Power and Decisions

In Pride and Prejudice, women all over are seeking husbands as well as their parents are trying to marry them off to the best payed. The novel is almost like reading the script of that really cheesy T.V show "The Bachelorette". There would also be a little mix of Gossip Girl in there as well, what with all the high society, rich, spoiled, and deceiving people. The women in this novel show strength toward making their decisions on marriage and other affairs, yet they act so dim in front of gentlemen. Take Miss. Bingley for example, when she is around Darcy tried to show a side of herself that does not exist. Or even Elizabeth who has developed some feelings for Mr. Wickham and loses herself a little in her fondness towards him.

Jane Bennet has everything set for her. As soon as Mr. Bingley showed up, he began paying lots of attention to her. In balls they danced gaily and enjoyed each other's company while being surrounded by swarms of people. Mr. Bingley is a really easy going man, he has the riches but is still very down to earth about his feelings. Jane as well is also more accepting and less judgmental than some of her other sisters. Instead of seeing one side of the story she tries to come up with more explanations than just conforming to one side of the story. This quote shows Jane's sensibility toward affairs that don't concern her: "They have both…been deceived, I dare say, in some way or other of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented to the other. It is in short, impossible of us to conjecture the cause of circumstances which may have alienated them, without actual blame on either side." (pg 64) From this quote you could infer that Jane rather see the big picture than just simple snapshots that don't convey the full message. Jane though, still a woman of her time needs reassuring herself. In chapter 21 she receives a letter from Miss. Bingley and finds herself disconcerted with the information disclosed. She calls to Elizabeth to help her analyze and it is in this case, when matters affect her directly, does she have a small moment of judging.

What does one do when a gentleman requests you but you don't want him? This is all part of those decisions that women made in these times. Mr. Collins gets the spirit to propose to Elizabeth but she refuses him. This part was actually comical because no matter how many times Elizabeth insisted she wouldn't marry him he kept saying that he "must therefore conclude that you are not serious of your rejection of me. I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."(pg 83). As a reader, you know what a proud man Mr. Collins is. He does not want to face rejection because he is too proud but Elizabeth taking the decision under her power has a permanent refusal for him. Even after he mother menaces her with never speaking to her again she stands her ground and then gains the support of her father.

Women have always been somehow powerless under men's influence. Yet the Bennet girls and even Jane Austen herself began to raise the bar for how women should stand up and be more powerful.