How does Pride and Prejudice reinforce the sexist stereotypes of women
Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, set in the Regency Era explores the challenges and
expectations placed upon women to marry and the normalities surrounding marriage in
England. Austen uses Pride and Prejudice to highlight the challenges, expectations and
stereotypes faced by women in the Regency Era by focussing on the women in the novel and
what makes them desirable to a man and what builds there impressive reputation in society.
Austen accentuates the expectations of marriage, being accomplished, and the composure and
manners of women in society.
Austen accentuates that it is an expectation that a woman will marry a man whether she loves
him or not, as there will be adverse consequences if she were to remain unmarried. A lot of
the time happiness was sacrificed in marriage as the main goals of marriage were financial
security and reputation gain. It is the belief of many that ‘happiness in marriage is left
entirely up to chance’, yet all women must marry for security and all men ‘must be in want of
a wife’. Austen portrays they want to be married as a business ordeal as the women want to
marry for an ‘immediate want of fortune’ yet never mentions a want of happiness or felicity.
Austen emphasises the need for women, especially ones with no male siblings to marry
through the comments made to Elizabeth when rejecting Mr. Collins. Mrs Bennet refers to
her as a ‘foolish girl’ and begs Mr Bennet to ‘change her mine’. Austen makes use of Mrs
Bennet to provides societies views on a women turning down a marriage proposal from a
viable male candidate. It is a comment thought in the society that ‘happiness in marriage is
entirely a matter of chance’ meaning that happiness is not an aspect that comes into account
when choosing a suitable partner. Through her depiction of the Lucas Collins marriage and
the little detail provided on the subject, Austen portrays the lack of importance of the
marriage itself as opposed to the importance of the security that Charlotte Lucas has gained.
Charlotte enters a loveless marriage where she ‘encouraged [Mr Collins gardening] as much
as possible’ so she did not need to spend tie with him, highlighting the lack of love and
affection in the relationship. Austen also utilises Mr and Mrs Bennet’s relationship as
loveless in the beginning and providing Mrs Bennet security after she was only left ‘4
thousand pounds’ by her father. Austen constructs Mrs. Bennet as very stuck in her ways
which spurs from her own familiar experience in marrying regardless of love or affection
towards her husband. Austen in all examples of the need to marry does not make mention of
a mans need to marry or to any consequences they would face if they did not marry. This
highlights the sexist background to the expectations placed on women regarding marriage.
Austen highlights the need for women to be seen and recognised as an accomplished woman
in order to gain respect and the challenges associated with gaining that recognition, yet never
makes mention of men needing to gain any sort of recognition of the sort. By doing so,
Austen points out the stereotypes surrounding women as opposed to men. Men were only
interested in accomplished women. Mr Darcy, is the perfect example of the level of
accomplished men wished women to be when he says to be accomplished women must have
extensive knowledge of ‘music, singing, drawing, dancing…languages…’. These standards
are very high, and Elizabeth claims she doesn’t know even ‘half a dozen’ women who meet
his standards as accomplished. Elizabeth is also harshly judged by Lady Catherine de Bourgh
when she states that she and her sisters have not had piano lessons and drawing lessons. She
is quite shocked to see a family with only daughters would not have provided such education.
Austen through her ‘quick witted’ Elizabeth challenges the upper class regency society when
Elizabeth claims she does not need to have a ‘governess’. This challenges the notion that
education has to be provided through an external source in order to produce accomplished
women. Her use of Elizabeth to contrast the views and ways of the upper class. Women are
depicted to need to have many talents and skills in order to be desirable to men, yet makes no
mention of any skills necessary to men. The sexist nature of the expectations on women with
regards to accomplishment is likely to be placed upon women by men as they are the
members of society whom benefit from accomplishment in women. Women in society are
forced to gain these skills in order to be seen as accomplished and gain respect and attraction
of men.
Austen emphasises to the reader the importance of the way women are made to compose
themselves very neatly and act in a particular manner in order to not bring down their
families name and reputation. Men are able to act in any manner they please without much
consequence whereas women have to act in a very particular manner, or they are seen as an
embarrassment to their family name. Austen through her use of her ‘headstrong’ Elizabeth
opposes the correct manner in which a woman should act in the eyes of the public when she
walks to Nether field and is covered in mud. Miss Bingley says to Mr Darcy ‘you would not
wish to see your sister make such an exhibition’. Austen employs this piece of dialogue to
provide insight to the reader as to the expectations placed upon women in society with
regards to how they present themselves. Austen is challenging the need to be perfectly
presented at all times, especially when there are more important things at hand. Women are
also expected to ‘possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of
her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved’. This is contrast
by Mr Hurst and Mr Collins who are seen to not compose themselves in a presentable manner
at all times and do not come under any scrutiny for doing so. Austen when describing Lydia
running away with Mr Wickham only places the ignominy on Lydia and not on Wickham as
the shame of misconduct is always placed on women in society rather than the men involved
as well. Austen argues to the reader the harshness and inequality in the consequence given to
women and their families if women act out of the strict social conducts.The contrast of these
men to the women in the novel shows the sexist nature of how men and women are
conditioned to believe that a women who is not presented perfectly with perfect mannerisms
is not a desirable partner for men.
Austen emphasises the challenges and expectations surrounding the stereotypes faced by
women in Pride and Prejudice, by focussing on the women in the novel and what makes them
desirable and what builds their reputation in society with little mention the men in the same
context. Austen highlights the need to marry and to be seen as accomplished as well as to
present themselves perfectly in society. Austen is exposing the difference in expectations
placed on women versus men and the sexist nature of the way in which women are expected
to act and behave.