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Society transforms over time, and consequently, ideas and behavior norms change. Fiction written in a certain period can give an insight into the values and views of its time. For example, Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice helps to understand the Regency era. Influential factors in the book’s plot are the issues of marriage necessity for young women and the obstacles that money and social status can provide. Although the ideas of status, money, and marriage still retain significant influence, they were previously more defining for a person’s life.
Money, status, and marriage were closely related and influential during the Regency era. The society was divided into three classes – upper, middle, and low (Georgian Era Society). The wealthiest people represented the upper class of the population. The eldest sons inherited the family’s wealth, and the youngest could choose a profession in medicine, clergy, or military affairs. Women were under the care of the men of their families, and the search for a husband was the main path to higher status and wealth. For this reason, Mrs. Bennet is concerned about her daughters’ marriages (Austen 2). Women only had to marry and take care of the house and children.
Thanks to the industrial revolution, the middle class only appeared then and was busy with jobs requiring qualifications. The lower class was the poorest and did the work for the upper class’s needs. It is worth noting that the upper class was divided, as presented in Austen’s books – there were royalty, nobility, and commoners (Rank and Class). Status and money determined the position of individuals in society and their possibilities. They significantly impacted an individual’s reputation and demonstrated power and privilege (Hashemipour 52). Therefore, the wealthy Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy in Austen’s book are influential and popular as suitors. Such a strong division of society and the importance attached to status lead to classism. This concept means the perception of a person’s value depending on the socio-economic situation (Classism). It leads to problems such as discrimination, inequality, and social exclusion and supports the gap between rich and poor.
The modern world is different from the Regency era – marriage is not a critical path for women, and there is no strict division into classes. However, a gap between rich and poor continues to exist, and the socio-economic situation still determines the individual’s possibilities. For example, low-income families cannot afford quality nutrition or health care, which becomes a barrier to finding a job and developing a career (Classism). Although the appointments today reflect people’s talents more than position, their pay and importance still give them higher status.
Thus, the study of fiction gives an opportunity to learn more about society and the time it was written. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice provides insight into the meaning of status, money, and marriage, which significantly defined a person’s life path in the Regency era. Although in the modern world, these ideas have changed, the socio-economic position continues to play an influential role in people’s lives.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Project Gutenberg. 1813. Web.
“Classism.” Stanford: Student Affairs. Web.
“Georgian Era Society.” Victorian Era. Web.
Hashemipour, Saman. “Two Lovers in an Austenian Novel of Manners: The Impact of Social Status in Pride and Prejudice.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications, vol. 1, no. 9, 2019, pp. 51-55.
“Rank and Class.”Jane Austen. Web.
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