Wednesday, January 29, 2020
The Role 19th century Women Essay Example for Free
The Role 19th century Women Essay Women in General Society            Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austin, which depicts the women’s life in the early 19th century. Pride and prejudice was written by a young woman in her early twenties, in the context of her day in which women’s rights were mot valued particularly in term of their own property rights. The story revolves within the context of the three levels of status in society represented by the characters from upper classes, middle classes, and lower class status that are themselves symbols of different classes of society during the 19th century. Indeed, the typical life of the 19th century women is accurately depicted in Jane Austin’s Timeless novel, The Pride and Prejudice.             In Jane Austin’s novel, the first chapter describes the existing norms of the society regarding women’s rights. Austin portrayed that women, even in the upper classes are deprived of their property rights and the only legal remedy for them to inherent family estates is to be married. This evident in the following lines â€Å"However, little is known the feeling or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters†(Austin p. 2). These lines reflect the importance of a man to a family who had but all daughters.            The struggle of the 19th century women exactly correlate to the condition of women in Austin’s novel, as they battle their way towards gaining their rights. Afsar Bano pointed out that the 19th century women â€Å"could not tolerate such state of affairs any longer. They formed movements in Europe and America to emancipate women†(Bano p. 41). Women of the 19th century were deprived of the basic rights and privileges exactly to what Austin has demonstrated in her novel almost century earlier. Although Austin portrayed women in her novel to be socially actively involved, it appears that women’s social responsibility was limited, as most of the women mentioned in the story were not engaged in any social obligations, or in any economic activities outside of their homes, though they participated in some social functions. A Woman’s responsibility was to be a good wife to her husband, and mother to children as stated in the opening lines of the story as follows â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife†(Austin p. 2). Women’s inferiority and dependency with men and their lack of basic rights that included their family estates were evident in the story. In the 19th century however, being in this situation, women resented this condition and fought their way toward their common goals under the banner of feminism. Marriage                  Since they do not work and they do not have rights over their father’s possessions, evidently, marriage was the last remedy for women to avoid poverty. In Austin’s novel, adult women, view marriage as being the last opportunity to escape future poverty appeared to be consummated not for love, but for need. Austin sees the need of a single man to marry was not based in his feeling; the same was the sentiment express by Charlotte Lucas, one of the characters in the novel. She said, â€Å"I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him tomorrow, I should think she has a good chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelve month, happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance†(Austin p. 30). In the summary and analysis featured in the internet entitled Pride and Prejudice-Study Guide, it stated the common idea of marriage during the novel was â€Å"utilitarian†in which it emphasize the need for young women to find man who have a good furtive (Pride and Prejudice Study Guide Summary of Ch. 1-6).               This View of Marriage correlates exactly in the early 19th century. Joan Perkin cited that when the upper-class family considered the marriage of their children â€Å"more was at stake than momentary infatuation†(p. 54). Their view was that emotions came and went: land remains. Marriage was not out of love but of necessity, and this view was widely regarded in the 19th century. Personal Lives: Fashion Education – Health In Austin’s novel, personal lives were expressed by the characters in their own styles and fashions. Austin has been quite generous in her descriptions of the personal life style of the individual in the story. They like going out to party and dancing. Education for women in Austin’s novel was of little regard as none of the younger women seemed to be so educated. What has been highly regarded was the social class and those in the upper classes manipulate fashions and lifestyle as depicted by the character of lady Catherine de Bourgh.            Although the fashion of women in the 19th century was more on garments and dresses, education and health were just as that in the novel. Women in the 19th century were deprived of education and their role was rather in the home. The difference between the 19th century women with the women in the novel was the rise of feminism during the 19th century. In other words, women of the 19th century resisted their situation and demanded equality with men, which was in direct contrast with the passive attitude of the women in the novel. Conclusion          Based on the arguments above, I would like to affirm that the life of women in the 19th century was accurately depicted in the novel of Jane Austin in terms of the categories given such as the general society, marriage, and personal lives. The views given in this paper regarding the women of the 19th century was the general situation of the time (Based on the two authors view), and can be therefore valid to be the basis of the affirmation above. That is, there must be some similarities in the general role of women in society during the two periods. Work Cited   Austin, Jane Pride and Prejudice England: Plain Label Books 1957 Bano, Afsar Status of Women in Islamic Society India: Kumar for Anmol Publication 2003. Perkins, Joan Women and Marriage in Nineteenth-century England, England: Routledge, 1989 Pride and Prejudices-Study Guide â€Å"Summary and Analysis of Volume I, Chapters 1-6†. http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/pride/section3.html 1999-2008.
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