The Idea Of A New Woman In Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

Jane Austen the most famous writer of the 19th century characterizes some of her female protagonists as self-confident and independent when it comes to marriage. Earlier before Austen, Mary Astell was one of the English feminist writers of the 16th century who advocated for equal education opportunities for women. During the 18th century, English women had no power to choose their life. Women were portrayed as followers and servants to their husbands.

But later on, the term of a (New Woman) started to emerge and women’s role was defined strongly beside men's role in the early 19th century. However, not only in her most famous romantic novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) but also in the novel Emma (1815), Jane Austen presents three major themes: marriage, wealth and class using a critical style. Focusing on women’s roles in the British society in the 19th century, this essay aims to discuss the idea of a New Woman as Austen depicts women in Pride and Prejudice and the traditional life of women in the 19th century. In addition to the point mentioned above, I will make a comparison among the characters - Juliet in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597), Moll the protagonist of Moll Flanders (1722) and Elizabeth and Jane Bennet the female characters of Pride and Prejudice (1813).

The emergence of The New Woman limits the domination of masculine societies. Austen presents the main protagonist (Elizabeth) and her eldest sister Jane as examples of The New Woman models of their time. Both of them show self-respect, self-esteem and not inferiors to men. The author describes Miss Elizabeth as an intelligent sensible girl who sometimes judges people better than her parents do, and she allows her prejudice to form her earlier judgments on Mr. Darcy. Although she is a daughter of middle-class family, she cares nothing to fortune. Despite the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth, she struggles to marry for love. She is a mature and reasonable girl that unlike women of her generation she has a different attitude about marriage. She wants to marry for love, not for the sake of social pressures. We also have the most beautiful Jane, she has a very nice personality and she always thinks well of others. Jane chooses to marry the person she love.

On the contrary, her younger sisters are fond of marriage and eager for rich men. Differing from Charlotte, her best friend, Elizabeth challenges the traditions of the British society and disobeys her mother, Mrs. Bennet when she refuses the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins, she does not care for being unmarried. Charlotte on the contrast cannot resist the chains of social conventions therefore; she marries someone she does not like. She prefers to tolerate the intolerable husband Mr. Collins, but she does not accept herself being a spinster so she adhere to rule of her society. Undoubtedly, men and women were living separate lifestyles in the 18th and 19th centuries. On the one hand, men lived a public life; working, educating, having fun and socializing with other peers, men were powerful, active and independent. On the other hand, women did household jobs like: cleaning, cooking, sewing, taking care of children and husbands and performing duties. Of course, it was all related to the maintenance of house and family. However, women were domestic, timid and dependent; it was believed that women were objects of desire and they were unworthy except in bearing children.

As well as woman’s genre is classified as the weak and unevaluated one which depends on men to get everything they need. Robert Southey, the poet laureate of England, wrote a response to Charlotte Bronte's request for advice on pursuing a literary career. “Literature is not the business of a woman's life, and it cannot be. ” She has got in depression but eventually, she did write and became a successful novelist. In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, women are represented as accomplished. They have the required knowledge of modern languages, playing music and drawing to attract the rich kind of husbands. “All this, she must possess, and to all this she must yet add something more sustainable, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading. ” Austen, Jane (1813) chapter VIII. Mr. Darcy emphasizes the skills that a woman should have to be accomplished when Caroline Bingley lists the required skills for ladies. Marriage was considered the key for a good financial secure life in the 18th century, as Moll believes in Defoe’s book Moll Flanders. She hides her intentions under the mask of lie to reach men in wealth. She thinks that love is unnecessary for marriage; money fulfills her intentions of happiness. The difference between Moll and Elizabeth is that the earlier seeks men of fortune while this is out of Elizabeth interest, she only seeks love in marriage, but they are alike that both of them are witty and independent women.

Elizabeth rejects two advantageous wedding proposals that Moll would accept without any doubts. Juliet may not as independent as Moll and Elizabeth, but she refuses Paris’s marriage proposal and she refuses to obey her father’s will. In fact, this is done for the main reason that she is in love with Romeo. It is important to conclude that not all women think similarly. Elizabeth was one of several characters that do not adapt to her society. Since Austen depicts her as A New Woman, she has a different perspective on social class and marriage, unlike her rivals. Jane as well wanted to marry a gentleman whom she loves, a wealthy handsome who can support the traditional English lifestyle. Generally, women do not have equal rights with men till the last few decades. Ladies achievements are representing in marrying rich men and making good families. Elizabeth tries to pursue her happiness through love more than anything else.

Furthermore, as the author of Pride and Prejudice is female, so she wants Elizabeth the imagined female character to talk on behave of her; also on behave of her contemporary women in real life. So, she reveals Elizabeth as a good example that wants to liberate women from a dominant society as it has been thought that women are created to be followers of men.