The position of women in society is a very controversial subject. Austen and Armstrong directly confront this issue in their unique texts ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘My Brilliant Career’ through the use of characterisation and the strong theme of marriage. Although the plots of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘My Brilliant Career’ are different, Austen and Armstrong use very similar techniques and means of persuasion to communicate the idea of women’s rights, purpose and independence in society.
The use of characterisation in the both ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘My Brilliant Career’ reveal women yearning for independence despite the societal boundaries in which they were born. Austin and Armstrong portrays Sybylla and Elizabeth as the heroines of the …show more content…
The poetic diction and eloquent language that is incorporated in the many conversations throughout the novel exaggerates the characters’ outlook on the importance of marriage, and the point of view of the independent Elizabeth allows the reader to understand her unique perspective on marriage. Austin also uses repetition to highlight the theme of marriage; characters gossip about fortunes, eye possible husbands or wives, and parents – especially Mrs. Bennet – find every opportunity to arrange marriages for their children. Austin’s famous first line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife,” not only foreshadows the significant part that marriage will have it the plot, but is also ironic. This is because the story’s focus in not primarily on a man’s desperation to find a wife, as the sentence suggests, but rather a woman’s desperation to marry a well-off man. Lady Catherine attitude towards the importance of not only marriage, but also respectability in marriage, is declared when she tells Elizabeth of her foiling the planned marriage between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. She complains that the marriage is now “prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family!” Elizabeth, however, although independent and headstrong, does not step so far as Sybylla, who not only has defiant opinions on the purpose of marriage, but the point of marriage at all. Armstrong portrays her as an ambitious seeker for complete and utter independence – the title of the film ‘My Brilliant Career’ is self-explanatory of her ambitions. Her Aunt Helen attempts to convince her otherwise, reminding her, “Marriage gives us respectability, dear”. However, the ending reveals that she would not be swayed. Her ambition goes against
The use of characterisation in the both ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘My Brilliant Career’ reveal women yearning for independence despite the societal boundaries in which they were born. Austin and Armstrong portrays Sybylla and Elizabeth as the heroines of the …show more content…
The poetic diction and eloquent language that is incorporated in the many conversations throughout the novel exaggerates the characters’ outlook on the importance of marriage, and the point of view of the independent Elizabeth allows the reader to understand her unique perspective on marriage. Austin also uses repetition to highlight the theme of marriage; characters gossip about fortunes, eye possible husbands or wives, and parents – especially Mrs. Bennet – find every opportunity to arrange marriages for their children. Austin’s famous first line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife,” not only foreshadows the significant part that marriage will have it the plot, but is also ironic. This is because the story’s focus in not primarily on a man’s desperation to find a wife, as the sentence suggests, but rather a woman’s desperation to marry a well-off man. Lady Catherine attitude towards the importance of not only marriage, but also respectability in marriage, is declared when she tells Elizabeth of her foiling the planned marriage between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. She complains that the marriage is now “prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family!” Elizabeth, however, although independent and headstrong, does not step so far as Sybylla, who not only has defiant opinions on the purpose of marriage, but the point of marriage at all. Armstrong portrays her as an ambitious seeker for complete and utter independence – the title of the film ‘My Brilliant Career’ is self-explanatory of her ambitions. Her Aunt Helen attempts to convince her otherwise, reminding her, “Marriage gives us respectability, dear”. However, the ending reveals that she would not be swayed. Her ambition goes against