Stereotypes In Pride And Prejudice

Stereotype- a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or the idea of a particular type of person or group. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen are stereotypical in the portrayal of many of the characters except for Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is viewed as an expressive feminist due to her strong ideals and expectations for her life. Elizabeth’s ability to be vocal about her opinions is a more noticeable due to how stereotypical the other women the novel are; however, such behaviour could be unobtainable for other women reinforcing sexist stereotypes. Sexist stereotypes are reinforced by education, physical appearances, family wealth, marriage. Women were commonly judged on their accomplishments in the fine arts; consequently, the more accomplished a women achieved the better she looked to society. Fine arts were the focus of a female’s education; however, that was not the case for Elizabeth, and her sisters, they “were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary” (Austen p.115) allowing them to be more accomplished than the average female of their time. Being
Her life was unobtainable for the average woman due to her ready access to an education and the ability it gave her to be more than just her good looks. Elizabeth’s family was wealthier than most families making her experiences with the real world very different compared to a female from a less wealthy family. This wealth made it possible for her to make better connections to find a partner that she found more suitable a luxury that many women did not have if they wished to keep a status of respectability that; consequently, would be lost to them if they had to resort to other means to finance themselves. On that note how can Pride and Prejudice be seen as encouraging to feminists movements when such a lifestyle is only obtainable to