Jane Austen Research Paper

In the Regency era, the society had high demands and expectations for the way people could act. Jane Austen believed that these restrictions were

Thesis: Jane Austen’s use of characterization emphasizes her opinion of the influence of societal expectations.

OR

Austen makes her opinion of the influence of the societal expectations clear through her characterization in Pride and Prejudice.

(CHARACTERIZATION OF ELIZABETH) With each different character Jane Austen is saying something different through the way they individually act. She expresses herself and her own opinions through Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is proposed to a total a three times through the story. She does accept the last proposal, but her response to the first two tell

This shows Austen’s exasperation at the ignorance and blind belief of men at the time. The fact that people needed to marry, and would marry for comfort did not express who she is and who Elizabeth is. Jane Austen thinks that it is more important to marry for happiness and love than it is for comfort. This is shown through Elizabeth’s second and third marriage proposals. These proposals were both by Darcy. However, the first time, she well does not like Darcy and thinks him “a very disagreeable man”. However, Darcy’s character differs from Mr. Collins and he is able to calmly accept the rejection and give her the honor of not giving the “renewal of those offers, which [the] last night were so disgusting to [her].” (Pg 191) However, Elizabeth learns to love Darcy with time and learning of his true character, not just the first impression she had of him. The third proposal she accepts because she believes that she will love and be happy with Darcy. This expresses that Jane Austen believes in love over the level of comfort of dependence on a man.

Jane Austen wrote two main characters that broke societal roles that should have been upheld, based on the families that they belonged to. Jane Austen put her personal beliefs of how people act out in different ways in action when introducing Darcy to the Bennet’s Darcy gives a negative first impression to the whole Bennet family. However, when Elizabeth chooses to let herself form her own opinion of Darcy, she saw him in a whole new perspective. She learns to love and respect Darcy out of her own will -- against what her family thinks to figure out who he actually is, instead of who they assume him to be. Once she hears “AHDUA” Despite the class expectations or the risk that they might take to marry someone under them, or above them. Elizabeth didn’t want to marry someone just to marry them. She wanted to marry someone that she loved and that returned that love. Darcy is looked down upon for admiring Elizabeth but is so strong in his opinion that he does not let others influence him. Although if he cared about what others thought of him he would probably make different decisions and try harder to make good first impressions. Austen subtle supports Darcy and puts