CALL, 2022, 4(2), 125–135

e-ISSN: 2723-2417
DOI: 10.15575/call.v4i2.14767

WEALTH AND POWER IN THE NOVEL PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

BY JANE AUSTEN

Rima Sarah*

English Literature, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati
Bandung, Indonesia
*Corresponding author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
The problem of social class becomes a unique object which
would be discovered in the novel Pride and Prejudice. The study
aimed to determine the influence of social class on British
society and represent the reflection of social class in British
society in the novel. A method used in this research was
qualitative descriptive. Data that were collected were in the
form of narration and dialogue in the novel Pride and Prejudice.
Furthermore, this study used the Marxist concept (1995:25) to
analyse the data. The findings of this research were the
discovery of the impact of social class on British society in the
novel Pride and Prejudice, namely Pride and Prejudice as the
title in the novel and the invention of the forms of social class
which can be found in the novel Pride and Prejudice, such as
status, wealth, and power.

Keywords: Marxist Theory, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice,

social class

INTRODUCTION
Literature and society are two things that are interconnected and
cannot be separated. Through literary works we can see how writers reflect
society and social realities. The works of Jane Austen is the examples of
literary works which are a reflection of people's lives in the early nineteenth.
One of them is a novel entitled Pride and Prejudice which depicts people's lives
in the early nineteenth century intelligently and realistically. Through this
novel, Austen raises the topic in the early 19th century about the opportunistic
and discriminatory reality of British marriages. To get social status, women at
that time then competed to find husbands from higher social circles. Marriage
is then considered to be an institution that can save women's social status,
become one of the ways to obtain a stable life, and maintain family property.
The meaning of social class is the differentiation in a hierarchical
manner of the society or population into classes according to economic
matters, employment, education, and social status comparison between a

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family member with other family members. Therefore, a position of the head
of the family will increase as well as the status of other family members. The
embodiment is the layers or classes of high, middle, or lower classes. Bernard
Barber defines social class as the set of families. This means that the position
of a family member in one class is related to the position of other family
members. If a family head or family member occupies a high status, the status
of other family members will also get a high status. Conversely, when the
status of the head of the family is low, the status of family members will also
low (Barber, 1961).
In the eighteenth century, European scientists used the term social
class in a different sense, namely the position or social status. It means that
the terms social status and social class are considered synonymous. The term
social class began in the nineteenth century and used in the analysis of social
inequality rooted such as the economic situations of a country public. The
concept of Marx is the social class and the use of this term is distinguished
from the social status term (Singgih, 2010). Social class is one of the issues in
the novel Pride and Prejudice. This can be seen from Jane Austen's view of the
upper class or landowners by expressing them as lucky people. Mr. Darcy in
Pride and Prejudice reflects someone who is rich and has a good future. Wealth
and income become a measure of social class. Mr. Darcy was considered a
person from the upper social class. In contrast to the main female character,
Elizabeth Bennet is described by Jane Austen as a woman from a middle-lower
social class. This can be seen from the simple house of the Bennet family which
is very different from Mr. Darcy.
Based on the background described above, the researcher formulated a
research question, namely: what kind of social class issues in the Pride and
Prejudice Novel? This question will be analyze by using Marxist theory. The
researcher also use an objective approach which treats literary works as
something that stands free from reference or extrinsic. On the other hand, it is
described as a literary product which is an independent and autonomous
object, and as a world in the complexity, integrity, coherence, and
interpretation of its component elements.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature is a creative expression to express ideas or feelings from
what they experience through these creative expressions which will always
develop according to the times. Literature is reflection of attitudes towards
the symptoms that arise from the surrounding environment which is then
poured into the form of art. On the other hand, literature is also a form of
entertainment which is a need to fulfill emotional satisfaction. In literary
matters, words can be a medium of expression. Words that are recorded in
one's living memory or through mechanical means such as writing can make
a difference (Taylor, 2012). Literature and ideas have a connection that can
be described by literary analysis or in different ways. In general, it is
necessary in role in life and the study of literature. Through analysis,
literature can be understood in depth until values, knowledge, beliefs, and
symbols are represented in a story. There are various forms of literary works,
one of which is the novel. The novel is a fictional prose narrative that depicts

