[square brackets indicate my
additional comments]
NARROW YOUR THEIS
*you may bring in
secondary quotes - but make sure you credit them
-quote sheet allowed
and encouraged
-don't bring notes
into essay
Societal Values/Structure
-Mr. Collins - satirical - pple fawn over upper
class Lady Catherine- loves being at the
top of it - Mr. C. - feeds into that
- "the death of your daughter would be
better"
- "she likes to have the distinction of rank preserved"
- Idea that lower class people should be ruled by upper class
- Bridge between Bennets' and Darcy's class
- Is happy that Darcy even looks his way
Jane - has class, upper middle class - ideal -
pretty, pure, demure, feminine
- Won't talk back - smart, but not smart enough to outsmart a man
- Submissive
Darcy - strong views
-people
tolerate him because of his status
-expectations
on him as well - but class system doesn't determine character
-breaks
up Bingley and Jane - ironic/hypocritical when he decides he loves Lizzy -
character growth
Mrs. Bennet- her need to get her daughters
married shows the values of society
- Chapter one "the business of her life was to get her daughters married"
- Immediately drops her notions about Darcy when she finds out Lizzy is marrying him
- [could follow how the town views Darcy throughout the novel]
Lady Catherine- allows herself to judge and
rule others - near the end - her speech to Lizzy- "your name will never be
mentioned by any of us" (338)
- Feel like they should have the best in society (rest of society supports that)
- Daughter will probably never get married because she is sickly
Wickham - he'll never marry (268) a woman without
wealth (Mrs. Gardiner says this)
- Affection for Lydia = not equal to Lydia's affection to him
- Needed to marry well to raise his status
- Stops talking to Lizzy as soon as Miss King's inheritance came in
- Need to step up in society and marry as high as he can
Charlotte - marrying Collins shows us how
little power women have
-but
she protects herself from becoming a spinster
-makes
the best of it
Lydia - "ah, Jane, I take your place
now"(301) - marriage is important
Lizzy - doomed if Lydia didn't get married
-does
she really stand against her society
-how
much does she conform? [talks back to
Lady Catherine]
-conforms
when embarrassed of her family
-being
civil
-polite
- acts classy
-[doesn't
want to be "born into" a class]
-cares
more for her sister than rules - walks to the Bingleys' in the rain
"where
does discretion end and avarice begin?" (148?)
"It
is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good
fortune must be in want of a wife" (1)
- Upper class is dependent on lower classes' support [reminds us of how our society's politics work - everyone in our society buys into the idea that everyone can get rich, so our politics supports that view a lot of the time]
*[fantasy element - in real life Lizzy would marry
Collins or not marry at all]
-money
= power - true today and then
- One percent - we don't know what the servants feel
- Class system rigid
- High class does not equal classy behaviour ["this must be your mother" - not classy]
- Character growth
- Wealth - is money all you need?
- Money versus happiness
- Family's reputation ["all your daughters out at once?" - Lady Catherine]
- Marriage = good subtopic - why people get married - in the movie - to procreate and avoid sin
- Marry within class - Lizzy marrying too far out of her class is a scandal
- Jane marrying Bingley not as big of a deal [except the Bingley sisters weren't completely excited]
- Love can overcome the societal structure [Austen's fantasy]
- Lack of marriage = family weakness
Gender Roles
- Overall - expectations - strict - realms - scandal
- Societal structure supersedes gender roles (eg. Lady Catherine rules all in the novel)
- Complex betrothal process - woman and man had to have permission (and encouragement) from family
- Women and men couldn't be alone in a room together
- Why are gender roles less specified now?
- Women are largely not seen as commodities in our society
- Men - being a gentlemen - chivalrous - objectified because of money and status [different today?]
- Inheritance laws favoured men - in charge of finances - "manly"
- Not judged for sexual impropriety
Women - entertaining guests
-virginity
utmost important
- Miss Bingley, Darcy etc "accomplished woman" - Lizzy thinks she doesn't know any accomplished women - challenging society's standards
- "a woman must have a thorough knowledge….tone of voice, dress… extensive reading"(37)
- Appearance is important
- Expectations are superfluous - drawing, painting, languages - but not politics!
