Connotations Of Women In Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

VI. Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Caroline Bingley, the sister of Charles Bingley, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the great aunt of Fitzwilliam Darcy, on the other hand, embody the negative connotations of women that Austen chastises throughout the novel. Caroline Bingley is seen throughout the text to mislead the other characters, allowing them to see only her positive characteristics; hoping they will not uncover her true nature. Not only is she judgmental of the other characters, but her unrequited affections towards Fitzwilliam Darcy causes her to act in ways she believes will impress her desired suitor. For example, when Elizabeth visited the Bingley residence when Jane was sick, the Bingley’s, Mr. Darcy, and Elizabeth were
Upon his first interactions with the people of Longbourn, Darcy acts as though all of the people, aside from his company, are inferior to him and insults Elizabeth by saying that she isn’t pretty enough to tempt him (Austen, 2005). Furthermore, Darcy portrays his views of women to reflect the absurdities of those imposed by the Georgian Era, by claiming that most women do not deserve to be considered accomplished. While in the study with Caroline, Mr. Bingley, and Elizabeth, Darcy claims that he himself “cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen [women], in the whole range of [his] acquaintance, that are really accomplished” (Austen, 2005, p. 44) revealing his belief that women were inferior to men. In addition to this, Mr. Darcy also believes that a woman must be well-read to insinuate an order of accomplishment, in order to be considered an adept member of society. Austen juxtaposes the natures of Elizabeth and Darcy throughout the text as Elizabeth points out the first time they dance together. Observing Darcy, Elizabeth states “we are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room,” (Austen, 2005, p. 91) although Darcy deflects the purport of this observation. Austen ultimately reveals Darcy to be a hospitable
Despite his wealth and availability, Elizabeth does not want to marry him because of his arrogance, nonsensical attitude, and boastful nature of his wealth and connection to Lady Catherine. Moreover, Elizabeth describes him as “tall and grave and pompous, wrapt in a cloud of solemn vanity, servility, stupidity, and spitefulness, but without the faintest gleam of self-consciousness or suspicion of the ridiculous figure” (Austen, 2005, p. 218) which illustrates his awkward and unappealing nature. Mr. Collins’s aversion for Lady Catherine de Bourgh is furthermore developed by Austen’s creation of the parallel between the stature of both of these characters. While Mr. Collins is considered of a lower class due to his religious affiliation, Lady Catherine is of the elitist class due to her wealth, elegance, and her husband’s connections. In this respect, Mr. Collins is seen to worship Lady Catherine for providing him with his income and humble abode. When reading the book Sermons to Young Women by James Fordyce, to the Bennet daughters, Mr. Collins’s desire to keep women down, silenced, and powerless is revealed. Consequently, by casting the dull Mr. Collins as a reader of the tedious, tendentious, and irrelevant statements of the sort by Fordyce, Austen very subtly strikes a blow for the condescension toward women’s learning by men that