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characters and actions in real life in a long story and a fairly complicated plot.
In social life, everyone has demands to live as an integrated individual that
gives different characteristics. In the end, these differences can form a
problem in social life, especially economic problems. Modern life is
inseparable from economic problems that give rise to classification based on
their ability in status or economic class. Social class is defined as the grouping
of people based on their status in the society. It means that social class is
represented by the stratification system that occurs in a particular society.
Barbusse and Glaymann (2004) argued that stratification system that cuts a
society into a hierarchy of social positions called social classes. This means
that in the system of class stratification (middle class, lower class, and
working class) everyone occupies a certain social position. Therefore, social
class can be referred to as a substantial social cluster that has common
socioeconomic characteristics (status, wealth, power) and a similar lifestyle.
The Marxist theory of class probably fit the typical Marxist question of
potential emancipatory transformation which is still sociologically beneficial
if one declines the question (Glaymann, 2004).
In the 19th century, the theory of social class fully emerged and
coincided with the development of modern social sciences, especially in
sociology. The issue of inequality and social stratification began to be
analyzed by several political philosophers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes. English and French writers in the late 18th
and early 19th centuries, put forward the opinion that non-political factors in
society, such as the family and techonomic system influence the society's
political life form. Furthermore, Henri de Saint-Simon as the French social
theorist later carried this opinion and argued that it was the character of the
economic production system which underlies the form of state government.
The urban working class or proletariat theory introduced by Saint-Simon's
successors was considered as the main political force in the modern society
and precisely influenced the spreading of Karl Marx's class theory.
The idea of the class theory of Marxism is the history of contemporary
society which is the history of class struggle. So that means, class theory
presupposes that social class is the main actor in society. The example is the
oppression of one class by another class results in human alienation. The
theory expressed by Karl Marx is not an explicit theory, but rather the
background of Marx's explanation of socialism, capitalism, and the laws of
historical expansion. In Marx's theory, society is distinguished by modes of
production such as the division of labor and technology. Based on each of
these modes of production, a different class system is born where one class
controls the production system (class of owners of capital) and the other class
is the provider of services to the dominant class (working class) and direct
producers. Eventually, it is the economic factor that governs social relations
in a capitalist society.

METHOD
This type of the research is qualitative using descriptive method. A
qualitative research is a research that refers to comprehend the phenomenon

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of what is experienced by the research subject, holistically by descriptive in in

a special context the form of words and language (Moleong, 2005). The
research method used in this study is a descriptive method using content
analysis techniques. According to Guba and Lincoln this study with content
analysis was carried out to draw conclusions through efforts to identify
specific characteristics in a text objectively and systematically. This
descriptive method is used to observe and describe social class in the novel
Pride and Prejudice by. In accordance with the type of research, the data to be
discussed is qualitative data. Qualitative data can be collected through
interviews, observations, documents (Moleong, 2005). The data that will be
used is the content contained in the novel such as; characterization, plot,
setting, theme and message, point of view, and language style that leads to
social class expressed in the novel Pride and Prejudice.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

Sociology is the science of things in the social sphere, such as status,
economics, family relationships, occupation, and others. Literary works are
created from society and also its environment. Furthermore, the relationship
between society and literature are depicted in the study of literary works as
social documents as well as hypothetical descriptions of social reality.
Therefore, sociology can be related to various social aspects, such as social
behavior, nationality, religion, and so on. The sociological dimension is related
to the description of roles in environmental conditions. On the other hand,
sociological factors such as work, education, and social status can be examined
through the character's social life effectively (Wellek & Warren, 1956). Social
stratification is the grouping or differentiation of community members
vertically. According to Max Weber, Social stratification is defined as the
classification of society into hierarchical levels according to the dimensions of
status, social class, and power included in a particular social system (Bendix,
1998). Social stratification based on Max Weber's theory which is reflected in
Jane Pride and Prejudice most prominently is through the relationship
between Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy who has everything (class, status and
power) is related to Elizabeth who is in a lower social class than him. Through
these two figures, Elizabeth reflects the middle strata of English society in the
early nineteenth century, while Darcy reflects the upper class. As a result of
this relationship, conflicts arose because of their different social class,
although, in the end they managed to solved these social class problems
through love, sincerity, and commitment.
The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the realistic
writings that describe positions based on their social status. This novel not
only tells about the classic love story in medieval England between a middle-
lower class girl named Elizabeth Bennet and a wealthy nobleman named Mr.
Darcy. More specifically, Jane Austen described the condition of women at that
time judged based on the social status they had and their behavior. Social class
is one of the issues in the novel Pride and Prejudice (Pont, 1986). Jane Austen
often alludes to the life of the British society in the 18th century which
emphasized social status in their lives. Dance parties with a luxurious lifestyle
are the hallmark of the upper-middle class. This is done to get friends who

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may later become life partners in the future, especially by women because the
position of their husbands will determine their level of welfare.

