This document provides background information on Jane Austen and her novel Pride and Prejudice. It discusses that Austen was born in 1775 and focused her writing on England's social life of the middle and upper classes. She observed human behavior and traits realistically. The document also outlines the social class structure of 18th century England and expectations for women at that time, which were largely centered around marriage. Finally, it summarizes some key themes in Pride and Prejudice such as marriage, class, and the tension between appearance and reality.

1. Jane Austen Pride and PrejudiceSociety’s expectations…. Carrie Burgess July 14, 2011 English 1102 Dr. Owens

3. She focused her writings on England’s social life of the middle and upper classes.

4. She observed people’s behavior with a perspective eye and portrayed human traits realistically.

6. Middle class or gentry: composed of wealthy landowners, prosperous businessmen, military officers and professional people

7. Below the middle class are paid laborers, ordinary soldiers, sailors, and farmers.

8. At the very bottom are the servants, who worked and lived at the upper class homes and were paid very little. Social classes in the eighteenth century

9. Women in this time period a no to very little rights or say about their life. They were only trained in music, drawing, sewing, and embroidery. They were not allowed to attend any universities and were not allowed to have any kind of opinion on intellectual matters or political views. The only three choices they had were the following: “They could marry, preferably landing a prosperous husband; they could spend their lives as spinsters living in their parents’ or other relatives’ homes; or they could become governesses or teachers and be sustained in the homes of the wealthy.” Women in the eighteenth century…

11. Class

12. Wealth

13. Property

14. Propriety

15. A debate over the existence of universal truth… in no particular order… “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (Austen 1)

16. Appearance versus reality shows up in about every part of this novel. The society as a whole is not able to take people how they are. Everyone is too concerned with their own well being to actually notice how other people are seeing them. Elizabeth and Darcy starts this way, and by the end, falls in love with each other, but all along they are too concerned with their own pride and prejudices to realize what is actually standing right in front of them.