Symbolism In Pride And Prejudice

In the novel, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the author describes a humorous story of love revolving the Bennet family. Mr.Bennet and his wife live in Hartfordshire with their five daughters; “the beautiful Jane, the clever Elizabeth, the bookish Mary, the immature Kitty and the wild Lydia.” The catalyst of the plot is that the Bennets did not birth a son which at that time meant that Georgian laws favored men. Unfortunately, this means Mr.Bennet’s wealth cannot be inherited by any of his five daughters, so the daughters are constantly pressured by their parents to marry. Jane first develops an interesting relationship with the wealthy and lovable Mr.Bingley, while Elizabeth is introduced to the handsome and upper-class Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth

Darcy’s change in his manner throughout the story leads him to admit that some of his pride was not justified. For instance, within the text Darcy states “‘I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit’” (317). Though Austen’s initial depiction of Darcy is unpleasant, Austen proves that social status should not determine your value through the change of his actions.The novel, Pride and Prejudice, shows significance in its work, regarding Western Literature in many instances. Specifically, Jane Austen uses characterization of Elizabeth to depict how her actions are disapproved by society. This relates to Margaret Atwood’s use of characterization in her poem, Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing, which also shows societal disapproval. In Atwood’s poem, the text states, “The world is full of women who’d tell me I should be ashamed of myself if they had a chance...Exploited they’d say. Yes, any way you cut it, but I’ve a choice of how, and I’ll take the money.” The words “ashamed” and “exploited” indicate immoral and corrupt behavior, describing how the protagonist is viewed by society. Unlike Margaret Atwood who does not portray this loss of