Theme Of Marxism In Pride And Prejudice

The plot of Pride and Prejudice is heavily influenced by the society in which it takes place. Britain in the 1800’s was a very patriarchal society that was heavily based capitalistic ideas, especially among the upper and middle class, which is the social classes that make up the characters in this novel. In this essay I will examine the economic aspects of the society along with the social ones, particularly pertaining to the treatment of women, and how these things pertain to the themes of the novel. The novel starts off proclaiming that, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Austen, p.1) This really sets the mood of the story from the beginning. This line is a perfect example of how the Marxist theory plays out through Austen, since the Marxist theory states that society is focused on money and the economy. This quote emphasizes how a man can be influenced by a lot of money to find a wife that is suitable to his class. This also implies that women would be motivated by money to marry, which leads to a lot of marriages of convenience. Women are used as bartering tools, in a way, to help raise the class and social standing of themselves and …show more content…
Collins and how even though nobody else respected him, he felt like he earned the right to marry one of the Bennett women because of his now raised social status. Not only is the Marxist theory highlighted with Mr. Collins, so is the patriarchal society in which the Bennett’s lived in. Mr. Collins felt almost obligated to marry one of the Bennett girls because their land and fortune would be passed to him after their father passed away. This gave him the impression that with his wealth and social status and the added fact that their house would directly pass to him, that at least one of the Bennett girls had to marry him. This stresses my point that women were basically used as marriage bartering