It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man of fortune must be in want of a wife !… Is there another opening of a book that completely sums up patriarchal society and the ironic female lense through which Jane Austin wrote ? … I consider this the best book ever written, by a man or woman. The French Revolution was raging, yet unmentioned in her work. Perhaps because there was real fear the unrest might spread to the unchanged constitutional monarchy system of governance in England. More so that the carefully constructed system of landowners, marriage for wealth and dynasty was explored, along with the impact that this system had on women.
It was in direct contrast to the Brontes exploration of the gothic style of fantastical writing. Jane instead wrote Simply of a system that was unlikely to have had the outcome she chose for her heroine ! Yet there is something soothing and reassuring in about her writing. The comical wit, that is at times relentlessly judgemental of the situation of women in England. Perhaps there is no real empathy for her female characters. the depictions are in many ways harsh. Lady Catherine De Burgh, with her cruel and judgemental visit. The women in the household who deride and try to humiliate Elizabeth for her family background. All of these scenes, show us that Elizabeth very much saw the problem of England as both a female and male construct. That the female characters either acquiesced to the inequality or were active in maintaining it. Needless to say can we really see any difference now in society ? The people who live in poverty were still marginalised and blamed. Charity is still the mechanism that keeps them in the same situation.
Jane gives us this story that really explores the reasons as to why women lived with such real constraints. Where respectability, or the appearance of it, were deemed so very important. Yet she offers something of hope to her readers. This being that if men are able to overcome their pride and focus of money and prestige and tradition, whilst women overcome their prejudice towards men who demonstrate the propensity to change, then there is real hope for those relationships. That perhaps marriage that enables women to grow, both in intellect and status is positive. As opposed to the oft stated views in the book.
Stories offer us a real window to different times in history, unless they are entirely fantasy based, science fiction as such. Pride and Prejudice is the book that has always been my terms of reference for how society is doing for women. Is society clinging to the ideals of patriarchy ? Inequality ? Or is there real opportunity for change ? So this is obviously a fictional work, written by a female who was of a middle class background, with connections to the Church of England. So radical ? Yes in a way it is. The idea that a woman writes with a critical and amusing manner, charicaturing people in power, then finally showing how she views the change that can occur, that being men who stop interfering in friends choices, women who stop interfering in mens choices. In fact that men and women have autonomy and make decisions based on love. Or really is this the truth of her story ? I think her rather ironic writing really suggests that a woman is faced by the pursuit of a man with wealth is likely to feel love. I mean who wouldn’t ! This story reminds me of my favourite saying by the Rabbi we love those to whom we give. This story shows this very clearly. The main male character gives to Elizabeth and as he does so he grows to love her. Maybe this is a romanticised view of the world. But I do not think so. It is possible for this to happen. I have seen it in England. I think in a way that possibly did not happen in Janes time, happens in modern England.
The part of relational interaction that she did not explore, unlike other women, may have been outside of her sphere of knowledge. That being violence within the family. Particularly violence towards women. However aside from this reference and perhaps because of her view of relationships without violence, I fell in love with her writing and stories. This one, Pride and Prejudice my favourite book of all time.