Mary Wollstonecraft Pride And Prejudice Feminist Essay

The witty domestic comedy that centers around the lives of a few well-to-do families in nineteenth century England, Pride and Prejudice, was published in 1813 after author Jane Austen’s completion of the novel. Her most acclaimed work of literature has withstood the test of time, but this is perhaps due to the idea that Jane Austen has benefited from a feminist rereading more than any other author. While Jane Austen has been criticized for her lack of consideration of the larger societal picture and problems, this in fact enhances the idea that Mary Wollstonecraft would agree to: that Austen’s novel is a satirical device of the time’s treatment of women in a class where the problems would be amplified. While all the women in this novel are

Bennet and Miss Bingley exemplify the idea that women who are taught only to please find their charms fleeting. This assertion by Wollstonecraft reveals the position of power that women held in this time—none. The implication is that since women were only taught to please men with their charm, when this charm flees them, there is nothing left for them to do. They are rendered useless. Mrs. Bennet states that “‘It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them’” (3). This immediately reveals to us how powerless women were in this society as Mrs. Bennet had to solely rely on Mr. Bennet if she wanted to reach her goals (of marrying her daughters off), no matter how frivolous the goal. This is also reinforced by the statement “Her father [Mr. Bennet] captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humor, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind, had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her” (180). Not only does this support Wollstonecraft’s idea that charm is fleeting, but also is almost a direct quote from Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman that love is succeeded by friendship or indifference in the end. Miss Bingley also supports this in an ironic way when she says that “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern

Every character that is mentioned above as supporting, either ironically or genuinely, the statements of Wollstonecraft has an unfulfilling marriage. Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Miss Bingley are all examples as Mrs. Bennet’s marriage has fallen into indifference, Lady Catherine has been widowed, and Miss Bingley has no husband to speak of. It seems that Jane Austen uses marriage, the most crucial business that a woman could take part of in this age, as a direct correlation to the values of the women. The more traditional the woman is, the worse the marriage. The characters are distinguished as satirical or not based on their marriages. Two female characters that reflect their satirical usage through the poor outcomes of their marriages are Lydia and Charlotte Lucas. Lydia’s marriage to Wickham is a prime example of Wollstonecraft’s idea that love will eventually fade into indifference if based solely on charm as seen through the quote “His affection for her soon sunk into indifference” (296). The idea that her poor marriage is related to her poor character is further enhanced by her being describe as “silly” and a risk to the other girls’ reputation and future. Charlotte Lucas embodies the idea that all women can do in society is marry as she states, “I ask only a