Feminism in the Novel "Pride and Prejudice"

The Feminism Embodied in Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice
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The Feminism Embodied in Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice
Feminism entails numerous ideologies and movements that intend to attain equal social, political, economic, cultural, and individual rights. In this regard, feminists seek to establish equal opportunities for women in all sectors of life. Feminism is regarded as a critical social theory that covers various aspects of life, including social, economic, and historical. The movement was birthed to defend women's rights and ensure that they have complementary and equal roles. Although there are differences between men and women, they must never impose limitations on the diverse genders. Many authors have advanced the use of literary works to communicate various feminist themes. Literary work is regarded as an expression of people's day-to-day lives, including their experiences, desires, and aims within society. Through this approach, many writers utilize their work as a way of criticizing social issues. They attain this goal by using diverse characters as embodiments of different ideologies that they intend to propagate. Jane Austen used social criticism in many of her works, clearly seen in the feminism embodied in Elizabeth Bennet. In this essay, I will begin with an explanation of my viewpoint, followed by background information about Jane Austen and her individual experience, a discussion of feminism in  Elizabeth, and a summary of the text to prove my contention about feminism in Pride and Prejudice. Explanation of View Point Pride and Prejudice is a classic novel by Jane Austen published during a period when women were oppressed. However, it has numerous feminist ideologies that are embodied in many characters. As an individual, I believe that feminism has influenced and led to many women's rights and equality developments. Through the representation of women within the novel, Austen criticizes the contemporary stereotypes associated with women, particularly the injustices perpetrated by a patriarchal society (DeForte, 2016). Throughout the story, the patriarchal aspects are seen through the entitlement of men. This is mainly seen in the ownership and inheritance of Bennet's estate, which is primarily reserved for men (Chandio et al., 2019). Through the novel, we can see Elizabeth's actions as foolish, but they assist in developing the feminist themes within the story (Suaidi & Rusfandi, 2016). It is a holistic approach that reveals the dangers associated with entitlement. Elizabeth refuses to marry to secure her happiness, which is mainly against the patriarchal order. Based on the events throughout the novel, I believe that Elizabeth embodies feminism in Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s Background and Experiences Jane Austen was born on 16^th December 1775 in Hampshire. Today, it is more than 200 years since Jane Austen died, but her novel, Pride and Prejudice, exemplifies the feminist thoughts that ruled her life (Wang & Liu, 2011; Weng, 2019). During her period, the well-being of women was majorly attached to marrying well. However, her experiences as she grew up were vital. Austen's writing s...