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Compare and jane austen’s portrayal of women love

‘ Language” and “ Pride and Prejudice” are both stories about love, marriage and women.

‘ Language’ is a late 1900’s story about a suburban woman lifestyle and obsessions with grammar and routine. This story goes on to tell us about her shambled marriage which started off well, but I the end we find out her husband is having an affair because he is bored and unfulfilled by her antics. She is called Rita, her husbands is called Tom. ‘ Pride and Prejudice’ is an early 1800’s novel; it is about the life of a genteel family called the Bennets. It is a social comedy with satisfying love stories about the Bennet sisters, and in particular, its enchanting and spirited heroine, Lizzie.

The main plot is the courtship between Mr. Darcy and Lizzie Bennet. The sub-plots include many stories about love and anguish for the other sisters. This story is set on the foundation of marriage and the love of women in that period of time. This is what makes both stories similar, they are both about love and marriage in their own era.

They are different in that the roles and expectations of women are completely contrary to each other. I will answer the title question of comparing and contrasting the two stories, by discussing the role of women in both stories, the importance of money, the meaning of marriage, the attitude of romantic love and sex, and finally, the author’s views on love and marriage and how they reveal them in the novels. The purpose of women in ‘ Pride and Prejudice’ was fundamentally to become married “ to a young single man of vast fortune” and live happily with him on his estate. Marriage was all that women were after.

Marriage could mean financial support and an estate of vast proportions, “ It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”. If this were not the case, then they would have to look for work. Education in the 19th century was a completely different affair for women, compared to education for women in the 1980’s. Education for women in the 19th Century was focused mainly on how to become a good home keeper. This involved many key skills such as needlework, embroidery, dancing, socialising skills and how to speak a language. They would also be taught how to instruct the maids and kitchen staff.

They were not taught how to think for themselves. The education for men at that time was completely different. They were taught how to be excellent businessmen. They were taught economics, accounts, maths, science etc.

In stark contrast, they were taught to have individual minds and independent people, so they could go out into the world and earn their living. Relationships at this time, I think, must have been quite boring seeing as every girl was of the same mind and had the same concepts as every other girl. To agree with the husband and do everything she is expected to, no excitement and the same routine everyday. Education for men and women in the 1980’s was the same. This allowed many people to grow up to be individuals and independent thinkers. This level of education changed the career expectations and opportunities for women.

In ‘ Pride and Prejudice’, if a women didn’t marry a man of wealth then they would have to rely on their skills from their education. This would give them only a few career prospects. These would involve needlework, embroidery, dancing and possibly childcare. Hardly anything to build a successful career or life on.

Hence why marriage was such an important factor at that time. Career expectations for women in the 1980’s were exactly the same as men. Women could become anything they wanted to be, yet still they found it hard getting some jobs due to chauvinistic males who didn’t believe in women being of equal ability to men. Yet despite these facts women are still financially dependant on men in various ways. Money is not mentioned in ‘ Language’ as it is not an important theme that people focus on in these times. This is because all people are seen as equal and everybody has rights and regulations.

Yet in ‘ P and P’, everybody is obsessed with the factor of vast wealth and estates. This is because money in the 19th century was all that people talked about, and what drove the world. The women in ‘ P and P’, who did not have an education nor the possibility for any career, were usually frowned upon or belonged to very wealthy families. This is shown in ‘ P and P’ very well, this is because many of the women, especially Mrs.

Bennet, are not very intelligent and don’t have many skills. They are shown as ‘ gossipers’ who are mentally stimulated by talking about others wealth and others upset. These women rely too heavily on financial support from either their families or husbands. This is due to their lack of education and if they did not have money they would have nothing.

This is why marriage was so important in those times for women. They didn’t have the intellect and skills to create a career out of anything, nor did they have any money of their own. They relied heavily and solely on the husband to provide. That is why in ‘ P and P’, the wealthier you were the more attractive you became, and if you were good looking it was a bonus.

Marriage was never entirely for love. This explains many peoples view on marriage in ‘ P and P’. This is the view on marriage in the case of such people as Charlotte Lucas, and Mr. Collins.

