The Theme Of Marriage In Pride And Prejudice
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." The second half of this opening sentence of the novel reveals that the "universal truth" is nothing more than a social truth. When claiming that a single man "must be in want of a wife", Jane Austen reveals that the reverse in also true; a single woman is in, perhaps desperate, want of a husband.
In nineteenth century Britain, what people did and their behaviour was very much governed by the social class they were born into. Class distinction in Jane Austen's time was in fact very rigid. The land-owning aristocracy belonged to the highest rank of the social ladder. The class immediately below them was the gentry who had inherited their fortunes, usually in the form of land. Though the gentry may have been associated with the aristocracy, they were definitely inferior.
Young women of Austen's time had limited socially prescribed options open to them regarding......
View the rest of this paper...
Approximate Word Count: 3461
Approximate Pages: 14 (250 words per double-spaced page)
Why should you join Frat Files?
- - It's safe, secure, and private.
- - Instant access to over 100,000 papers. New papers are added hourly.
- - Fast and reliable customer support.
Similar Essays
-
The Theme Of Marriage In Pride And Prejudice
The theme of marriage in Pride and Prejudice. "It is a truth universally
acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune ... -
Marriage In Pride And Prejudice And In Jane Eyr
... In the opening of Pride and Prejudice, the narrator claims that "It is a ... must be
in want of a wife; thus, foretelling that the theme of marriage will be the ... -
Marriage: The Perfect Ending To Pride And Prejudice
... The theme of marriage is set in the very opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice;
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a ... -
Marriage: The Perfect Ending To Pride And Prejudice
... The theme of marriage is set in the very opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice;
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a ... -
The Evolving Ideas Of Marriage In Pride And Prejudice
... The Evolving ideas of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice In Jane Austen's, Pride and
Prejudice, the theme of marriage and the evolving role it plays in the lives ...
Frat Files
Members
Information
