REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MARRIAGE IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: A LITERATURE REVIEW.

Abstract

Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, is a novel that reflects the social world of the early nineteenth-century English gentry and their attitudes toward life, class, and relationships. From its opening lines, the novel establishes marriage as its central concern. In a society where women were subordinate to men, marriage functioned as the primary means through which women could achieve social recognition and security. Because social hierarchy was largely determined by wealth, an individual’s rank depended on financial status. As women were denied legal ownership of property, their only path to respectability and stability lay in marrying a man of higher social standing. Consequently, many women were compelled to prioritize practicality over affection, choosing husbands who were socially and economically “suitable” rather than those they loved. This paper draws on examples from the novel to explore how nineteenth-century women perceived marriage, both for themselves and for their daughters, and to examine the qualities that defined an acceptable match. Through this portrayal, Jane Austen offers a realistic depiction of English society and the prevailing anxieties surrounding marriage during her time.