In her novel entitled Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen expands upon not only the romantic struggles of England’s Regency Period, but also the social ladder and its wealth motivated framework. Although many of the references to wealth and income are subtle they are the underlying base for many of the story’s other conflicts. As the Bennet sisters contemplate the pros and cons of each eligible bachelor they cross paths with there is one aspect that refuses to go unnoticed, and that is the fact of their capital worth.
Many of the characters present have a decent amount of wealth in their family, but they will only be satisfied once they achieve the ultimate social status in the top tier. From the very first page the readers are clued in to …show more content…
Austen points out the flaws in this frame of mind with multiple examples throughout the novel. People are more than their social status and their worth does not stem from their possessions. She is heavily pressing society to look at individuals for who they are and not how they are generally perceived based on their worldly circumstances.
It is often said that money is the source of all evil, and that may or may not be the case, but more relevantly it can be the source of pride and of prejudice. The examples in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice can be easily applied to many Christian teachings on the topic of discrimination and wealth. In particular, the issues of becoming prideful in one’s worldly possessions and also judging others based upon what they do or do not have.
Austen is not attempting to discourage people from trying to obtain wealth, nor is she necessarily trying to teach against the wrongdoings of those who are consumed by their wealth. Instead the focus of her novel is on the mindset of society and how people view themselves and behave toward one another. Austen’s novel was not written to serve the same purpose as one of Jesus’ parables warning against the snare wealth creates, but it brings some similar, important, and very relevant ideas to
Many of the characters present have a decent amount of wealth in their family, but they will only be satisfied once they achieve the ultimate social status in the top tier. From the very first page the readers are clued in to …show more content…
Austen points out the flaws in this frame of mind with multiple examples throughout the novel. People are more than their social status and their worth does not stem from their possessions. She is heavily pressing society to look at individuals for who they are and not how they are generally perceived based on their worldly circumstances.
It is often said that money is the source of all evil, and that may or may not be the case, but more relevantly it can be the source of pride and of prejudice. The examples in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice can be easily applied to many Christian teachings on the topic of discrimination and wealth. In particular, the issues of becoming prideful in one’s worldly possessions and also judging others based upon what they do or do not have.
Austen is not attempting to discourage people from trying to obtain wealth, nor is she necessarily trying to teach against the wrongdoings of those who are consumed by their wealth. Instead the focus of her novel is on the mindset of society and how people view themselves and behave toward one another. Austen’s novel was not written to serve the same purpose as one of Jesus’ parables warning against the snare wealth creates, but it brings some similar, important, and very relevant ideas to