Written by: Pearl Jain
Edited by: Kavya Marwaha
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has historically been regarded as a love story, but upon a closer look, it also serves as a quiet reflection of how deeply patriarchy shaped women’s lives. Beneath the witty conversations and beautiful dances, it’s a world where a woman’s worth was measured by her marriage prospects, and her choices were limited by the men around her.
Elizabeth Bennet stands out as a woman with a mind of her own. She’s outspoken, grounded, and refuses to marry just for money or convenience. In a society where women were expected to smile and agree, Elizabeth’s defiance stands as an act of resistance. Yet, even her story ends in marriage. And that says something, not about her giving in, but about the limited space women had to exist outside the idea of being a wife. Freedom, in that world, always came with conditions.
At balls, women were presented almost like displays dressed to perfection, ready to impress potential suitors. They could neither own property, nor control their finances, and were barred from inheriting estates because of laws like entailment. The Bennet sisters’ entire future depended on marrying ‘well’ since their father’s property would go to Mr. Collins, their distant cousin. It’s hard to ignore how transactional everything was, marriage wasn’t about companionship; it was about survival.
Charlotte Lucas is perhaps the clearest example of this. At twenty-seven, she marries Mr. Collins, not out of love, but because she’s painfully aware of her reality. She says she’s not a romantic, she just wants a comfortable home. It’s practical, but also heartbreaking. Because that’s what the system did, it made smart, capable women settle for less, simply because time and society weren’t on their side.
Then there’s Lydia, whose impulsive decision to run away with Wickham brings shame to her entire family. When she returns married, her mother’s relief says it all– marriage erases disgrace, even when it’s to a man of questionable character. Wickham walks away with little judgment, while Lydia’s entire reputation hangs on her marital status. It’s a hypocrisy that exists in our society even today.
Even Lady Catherine, with all her authority and wealth, isn’t really free. Her authority lies in the very patriarchal order that she creates, enforces and, with it, reminds others of their position.
While Pride and Prejudice portrays a beautiful romance, it silently also reveals to us how women were bound in systems that camouflaged domination as custom. Austen never shouts her critique, she weaves it in through observation.
It’s a love story but it’s also a reminder of how tightly the patriarchy wrapped itself around the idea of ‘happily ever after’. In a world where women are trained to be chosen, where pride must be swallowed for the sake of security, you can’t help but wonder, where does pride even fit in a story built on prejudice?