Jane Austen was an ambitious writer who wanted to enlighten others through her novels. She condemned pride, and this is best seen in Pride and Prejudice, where the basis of marriage in the 1800s is replaced by maturity and education. The normal “capitalist lens” judges based on gender, social status and wealth, which are the basis of most marriages. However, Jane Austen argues in her novel that this should be replaced with a character-based "moral lens". It has always been human nature to judge an individual before even meeting them. During the Victorian period, a class defined who a person was. This class-based judgment was accepted throughout Jane Austen's novel. The novel's characters judged their peers based on their social class and gender, which they further defined through the judgment of a character's relationships, money, and physical appearance. Austen critiques these traditional judgments through the relationships within the novel. By the end of the novel, the marriages that appear strongest are those that have overcome their partner's "weaknesses" within society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay An individual's acquaintances and family members can significantly affect a character's appearance within society, for it is evident that an individual is a representation of these. with whom he/she associates. This being the case, any misconduct in an individual's social circle will also reflect poorly on that individual. The first line of the novel states: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Austen makes it clear that having a wife is a must in society if a man has the financial means to do so. Knowledge is so important in Pride and Prejudice that many decisions are based on how society will perceive the relationship. Mr. Collins showed this during his proposal to Elizabeth when he mentioned: "I could not satisfy myself without deciding to choose a bride from among his daughters, so that the loss to them would be as little as possible, when the The melancholic event will have taken place. ". Mr. Collins wanted to marry Elizabeth so that when his father died and Mr. Collins inherited the house, the transition would be smoother. Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth seemed to be due to who her family was rather than who she was. Acquaintances are also used as an excuse in the novel to separate people. Mr. Darcy said in his letter to Elizabeth: "But in the midst of your concern for the faults of your nearest relatives, and your displeasure at this representation of them, may it comfort you to consider that you have behaved way to avoid any degree of censorship is high praise..." Mr. Darcy explained that he had tried to keep Mr. Bingley away from Jane, partly from his family, and that she was not "enough well” for Mr. Bingley to marry. However, at the end of the novel, Mr. Bingley married even though society did not approve of his worth. Mr. Bingley and Jane's marriage shows that they were able to overcome society's opinions and maintain a stable relationship. In the novel, Austen uses knowledge to show the weakness of the social judgments of her time. The most common way to judge the characters in Pride and Prejudice is by measuring their income/social status. A character's income is considered a measure of their ability to care for themselves and their family.When Mr. Bingley first came to town and no one had a chance to meet him, it was his amount of money that was well known throughout the town. Ms Bennett said: “A single man of great wealth; four or five thousand a year. What a beautiful thing for our girls! Without knowing anything other than his fortune, Mrs. Bennet decided that Mr. Bingley would be a good husband for her daughters, proving that money is of enormous importance in this era. This is an entirely different situation from Lady Catherine's opinion of Elizabeth. Lady Catherine was furious that someone of Elizabeth's background had any chance of marrying Mr. Darcy. Her opinion is clear when she says: “The pretensions of a young woman without family, connections or wealth. Should this be supported? But that doesn’t have to be the case! It is evident that Lady Catherine was judging Elizabeth on her wealth as well as other worldly judgments, not reflecting Elizabeth's true personality. Money seems to be a societal necessity in every marriage proposal. The marriage of Mr. Wickham and Lydia took place for purely economic reasons. Mr Gardiner, in a letter to Mr Bennet, explained: "All that is required of you is to secure to your daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds sterling secured between your children." It is clearly shown that Mr. Wickham would not marry Lydia unless he was given a certain amount of money. Due to Mr. Wickham's social class, this marriage was approved by Lydia's family and would be considered acceptable within society. Austen uses this relationship to show that relationships within the novel, which were formed solely because of social class, do not have the same strength and happiness as those who have overcome class differences. An individual's physical appearance has been used throughout Pride and Prejudice to determine their status, especially for women. When Mr. Darcy first saw Elizabeth, he commented: "She is tolerable, but not beautiful enough to tempt me, and I am in no mood to give consequences to young women who are scorned by others." other men.” In this statement, Mr. Darcy explained that Elizabeth was not beautiful enough to meet his standards and was therefore not worthy of his companionship. However, it was not just on her physical beauty that Elizabeth was judged. After Elizabeth traveled a great distance across muddy fields to see her sick sister, "...her appearance created much surprise...and Elizabeth was convinced that they despised her for it." Her dirty appearance was considered very unfeminine and the women of Netherfield judged her on her appearance rather than the purpose of her trip to Netherfield. In describing the Lucases, Mrs. Bennet explained: “But everyone must judge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good girls, I assure you. It's a shame they aren't pretty! Although Mrs. Bennet made it clear that the Lucases are good girls, she also explained that they were less than good because they were not as attractive as her daughters. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper from our expert now. writers.Get a Custom EssaySociety's expectations of women are still stifled. Austen suggests that a woman's scandalous behavior affects everyone with whom she is related. For example, Lydia slept with a man who was not her husband and this affected not only her name but also that of the entire family. This is still relevant because, in most cultures, if a woman is not married to a man, she cannot sleep with him. If she chooses.