From the very start of the story Jane writes in her
epilogue the subtlety ironic words:
IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a
single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a
wife.
Austen, a staunch
independent woman herself, obligingly ensured that the topics of gender injustice
prevailed and permeated throughout the story. The character of Elizabeth represents
Jane's own views and behaviors during this period in history, where women were admitted
as the property of their husbands.
Through Elizabeth, Jane
voices her opinion and frustrations albeit also her tolerance of this
reality.
First, we have Mrs. Bennett having none other than
5 children, all of them daughters- Her mission is therefore to marry them off well, or
else they will become destitute in society.
Second, the
estate in which the Bennetts live is at the mercy of their far cousin Mr. Collins ONLY
because Mr. Bennett, having 5 daughters, will die without an heir whenever he does. In
that time, properties could only be transferred from males to
males.
Charlotte, the anti-Austen, says plainly how she
will accept to marry Mr. Collins so that she can come of some property, company, and
earn social respect.
Lydia, Elizabeth's younger sister who
eloped with Wickham to her social disgraced was married off by the generosity of Darcy
and his intentions to clean up her act and that of Wickham's. As she returns, Lydia
considers herself higher ranking than her sisters because she is now married and insists
on everyone in town knowing it.
Lady Catherine DeBourgh,
who wanted to marry Darcy to her own daughter Miss Debourgh had already that marriage
planned and flattened out simply because it was "natural" that marriage was made for the
purpose of acquiring or joining fortunes rather than for
love.
In Pride and Prejudice, the women who were happy and
content were, gladly, the women who waited for their true love. The rest were all seen
as victims of their own social limitations.
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