JANE AUSTEN: SOCIAL CLASS AND MARRIAGE IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Keywords:
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, social class, marriage, class hierarchy, 19thcentury England, social commentary, matrimonial alliances, literary analysis, social structureAbstract
This research paper explores the intricate relationship between social class and arriage in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Through a detailed descriptive analysis, the study examines how Austen critiques the rigid class structures of early 19th-century England and highlights the social pressures influencing matrimonial alliances. The paper investigates key characters and their interactions to demonstrate how social status dictates opportunities, behaviors, and personal choices within the novel. Additionally, it explores Austen’s use of irony and social commentary to challenge prevailing norms around class hierarchy and marriage conventions. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of Austen’s portrayal of societal constraints and the quest for individual happiness within those limits.
