Social Class

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SOCIAL CLASS

Introduction

The world of Pride and Prejudice is a socially narrow world. Austen only focuses on a few leisured families whose interractions with eachother is regulated by conventions such as the need for correct introductions.It is nescassary to understand these conventions in order to asess the significance of a characters actions. Characters are graded by the amount of money they posess and where it came from. 

  • Austen criticises judgements based on social class

Austen criticises the way that social status is used and to make assumptions about characters personalities and manners. Class prejudices mean some characters believe the worst of anyone from a lower social class. For example, Miss Bingely talks about Wickhams 'infamous' behaviour, as she says 'considering his descent, one could not expect much better'. This suggests that because Wickham's father was employed by Mr Darcy as a steward at Pemberely, he should be expected to be a heinous person. The word 'descent' suggests that in Miss Bingely's opinion, lineage is directly linked to a persons behavioural traits.

Similarly, wealth and social status impress some of the charcaters so much that they are willing to forgive rudeness. For example, Charlotte Lucas doesnt mind Darcy's proud manners, because 'with family, fortune, everything in his favour...he has a right to be proud'. This tells the reader that Darcy's rude manners are excusable because he is above them in the social hierachy and more wealthy than them. The use of a tricolon emphasises the fact that Charlotte strongly believes this. The phrase 'family, fortune' suggests that only money and descent is relevant when it comes to judging somebodys character. By stating Charlotte's view so straightforwardly and bluntly, Austen makes the reader question if…

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