Jane Austen’s take on feminism is subtle yet powerful, especially in “Pride and Prejudice,” where she masterfully critiques marriage norms while still working within societal constraints.
Jane Austen’s novels are set in an odd time when it comes to marriage. A word she often uses to describe women is “agreeable,” meaning that she is pleasant to be around, but the deeper meaning is that she is malleable to any type of situation. It seems like the “gentry,” or upper-class English folk whose marriages are commonly arranged, are trying to create a one- size-fits-all woman to present for marriage. It’s very clear from Austen’s text what makes a lady good and agreeable: Calm and well-spoken with enough education and musical training, usually in the pianoforte.
Jane Austen is often championed for her feminist takes on the 1800s with characters like Elizabeth Bennet or Marianne Dashwood, but her approach is unique. While Austen creates strong and independent female characters that primarily challenge marriage norms, all of the women get married at the end of her novels, solidifying their place in society. They might
not marry society or their family’s first choice, but both Elizabeth and Jane Bennet marry into families who are wealthier than theirs, socially advancing. The subtle feminism comes out in what Austen chooses to emphasize in the theme of marriage. Austen emphasizes partnership in marriage. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth come together to find their match, rather than Elizabeth molding herself into a societally- deemed “good wife.” They build mutual trust together over time. This emphasis on duality and partnership is also enhanced by other characters and plotlines. For example, the proposed partnership of Mr. Collins and Elizabeth is short-lived and seen as a joke to most because Austen makes it obvious that their marriage would be a preposterous suggestion. The failure of the engagement is not seen as Elizabeth’s fault but as an understandable disconnect between their personalities. Mr. Collins is plain weird and meant to be a humorous character but also serves the crucial role of being a foil for Mr. Darcy.
The lives of unmarried, unspoken-for women was a major topic in the 1800s. One of the premises of “Pride and Prejudice” is that the Bennet family has five daughters and no sons. When Mr. Bennet dies, the estate go to his closest male relative, not any of his daughters. Therefore, it is essential that all the sisters be married quickly and to wealthy men to ensure their financial security and well-being. Today, the premise that women need a man just to survive in society is outrageous. However, Austen accepts that premise. How can Jane Austen be a feminist if she does not challenge the most obviously sexist norm in society? The truth is she picks and chooses which parts of society she wants to challenge. She lets the inheritance go but fights for the love marriage, and this approach is actually quite powerful.
Austen’s feminism is not all-encompassing, but it tells a valuable story about the time. She intelligently chooses a subtle approach to giving Elizabeth justice in an unfair society. Austen pays the price for not challenging every single gender norm to produce a novel that would be more widely accepted. Now, more than 200 years later, Jane Austen is a revered writer because she was well-known in the 1800s. If she had taken a more direct approach, none of her stories would have been told. The passage of time leads us to be more critical of archaic views, but every once in a while, we find a hidden gem like “Pride and Prejudice” that gives us some hope.
