In Want of a Wife Jane Austen’s Reaction to Marriage

The romantic era in literature was characterized by many different authors, male and female. Jane Austen was only one of many authors in that era, and one of the longest lasting; through her many novels, she shows various views on love and marriage. In Jane Austen’s critically acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice, Austen spares no character, male or female, in her criticism of the understood custom that the only route to happiness was marriage. Jane Austen never married which influenced her portrayal of marriage throughout many of her novels. Every character exposes different marital standards expected in the time period. In a biography about Jane Austen, edited by Jack Lynch, Rosemary Reisman explains that while neither Jane Austen nor†¦show more content†¦Her marriage to Wickham helps to set up her future happiness, not from love, but because it avoids her alienation from society. In the romantic era, any woman who was caught or was rumored to have had an extramarital affair was ostracized from society. This is a big concern for the Bennet girls (whom before the quick elopement, none were married), because it reflects badly on the family and the other girls. When Mr. Collins found out about Lydia’s choice, he expressed his deepest condolences. He wasted no time in expressing his knowledge to Mr. Bennet that â€Å"the death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this† (281); because, at least with the death of Lydia, the family would have been spared the embarrassment of raising a harlot. Some of the societal disgrace is avoided with Lydia’s marriage, it would have been worse for the family had she not been found and forced to wed. Her marriage illustrates the reality of the pressures young woman felt to marry. Lydia is too immature to understand her the consequence of her actions, but her sister Mary acknowledges the implications of Lydia’s choice. She tries to explain the lesson that all the Bennet girls will learn â€Å"that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin; that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful; and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the other sex (275).Show MoreRelated The Lovable Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice Essay2815 Words   |  12 Pages impression of Austens novels, which critic D. W. 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Classism And Prohibition In The Great Gatsby - 1569 Words

A World Divided: A Look at Classism and Prohibition in The Great Gatsby Abraham Lincoln famously said: A house divided against itself cannot stand; in today’s world full of conflicts, protests, and wars, this is an idiom that holds immense truth. It has been so for as long as there have been people with opinions, and 1920’s America was an era full of opinions. The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a classic tale of the Jazz Age told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a newcomer to the fast-paced life of East and West Egg. Through his eyes the reader sees the degradation of the mysterious Jay Gatsby, as he head towards a tragic end, in search of lost love from the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. In the end, Nick, frustrated†¦show more content†¦Meanwhile, another amendment to the Constitution was disrupting the post-war world; the 18th, which put Prohibition in effect on a federal level. After years of temperance movements, many people were supporti ve of this new law, however a large percentage of the population continued selling, buying and drinking alcohol illegally throughout the 1920’s (Brown 705). In The Great Gatsby, the opinions that were more socially acceptable are presented through Nick Carraway’s observations. Throughout the novel, Tom Buchanan believes in his own social superiority; he is of a family with old money, and dislikes Gatsby for the fact that he is of new money, among other reasons. Tom declares that [the white race] has made all the things that go to make society (Fitzgerald 13), proving his white supremacy, and believes that women run around too much these days to suit [him] (Fitzgerald 103), showing he believes in the traditional role of women as housewives. As well, while none of the main characters directly oppose Prohibition, the consequences of drinking –such as the drunken fight between Tom and Myrtle– are shown and give validity to those who supported Prohibition. Ho wever, the more rebellious views toward these issues are also shown in The Great Gatsby. The main characters regularly drink at parties, in private rooms, and in shady restaurants, and do so without a second thought, showing

Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega Free Essays

The first scene that will be analysed is the one where Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are going to fulfil their duties as gangsters (0:06:45-0:20:12). The scene shows how normal it is for the main characters to have a job as gangsters and kill people on command of their boss. While watching it, the viewer has the impression that the world in the film is absurd, but it is a perfect example of a social satire. We will write a custom essay sample on Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega or any similar topic only for you Order Now The main characters live in a world full of violence, drugs, but they find themselves perfectly suitable in it. Also, the verbal humour has a crucial role here; lots of comical ornaments of the speech, curses, irony and sarcasm create the whole background of this environment. Basing on the benign-violation theory, the whole scene evokes amusement, because characters present quite controversial behaviour. For the purpose of the forthcoming analysis, the scene will be divided into three parts:1) Jules and Vincent’s dialogue in the car (0:06:45-0:08:43); 2) The conversation about the foot massage (0:08:43-0:13:46)3) The score of gangsters and debtors (0:13:46-0:20:12). As the first part of the scene begins, Jules and Vincent drive a car and the main focus here is on the dialogue between the characters; they talk mostly about Vincent’s journey to Europe. He mentions many cultural differences: the policies of hash bars, the law of policemen, beer in cinemas, or mayonnaise on fries in Holland, how a Quarter-Pounder with cheese is called a Royale with cheese in France. At this point, the viewer has no idea where the main characters are driving or what the purpose of their mission is. It can be only assumed that they are partners and that the circumstances are quite amusing, because they seem serious, but their conversation is completely ridiculous. This contrast is highly intriguing and introduces the viewer to the world full of absurd. How to cite Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, Papers

Alcoholics Anonymous Essay Example For Students

Alcoholics Anonymous Essay Defining Alcoholics AnonymousFollowing is the definition of A.A. appearing in the Fellowships basic literature and cited frequently at meetings of A.A. groups:Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues of fees for A.A. membership; they are self-supporting through their own contributions. A.A is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, of institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Their primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous can also be defined as an informal society of more than 2,000,000 recovered alcoholics in the United States, Canada, and other countries. These men and women meet in local groups, which range in size from a handful in some localities to many hundreds in larger communities. Although alcoholism, according to the AA philosophy, can never be curedthat is, the alcoholic can never safely drink againthe alcoholic can recover to lead a productive and normal life as long as he or she remains sober. Since its inception the organization has also reduced popular misconceptions of alcoholics by educating both professionals and the public about the nature of alcoholism. The related organizations of Al-Anon and Al-Ateen provide similar support to the families and children of alcoholics. Other organizations, such as Overeaters Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, and Co-Dependents Anonymous have adopted the 12-Step program for recovery. Social Issues