed in a marxist lens. The characters in the novel are come from a different status or different kind of class where it makes woman look for and marry a rich men. What marriage means for a lower class women is finding a man that can sustain their needs and secure them for the rest of their lives. An example for this can be Elizabeth’s best friend Charlotte. She marries Mr. Collins right after she heard the news that Elizabeth declines his proposal. According to Charlotte, she would rather marry a man that has enough money to secure her for life rather than marrying someone who she loves.​“You must be surprised, very much surprised—so lately as Mr Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins’ character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” ​(Austen, 119)​.​ This explains why Charlotte marries Mr. Collins because she wants her future to be secure which is what she really wants in the first place. It also explains, how she is contented with the life that she will have with Mr. Collins because she will be in a comfortable house, and the idea of security is what she wants and needs. Aside from Charlotte, Mrs. Bennett likes to go to parties and bring her daughters with her to introduce them to wealthy men and to show them off. She tries to keep a good relationship with the upper class to gain money and power. She wants her daughters to marry a wealthy man because she believes that this will make them secured in life and those men can give them a nice life.​ “​Mothers and fathers spent much time searching for the the best possible spouse for their child, in order to benefit the family.” ​(British Literature Wiki, nd).​ ​Mrs. Bennet spends her time looking for a wealthy husband to marry her daughters. It is because in her younger years it was her goal to marry a wealthy man, however she was not able to reach that goal. She fell in love and married Mr Bennet who is from a lower class, that is why Mrs. Bennett pushes her daughters to marry a rich man so they can have a better future.​“Oh! my sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have! Jane’s is nothing to it–nothing at all. I am so pleased–so happy. Such a charming man!–so handsome! so tall! … A house in town! Every thing that is charming! Three daughters married! Ten thousand a year! Oh, Lord! What will become of me…” ​(Austen, 342). This quote shows that Mrs Bennet is not only interest for Elizabeth getting a good and bright future, but the idea of how much money she will get and status if Elizabeth marries Darcy excites her. For Mrs Bennet, what only interest her is gaining money from the wealthy man by pushing Elizabeth to marry him.

Marxist views is not only seen through women marrying a wealthy men or being pushed by a family member to marry some that is wealthy in order to gain power and money. But it also seen through wealthy man like Darcy. Darcy pays Wickham to marry Lydia is an example of Marxist lens because it shows how money runs the society. ​’How strange!’ cried Elizabeth. ‘How abominable! I wonder that the very pride of this Mr. Darcy has not made him just to you! If from no better motive, that he should not have been too proud to be dishonest–for dishonesty I must call it.’ ​(Austen, 80). This just shows how a person will do anything for money and earning more money to have more power over other people. Even though, Wickham’s love for Lydia is only an infatuation, the fact that Darcy offers a huge amount of money to him with a deal did not make him think twice to marry Lydia.​ “… ​happiness has nothing to do with money or social status, that happiness is a soulful unification of the realities of life outside ones entity no matter how grisly they may be.”​ (Ashfaq and Khattak, 2015). In this quote from the article, it describes how money affects the social status of the novel by not giving any happiness to the characters. Therefore, it also connects with marxist lens because even though how wealthy a person is, there are still people trying to use them for money.

In conclusion, in the 1800s women are not seen to be important to the society. Their duty is to stay home, take good care of their children, cook and clean the house. The society did not treat them well; they underestimate them, and treat them unfairly. They did not have enough freedom to choose who they will marry because their families chooses it for them.Furthermore, the characters in the novel tries to keep a good relation with the upper class to gain power and money that they never have. Mrs Bennet, is one of the characters in the novel that pushes her daughters to marry for money and social status. She wants Elizabeth to marry Mr Collins since Mr Bennet does not have a son, their estate is entailed to him. The Feminist and Marxist lenses has affected the decisions of the characters in the novel of who is they should marry. Marriage revolves around the desire of certain characters to gain a social status and money from a man who is wealthy and is able to support them throughout their lives. The novel Pride and Prejudice circles around; marriage, money, and wealth which makes them marry a person for their money but not for love. It shows how money runs the society during the 1800s, women will marry a rich men for her to have a social status, have a stable life and advance her rank into the society.

Works Cited

  1. Ashfaq, S., & Khattak, N. J. (2015). Of Life and Happiness: Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 23(2), 9. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  2. DeForte, Jenna. ‘An Unfounded Universal Truth: A Contemporary Feminist Understanding of Pride and Prejudice.’ ​The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research​ 17 (2016): -.Web. [June 8, 2019]. .
  3. Social and Family Life in the Late17th & Early 18th Centuries. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/social-and-family-life-in-the-late17th-early-18th-centuries/
  4. Zhang, Luyan. “On Marriage in Eighteenth-century England.” (2015). [PDF file]. Retrieved from: ​http://www.cetljournal.co.uk/ http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  5. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A452604157/GPS?u=ko_k12hs_d62&sid=GPS&xid=c912f9ca
  6. https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol17/iss1/9
  7. https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/social-and-family-life-in-the-late17th-early-18th-centuries/
  8. http://www.cetljournal.co.uk/