Elena's blog

02. Georgian Society and Women in Pride and Prejudice

25 marzo, 2013

Jane Austen describes in Pride and Prejudice the calm life of the Landed Gentry or the Upper middle class in the countryside, where the woman’s main role was having children. She was also financially dependent of her family “unless it was so poor that she was reduced to supporting herself as a governess.” (Regulated Hatred : And Other Essays on Jane Austen. p. 27)

In that time girl’s boarding schools, where they received some education, already existed. But most of the girls received education at home.

However, the XVIII society did not conceived the idea of women working and becoming economically independent. They only were allowed to work as governess and schoolmistress and it was not well seen in the upper middle class.

Georgian society was very strict with women. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr Darcy and Miss Bingley talk about the abilities that an “accomplished woman” must possess: “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.” “All this she must possess, (…) and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” (p.231)

In jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk we can find more information about this topic, like that they had to take care of their reputation because any scandal could ruin it and also her female relations. Besides, young ladies couldn’t be alone in a room with an unrelated gentleman.

Since women didn’t inherit, when the father died, they depended on their male relatives like brothers, uncles… The easy way they have to survive, was marrying a gentleman. So, finding the right husband became the main worry for women.

“If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for.”  (p. 214)

Women were practically educated to devote to her husband, her children and to some chores. “Their days must have been so dull and so boring, especially if a girl had a good brain. To spend your life sewing and tittle-tattle, and wandering between coffee mornings, with your mother clucking over you like an old hem.” Thinks Lady Victoria Leatham in THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JANE AUSTEN.

In that time, the balls and social events played a very important role in that society because it was there where men and women interacted between them and tried to find a good mate. In order to help them in that complicated task, Hazel Jones explains in Jane Austen and Marriage that “Conduct literature proliferated in Jane Austen’s lifetime.” where sons and daughters were given advice on “how to assess character, how to behave in the assembly rooms springing up in every notable town in England, how to attract the opposite sex, how to make or refuse a proposal, and – finally – how to fulfil their roles as husbands and, more especially, wives.” (p. 2)

Hazel Jones also says that “Sons and daughters allowed to exercise a degree of choice over whom they married” (p. 2) but women could not make proposals to men. They could only encourage them or reject them. (p. 14)

Nevertheless, both had to belong to the same social class, the parents had to approve that couple and still existed arranged marriages.

Women dreamed about marrying in love of her husband although, in the end, money and social class were more important. “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity at least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and if is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.” (p. 222)

Entry Filed under: First Paper. Etiquetas: First Paper.