- Get married, have sons - two main functions of a woman
Lady Catherine - (158) "I see no reason
why entailment…" - [great quote!] - she, in fact, might be a little bit of
a feminist regarding herself
-Mr.
Collins and Lady C's roles are switched
-who
will connect themselves with such a family
"all
five out at once" (160) - society is rigid in expectations
Lizzy - defies her gender roles somewhat -
-she
understands why Wickham has to go for Miss King
-understood
in society what a man's role
-rebellious,
free thinking
-devastated
by Lydia's behaviour (reflects on her)
-independent
thinker
Mary - [will she get married]
Lydia - doesn't follow the social rules
[modern?]
Jane
Kitty - goes along with who she's with
Mr. Collins - "the death of your daughter
would have been a blessing" - women must be virginal - reputation must
remain untarnished [different now?]
Wickham - not too harshly judged for all of his
[rapey] actions -
Mrs. Bennet - sole purpose is to marry off her
children [she succeeds!]
-better
parent than Mr. Bennet? -she carries her
role better
-does
her job as a mother
-does
hover a bit
Mr. Bennet - does he succeed as a father?
-too
distant
-doesn't
fulfill his role as a parent (Lydia! - Lizzy tries to keep her from going to
Brighton)
-no
sons = he has a less active role
-lost
his role somewhat
-favours
Lizzy - she's the one who betters the family [interesting!]
-relationship
may inspire Lizzy to be a free-thinking
Charlotte - past expiration date - 27 - very
willing to marry Collins - has to take what comes to her
-shows
the truth about the society
-shows
the rule of "woman as commodity"
Seven Deadly Sins
Pride - Lizzy and Darcy
- Pride influences prejudice
- Miss Caroline
- Acceptable
- Mrs. Bennet's pride is looked down upon (when mentions how the country is better than the city)
- Town encourages pride
Envy - Miss Caroline - most of her comments
directed at Lizzy - so jealous
Lust - Miss Caroline, Lydia, Mr & Mrs
Bennet married over lust [Lydia is repeating the cycle]
-encouraged
by marriage being so important and love being less important
Greed - Wickham
-to
some extent is encouraged
Sloth - Wickham, Mr. Hurst, [to some extent Mr.
Bennet]
Wrath - Wickham taking Georgiana away to get at
Darcy, Lady Catherine
Gluttony - [Mr. Hurst]
Mrs. Bennet - seems horrible, but most of her
actions are justified
-ignores
the rules once Lydia is married
-greedy
-completely
over her prejudice when Lizzy marries Darcy - greed
Lydia - ignorance and social faux pas - could
be because of her father and mother's marriage - their marriage doesn't show
love by the time she's born
Lizzy - P. 198 - realizes her pride
Darcy- also realizes his pride "please a
woman worthy of being pleased"
Mr. Bennet - failed to provide an heir, didn't
look after his daughters = ashamed
-congratulates
Jane
-favours
Lizzy
-ignores
Mary (closes the piano)
-has
some awareness at the end
-tells
Lizzy that she doesn't have to marry someone she doesn't love
-realizes
he married for lust (doesn't want Lizzy to make the same mistakes)
-"I'll
get over it soon enough"
Lady Catherine - pride, wrath (think about when
she talks to Lizzy near the end) [important to note that Lady Catherine doesn't
want Lizzy to leave when visiting Rosings, but then when Lizzy wants to marry
her nephew - she's disdainful]
Jane - easily persuaded, but no real sin
Bingley - along with Jane - seems without sin
-social
structure encourages some of these sins: pride, greed, envy
-"where
there is superiority of the mind.. Pride" (47)
- Do these characters realize their sins
- Darcy and Lizzy learn from each other - less prejudiced and less proud by the end
- [Mr. Bennet realizes that he's been ineffectual "allow me to feel bad, it will pass"]
- Which parent influenced his/her children more?
- [character growth - dynamic - do any of these characters get over their sins?]
- Prejudice seems to stem from all of these sins
- When pride is injured - prejudice sets in ["the whole town decided they hated Darcy"
- [relate the sin to what it shows about human nature]
- Marriage and lust - must marry - but love doesn't matter as much
- Societal roles, gender roles, deadly sins - related
- Mary = obtuse - no real sin
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