“YOU are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said
Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.
“Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is
one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty,
and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to
introduce you.”
“Which do you mean?’ and turning round he looked for a moment
at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly
said: ‘She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ME; I
am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies
who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your
partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with
me.” (Austen, 2001; p.13)

Some etiquette cannot be separated from the lives of women in the

Georgian-Victorian era where they have to meet certain standards to get a rich
husband. For example, such as not being allowed to express opinions because
it was considered unusual at that time, this intelligence might intimidate men
so they do not marry women with high intelligence. British women who were
not used to expressing their opinions in those days became completely
dependent on their husbands. Most of them marry not because of love, but a
mere social status. Mr. Darcy, who has a high social class, was initially
reluctant to get acquainted with the Bennet family, who had a low social class.
Likewise with the main character, Elizabeth Bennet. The existence of social
class issues is indeed inseparable from the conditions and views of the
community at that time. Especially for a woman who will marry a man. When
a woman marries, her social class will depend on her husband. It may be
upper, middle, or lower class.
The higher class of society is described by the landlords as the
historical English social class. This term is used by communities to
differentiate their status based on how much property (land, gardens, etc.)
they own and their annual income. In the 18th and 19th centuries, ownership
in England was concentrated in the hands of a relatively small class of
landowners. The owner of the land or plantation was then considered a
landlord and a rich person. This term has been applied by people to measure
their wealth among the upper, middle, or lower classes of society (Heaverly &
EWK, 2020).

“He is the best landlord, and the best master,’ said she, ‘that ever
lived; not like the wild young men nowadays, who think of
nothing but themselves. There is not one of his tenants or
servants but will give him a good name. Some people call him
proud; but I am sure I never saw anything of it. To my fancy, it is
only because he does not rattle away like other young men.”
“In what an amiable light does this place him!’ thought Elizabeth.

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This fine account of him,’ whispered her aunt as they walked, ‘is
not quite consistent with his behaviour to our poor friend.”
(Austen, 2001; p.306)

This upper class is then described by Jane Austen through one of her
characters in the novel Pride and Prejudice, namely Mr. Darcy. This can be seen
from the wealth, houses, properties, and others which strongly reflect the
nobility with high social status. It was also the social class that made Mr. Darcy
so arrogant when he first met Elizabeth Bennett who had a different social
class from him and so did the following meetings. Different social classes affect
the storyline and development of the characters.

“Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of

two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was
entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their
mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but
ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in
Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds.” (Austen, 2001;
p.34)

Husain, S. W. argued that Mr. Darcy‘s attitude towards women is one

example of describing the condition of women based on their social class. The
novel entitled Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen, was first published
in 1813. In the life story of Jane Austen, it turns out that she is the daughter of
a pastor who lives in the countryside. The rural environment she lives in
makes social class a measure of social interaction. This is what makes
criticizes acceptance and rejection in socializing based on social status. This
association and grouping of social status positions are mostly aimed at
women. Jane Austen then write down the situation and criticism of what was
happening in her environment in one of her novels entitled Pride and Prejudice
(Husain, 2020).

“Such were the kind of lamentations resounding perpetually

through Longbourn House. Elizabeth tried to be diverted by
them; but all sense of pleasure was lost in shame. She felt anew
the justice of Mr. Darcy’s objections; and never had she been so
much disposed to pardon his interference in the views of his
friend.” (Austen, 2001; 286)

The social class in the novel Pride and Prejudice was then reflected in
the characters. One of them is the main character, namely Mr. Darcy and
Elizabeth bennet. Mr. Darcy as an upper social class with Elizabeth Bennet
with a middle-lower social class influence each other. Jane Austen is indeed
skilled in pouring the idea of social class in the 18th century into the novel
Pride and Prejudice. That is why the social class in this novel can build an
interesting storyline.

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Pride
Pride is an emotion or feeling in the form of satisfaction or deep
pleasure through the achievement of something. These achievements can be
related to those closest to them from their possessions and qualities that can
be widely admired. An example of this pride can be seen from the words,
attitudes, and actions taken by Mr.Darcy.

“She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in

no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who
are slighted by other men.” (Austen, 2001; p.13)

Based on Mr.Darcy's words, it can be seen that he is someone who is

intelligent and has his own judgment of the people he meets. He has a
judgment that tends to be harsh and hasty without any doubts about his
judgment. This is because of his awareness of his wealth and high social status
that makes him proud. This incident occurred when Mr. Darcy refused to
dance with Elizabeth Bennet who had a lower social class. Mr. Darcy's
behavior is a reflection of the family's influence on him because the family has
an important role in shaping the behavior of other family members. Mr. Darcy
in his daily behavior is very arrogant, even his pride and wealth cannot cover
his shortcomings (Rugian, 2014).

