Pride and Prejudice: Marxist theory
27 January 2014
Pride and Prejudice: Marxist Theory
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen illustrates how money shapes the attitude and the behavior of people. The main idea that Jane Austen presents is the Marxist Theory. This theory states that the underlying reason for . Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the story, faces many characters who believe that money is the underlying factor to which someone should marry. A main example of this is Elizabeth’s mother Mrs. Bennet, who in fact believes that all of her daughters should get married, however marriage is not entirely about true love; Mrs. Bennet’s view on marriage is that her daughters should chase after a man who have great wealth. Throughout the book, Jane Austen consistently shows the upper class looking down toward the middle class, which is fairly ironic for the fact that they are not that poor if they are considered to be middle class. To continue, Jane Austen’s portrayal of, not all but quite a few, wealthy characters summarize the main theme of the novel, which is the power of societal reputation and money.
In Pride and Prejudice nothing was further stressed than having economic power, money, and marriage. The first quote, “It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (Austen 1) establishes what type of book this is going to be. Right out of the gate this quotation introduces the importance of economic power; this also shows the reader(s) that this is the standard at which society, at this time, holds you to if you are a prosperous male. Many times throughout the novel Jane Austen stresses the cultural divide. At the beginning of the book it is established that Elizabeth and Darcy, the second protagonist of the story, are from two different worlds; this foreshadows the upcoming events that are mentioned throughout the book; because of the economic division this causes constant conflict throughout the novel. The constant
Pride and Prejudice: Marxist Theory
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen illustrates how money shapes the attitude and the behavior of people. The main idea that Jane Austen presents is the Marxist Theory. This theory states that the underlying reason for . Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the story, faces many characters who believe that money is the underlying factor to which someone should marry. A main example of this is Elizabeth’s mother Mrs. Bennet, who in fact believes that all of her daughters should get married, however marriage is not entirely about true love; Mrs. Bennet’s view on marriage is that her daughters should chase after a man who have great wealth. Throughout the book, Jane Austen consistently shows the upper class looking down toward the middle class, which is fairly ironic for the fact that they are not that poor if they are considered to be middle class. To continue, Jane Austen’s portrayal of, not all but quite a few, wealthy characters summarize the main theme of the novel, which is the power of societal reputation and money.
In Pride and Prejudice nothing was further stressed than having economic power, money, and marriage. The first quote, “It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (Austen 1) establishes what type of book this is going to be. Right out of the gate this quotation introduces the importance of economic power; this also shows the reader(s) that this is the standard at which society, at this time, holds you to if you are a prosperous male. Many times throughout the novel Jane Austen stresses the cultural divide. At the beginning of the book it is established that Elizabeth and Darcy, the second protagonist of the story, are from two different worlds; this foreshadows the upcoming events that are mentioned throughout the book; because of the economic division this causes constant conflict throughout the novel. The constant