They married each other for support and inheritance. Mrs. Bennet’s attitude is that to get all of her daughters married off to men of vast fortune in order to better the family and for great living. On the contrary, Lydia Bennet’s view to marriage is wholly different to that of other families. She ran away with a poor man for love and nothing else.

This worries and upsets Mrs. Bennet, not because she ran away but because she believes that word would spread and every fine gentleman would not consider the Bennet sisters, due to their reputation. Marriage in the 20th Century is not that important in the sense of support and estates, yet some people still marry for this reason. It is more so to depend on the undying love for two individuals who show this vow as a contract of love for each other.

This is why in ‘ Language’; Rita is acting this way at the end of the story. She went into denial due to her obsession and love. This is also why her husband leaves her. He finds someone else who loves him and he loves her back. His love for Rita is lost.

There are no reasons to stay; she has a job and can provide income for herself, and he is leaving for love not for wealth. In ‘ P and P’. Charlotte Luca tells Lizzie her views on love in marriage. She admits that she is not a “ romantic” in the sense of love, and that all she is after in her marriage is a comfortable home, ” to consider Mr Collins character and his connections,” in other words, to grow to love him and his situation in life. She finishes by saying that she believes her chance of “ happiness with him is fair”.

This shows that Miss Lucas know that marriage is “ not for love” at the beginning, but is convinced she will grow to love him. Lizzie and Jane feel differently to Miss Lucas about the prospect of love and marriage. They believe in loving the person you wish to marry before you do so, “ I will have to consider him. ” Yet they also view marriage as a viable prospect for financial support, with love as an over riding factor, ” I should find myself in good fortune to have this manor to call home. ” They will not grow to love within a marriage, but still the gentleman must be of ” fine status and position.

” Hence why Lizzie grows to love Darcy towards the end of “ P and P” before eventually marrying him, “ the gradual change which her estimation had undergone”. The state of Rita and Tom’s marriage is that of an awkward state. This is due to many reasons, they rarely speak to each other, and when they do it is either commentary on their actions, “ an early night for me”, or informing each other, “ He means”. They have both fallen into routine so there is no real interest in their lives anymore, “ avoid the bedroom routine”. They also have no comfort around each other and no affection. This is not a proper marriage in the sense of love and care.

They were not always like this however; they used to be all over each other. Rita seemed to “ enter a magnetic field” whenever thy came close to each other, ” parts of her body could not be prevented”. But that all changed, tom became uncomfortable with all the love and comfort Rita was showing him, and this is the reason I think Tom leaves her, due to her wanting of him and over loving nature see had towards him. I think that is a worrying fact that in this day and age people are leaving each other due to over loving and being too affectionate toward one another.

The other woman Tom found, probably some time ago, would be a traditionalist in the aspect of love and sex. This is much like the view in ” P and P”. Both ‘ P and P’ and ‘ Language” have cases of sexual impropriety. One view on this in ‘ P and P’ is when Lydia runs away with Wickham.

The Bennet family all like Wickham so there is nothing wrong with the man she chose, and loving him so much she did this act of insanity is not too frowned upon either. It was the fact it was very unorthodox to do so in those times. Nobody of that class and stature did anything remotely obscene in the act of love. This is because to be seen as an orthodox and traditional family was a positive thing to be. This way people could expect only the best from you and your family, which would heighten ones reputation.

It was not the law or rule to act as such, but it was what people expected and tradition to do so. Anything remote from the nucleus was obscene. This view is lighter in the time of ‘ Language”, yet Tom’s clandestine behaviour is what people believe to be immoral. People still do it, so it’s not entirely astonishing, yet it is still looked down upon.

Rita reacts to this event in an entirely unorthodox manner. She spray paints the walls of her neighbours houses with comments she thinks about Tom for doing this to her. She also goes into denial and blanks him out of her mind. Rita’s response shows us that 20th Century views on sexually explicit behaviour are common enough for her neighbours not to really care and come out to help her in times of distress and insecurity, and for Rita to consider doing these acts of vandalism. In ‘ P and P’, the woman would have gone directly back to her family and cried. The man would have a foul reputation but nothing more would be done.

This shows us the extremes between the two stories and peoples reactions at the time.

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