Jane Austen

Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice (1813) British Romanticist novelist (realism)

A. Contextualize the text from a historical and cultural point of view. Jane Austen (1775- 1817) was a British novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry (British social class land owners living off rental income), earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary as well as her acclaimed plots have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics. The social milieu of Austen’s Regency England was particularly stratified, and class divisions were rooted in family connections and wealth. In her work, Austen is often critical of the assumptions and prejudices of upperclass England. In general, Austen occupies a curious position between the 18th and 19th centuries. Her favorite writer, whom she often quotes in her novels, was dr. Samuel Johnson, the great model of 18 th century classicism and reason. Austen’s novels also display an ambiguity about emotions and an appreciation for intelligence and natural beauty that aligns them with Romanticism. In their awareness of the condition of modernity and city life and the consequences for family structure and individual characters, they prefigure much Victorian literature.

B. Discuss the relevance of the text, in terms of content and style, with reference to its author’s literary canon Jane Austen’s 1813’s novel, “Pride and Prejudice”, which she originally published anonymously, is her second and best known work. She wrote for her family’s amusement, but readers everywhere have enjoyed its wit, amusing dialogue and insightful characterizations. It’s a novel “of manners”, in other words it portrays comfortable middle-class rural people and dramatizes the complex web of customs and manners holding everyone in their social places. Anyone who transgresses this code is destined for a fall. The novels, like all of Austen’s books, shows a young woman learning how society and human nature operate. Throughout the book, Austen shows the results of improper behavior. Some characters learn from their mistakes, while others do not. But as for a mate, each character gets the partner he or she deserves. While social advancement for young men lay in the military, church or law, the chief method of self-improvement for women was the acquisition of wealth. Women could only accomplish this goal through successful marriage, which explains the ubiquity of matrimony as a goal and topic of conversation in Austen’s writing. Even so, critics often accuse Austen of portraying a limited world. Her critiques of class structure seem to include only the middle and upper class. The lower classes, if they appear at all, are generally really servants who seem perfectly pleased with their lot. This lack of interest in the lives of the poor may be a failure shared by almost all of English society at the time. The title stands for the main characteristics of the protagonists: Elizabeth Bennet is intelligent, lively, playful, attractive, and witty but with a tendency to judge on first impression. The course of Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship is ultimately decided when Darcy overcomes his pride and she overcomes her prejudice, leading them both to surrender to their love for each other. A major theme is the importance of the environment and upbringing on young people’s character and morality. Social standing and wealth are not necessarily advantages in her world.

Pride and Prejudice employs the narrative technique of free indirect speech, adopting the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth) thus inviting the reader to see events form Elizabeth’s viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. Although Austen was not well known during her lifetime, her books influenced later writers, including Charles Dickens, Thackeray and George Eliot. In addition, she helped to raise the novel to a respected art form and paved the way for other women to write even when they did not share the extensive education that was then reserved for men. Despite her relative obscurity during her lifetime, Pride and Prejudice has sold more than 20 million copies since its original publication and has never been out of print.