“There is a tendency to think of the settings of Austen’s novels as if they resemble Downton Abbey a hundred years earlier”. With this quote, Davidson introduces the broad topic of the paper: inheritance, money, love, society – and what goes along with it. Whether it is Downton Abbey or Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the “financial status and the operations of inheritance play a fundamental role”, which is “never speaking openly, but always present”. But, to intervene right at the beginning of this funny looking idea of a paper about English literature, one could state the question of money and Jane Austen – How Pride and Prejudice generates an access to contemplating marriage socioeconomically as absolutely vital, as “economic interpretations of literature often reveal the power base of the society on which the novel is built as well as the author’s own view about the appropriateness of that power base”.
In other words, and to define the very problem of the novel: “Mr. Bennet […] is unable to use his property to provide for his family after his death since one of the stipulations included in most legal entailments was that, if there were no son to inherit the property, it would descend to the eldest nephew or male cousin in the next generation of the family”, which leads Büttner to summarize the entire novel and say that it is basically all about sex and money. The paper, hence, should analyse this problem in form of a vivisection of social restraints, in which possession seems to control love and in order to investigate about Austen’s ability to discriminate against social habits and practices of her time.
This is, to legitimize the choice of the text, exactly the point, why one should have a close look at Jane Austen. She is not just a very famous female writer in English literature, but one of the most knowns for criticising society and structures. The specific topic however, is derived from the heart of analyses, contemplating the details of characters, plots, settings, and so on, while rather few scholars seem to concentrate on the meaning a novel can convey for understanding the time and circumstances it comes from. Most of them focus on the author and want to compare the author’s real life with the novel. This is, in kind, not of big use, because one simply can answer the question if the novel was written according to the author’s life.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
a. Max Weber’s Klassenbegriff
b. Max Weber’s Herrschaftssoziologie
3. Common View on Money and Marriage during the 18th and 19th Century
4. Money in Pride and Prejudice – Key Moments of Money and Marriage
a. Mr. Bennet and his Situation
b. Elizabeth’s Resistance
c. Outcome – Rules of Society
5. Understanding the Historical Context because of the Novel
a. Criticism in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
6. Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
This paper examines how Jane Austen utilizes the themes of money and marriage in "Pride and Prejudice" to offer a socio-economic critique of the structures governing 18th and 19th-century British society, applying sociological theories from Max Weber to analyze the power dynamics and class constraints depicted within the novel.
- The influence of Max Weber’s concepts of class and authority (Herrschaftssoziologie) on familial structures.
- The historical constraints placed upon women regarding inheritance, legal rights, and marriage.
- The dichotomy between love-based marriage and pragmatic, wealth-driven unions.
- Analysis of key character moments, specifically regarding the Bennet family and Elizabeth Bennet’s resistance to social norms.
- Jane Austen’s role as a social critic through the medium of the omniscient narrator.
Excerpt from the Book
b. Moment 2: Elizabeth’s Resistance
Key Point No. 2, on the other hand, opens the question if marriage needs to go together with love. As Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth after his arrival, she refuses because she thinks he is rude and unworthy. This conveys her feelings and convictions right at the beginning of the novel: love does matter for her. This is in general underlined by the idea of a marriage between Charlotte and Mr. Collins. For them, on other hand, money does matter and can be seen as reason for marriage. This is content of the following chapter, why there will be no further investigation but the fact, that Elizabeth and Charlotte are two characters, who are contrary in their conception of marriage.
Elizabeth’s mother, though, expected her to accept Mr. Collin’s proposal which morally sets her on one side with Charlotte: “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins” (Austen 85). Additionally, Elizabeth refuses not just Mr. Collin’s proposal, but Darcy’s first one, too (Austen 148), despite the pressure mentioned, as she thinks he is a liar and impolite. She replies with anger and says: “You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, then as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner” (Austen 148). In this case, Austen does not just simply underline that love matters for Elizabeth, but as well that money does not matter at all, because otherwise she would have accepted Darcy’s first proposal right away which was performed quite well: “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” (Austen 145). Her attitudes towards the wealthy bachelor only change when she talked to his employees and realises that he is in fact a wonderful person and learns about his kindness as a good master: He is the best landlord and the best master” (Austen 188). Elizabeth, in the meanwhile,
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the framework of the paper, identifying the socio-economic importance of money and inheritance in Austen’s novels and defining the research question regarding Austen’s ability to critique social structures.
2. Theoretical Background: This chapter introduces Max Weber’s sociological concepts, specifically the Klassenbegriff and Herrschaftssoziologie, to provide a structured approach for analyzing the novel’s power dynamics.
3. Common View on Money and Marriage during the 18th and 19th Century: The chapter explores the historical reality of the era, highlighting the legal and social disadvantages women faced, and frames marriage as a patriarchal institution driven by economic necessity.
4. Money in Pride and Prejudice – Key Moments of Money and Marriage: This section applies the previously established theories to three key moments in the novel, focusing on Mr. Bennet’s failed patriarchate, Elizabeth’s resistance to social pressure, and the societal rules dictating marriage.
5. Understanding the Historical Context because of the Novel: This chapter synthesizes the literary analysis with historical context to demonstrate how Austen’s work serves as a critique of 18th and 19th-century social conditions.
6. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the findings, reiterating that Austen depicts marriage as a complex socio-economic event and advocates for a critical view of historical gender roles and class limitations.
Keywords
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Max Weber, Sociology, Marriage, Money, Class, Herrschaftssoziologie, Klassenbegriff, Patriarchy, Historical Context, 19th Century, Social Critique, Inheritance, Elizabeth Bennet
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on the intersection of money and marriage in Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice," analyzing it as a reflection of 18th and 19th-century socio-economic structures.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied in the study?
The author uses Max Weber’s sociological theories, specifically his concepts of class (Klassenbegriff) and authority/domination (Herrschaftssoziologie).
What is the primary research question?
The research question asks if and how Jane Austen successfully conveys a socio-economic critique of historical structures and social restraints through her depiction of marriage in the novel.
What research methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a qualitative, literature-based approach, conducting a "close reading" of the novel and placing its characters and themes within the context of historical and sociological theory.
What are the central themes discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the economic dependency of women, the patriarchal role of fathers like Mr. Bennet, the resistance of characters like Elizabeth Bennet, and the pragmatic rules of society regarding matrimony.
What are the most significant keywords for this research?
Key terms include Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Max Weber, social class, marriage, patriarchy, and socio-economic critique.
How does the author define the role of the father as a patriarch?
Drawing on Weber, the author explains that a patriarch must lead the family to maintain legitimacy; Mr. Bennet's inability to secure his family's future property represents a failure of this patriarchal duty.
Why is Elizabeth Bennet considered the primary example of resistance?
Elizabeth is presented as an independent woman who rejects pragmatic, security-driven marriages (like those of Charlotte or her own parents) in favor of individual conviction and love.
What does the paper conclude about Austen's perspective on society?
The paper concludes that Austen is highly critical of the social conditions of her time, using her narrative to highlight the disparity between economic restriction and the personal agency of women.
- Quote paper
- B.A. Philipp Freund (Author), 2018, Money and Jane Austen. How "Pride and Prejudice" Generates an Access to Contemplating Marriage Socioeconomically, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/430977
