Pride and Prejudice

Reading the essay that Nina presents in the Norton edition of the novel, I found myself wondering is really how women were back in the time that this novel takes place in. The sheer idea that these women have submitted themselves to waiting and having their whole lives revolve around. literally waiting for a man to marry and then living of the wealth that he brought and provided. This is clearly seen as Mrs. Bennet is constantly trying to marry off her daughters to gain the wealth so they can maintain their lifestyle. She goes on the state that the "physicality" of the female characters is nothing or nonexistent without the presence of a male character. Another idea that is emphasized is the constant employment of absence in many of the environments and the buildings that are in this story, such as the Longbourn's house. This observation was something that was both concerning and intriguing because of the meaning of the absolute abandonment of the virtues that Jane Austen was known for at the time and also the fact that we learn that she grew up in the same situation as these female characters. This to me seemed to contradict the message of the novel is possibly trying to portray about gender roles. Nina's argument about the the abandonment of childhood and her references to how Elizabeth has given up on finding any form of happiness in her childhood and is now completely focused on the future stuck was a dark twist on the loss of innocence and I found this to be very compelling.