Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
While Pride and Prejudice is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, I dislike the heroine of the novel passionately. Here's why.
While Pride and Prejudice is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, I dislike the heroine of the novel passionately. Here’s why.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s famous novel, predominantly revolves around the daughters of the Bennet family and their journey to find suitable husbands for themselves. The narrative hinges around money and how it affects the future trajectories of the novel’s characters.
Austen is often deemed as narrow for her limited range of themes and plot narratives. Her fictional cosmos appears constricted to us at times; she lays great stress on appearances, manners and countenance, which some may call shallow but it is what she saw around herself in her limited country life and she has represented the truth brilliantly.
Many critics have deemed her as ‘vulgar’ for talking about money, but they were the concerns of that society and if their representation is vulgar, then the society in reference must have been vulgar too.
That being said, Elizabeth Bennett, the celebrated heroine of the story, seems like a voice for gender equality. To me, however, it seems like she operates within the constraints of her society and moves slowly, conforming to the ideals while bringing new variables to the equation.
Her fearlessness is shown during her conversations with Darcy and Lady Catherine; she speaks her mind and shows them their place with her witty dialogues. She is the one who helps evolve Darcy’s character, as it is a blow to his pride when he is refused by a woman.
While Elizabeth is an agent of change, she often falls prey to her own idealistic morals about virtue and respect while dealing with her sister Lydia. She is ashamed of her and sees her as a social reject, rather than a product of the concerns of that very time. Elizabeth holds high standards which realistic characters often fall short of, including herself sometimes.
The obnoxious character of Lydia, defying every definition of morality is ridiculed in the Austen universe but all she is doing is trying to climb up the class and status ladder for a single young woman of the time had no authority. Her constant sly remarks at her sisters, show that in her universe she is victorious, as she is one step ahead of her sisters.
The women in the Austen universe are supposed to be rebellious and dexterous with words, but in action, when they try to defy conformity they are ridiculed. Austen may give her heroines the right to find their husbands but the superiority of the other sex is still maintained.
“I know your disposition Lizzy. I know you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior.”
Mr. Bennet tells Elizabeth this, while giving her hand to Mr. Darcy. The concept of superiority is brought into the picture time and again. This superiority is often talked about in terms of intellect, which the supposed ‘feather brained’ wives lack.
It is debatable that this might be sarcasm but the character who speaks this is a force of reason and intelligence. So it begs the question: Is the whole narrative mould around finding suitable chains to bind women or is Jane Austen operating within her milieu and doing the best with the resources she had at the time?
Picture credits: Still from the movie ‘Pride and Prejudice’
First published here.
A student of English literature from Jamia Millia Islamia. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
Please enter your email address