Prejudice
Prejudice is an effective form of negative attitudes and feelings towards
a person or member of a particular group based solely on the value of that
group. It tends to be triggered by preconceived feelings and likely to be
unfavorable to a person simply because of their social class differences.
Elizabeth Bennet is a lady who represents Prejudice from the novel Pride and
Prejudice. This is based on the way she easily judges someone though she does
not know the real reality. In accordance with data from the novel, Elizabeth
Bennet's psychological aspects are intelligent, observant, and independent
(Made et al., 2021). Elizabeth has a behavior that is easily provoked by other
people's words and is also easy to judge others. Elizabeth was once instigated
by Mr.Wickham's words about all of Mr.Darcy's bad behavior. Without finding
out the truth, Elizabeth immediately believed Mr.Wickham's words. Every
time she met Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth always cursed and behaved rudely. In
response to this, Mr.Darcy sent Elizabeth a letter. The letter contained
Mr.Darcy's explanation that Elizabeth had misunderstood because all
Mr.Wickham's words about Mr.Darcy were lies. Mr.Wickham twists the facts
so that everyone hates Mr.Darcy (Agustya, 2019). An example of this pride can
be seen from the words, attitudes, and actions taken by Elizabeth Bennet.

“And I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the
last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to
marry.”(Austen, 2001; 241)

Elizabeth's words above illustrate that she was really dislikes Mr.
Darcy with his impolite attitude and actions. In addition, she also hates his

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pride based on his social class. Prejudice is also inclined towards beliefs that
have no clear basis and may not include reasonable attitudes and actions. It is
usually resistant to rational influences. At first Elizabeth had a very strong
prejudice against Mr. Darcy. However, she gradually begins to lose her
judgment until she cannot judge who really loves her.

Power
Power is the ability to influence a person, group, or other parties to
behave and think in accordance with the will of the influencing party. In
addition, it can also be in the form of an assessment that someone wants to
strengthen and confirm his power. In the novel Pride and Prejudice, there are
differences in social class that are clearly visible in terms of economics
between men who have an upper social class and women who have a lower-
middle social class. It is related to money and power that determines their
attitudes and actions in society. According to Loindong, Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice reflects the society life during the early nineteenth
century. This reflection starts from the most common habits that people do in
things such as dance parties as a medium of socialization and correspondence
as a medium of communication. In addition, the social aspects of British
society at the beginning of the nineteenth century which are also reflected in
Pride and Prejudice are not only the habits carried out by the middle-upper
class society (Loindong, 2013). The example of the power contained in this
novel can be analyze through the character Mr. Darcy.

“I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young

ladies who are slighted by other men.” (Austen, 2001; p.13)

Elizabeth is someone who is very cheerful and often laugh at the

unpleasant things that happen to her. For example, when she was at a party
and talking with Mr. Darcy, then he refused to dance with her because she was
not considered beautiful enough (Asmarani, 2013). Mr.darcy's words above
indicate that he does not want to dance with Elizabeth at the party. This is
because of the strength and power he has by giving rejection to Elizabeth
Bennet who is a woman from the middle class. Mr.Darcy always thought that
a man should pay attention to the decency, dignity, strength and social class
of the people around him. Especially against women who at the time of the
nineteenth century did not have equality with men. Although there are still
few rights that women have in their contribution to suffrage and some rights
related to marriage. It was the result of the change movement that began in
the nineteenth century.

Wealth
Wealth is everything related to the value of a person, family, or group.
This value includes tangible objects such as jewelry, houses, vehicles, and
other personal property. In addition, financial assets in the form of stocks and
bonds that can be traded for cash are also included in the value of a person's
or family's wealth. The amount of wealth can be calculated by net assets minus
any debts that must be paid. In the nineteenth century, this wealth was also

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highly valued by society. In addition, the social class that occurs in society
never goes unnoticed. Therefore, rich people who are in the upper social class
are always a concern in society because they can attract anyone into their
social class. There are three main classes described in the novel Pride and
Prejudice, namely the upper, middle and lower classes. The upper class was
further divided into three parts, namely the aristocracy, the nobility, and the
squirarchy or class of independent men who did not have to work. The upper
social class becomes most of the characters in this novel. An example of a
character who has wealth is Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley.

“Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a

pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters
were fine women, with an air of decided fashion.” (Austen, 2001;
p.11)

Mr. Bingley was considered someone worthy of being called a

gentleman. When he first came to Netherfield, Mr. Bingley immediately
attracted one of the daughters of the Bennet family. This is because of the
wealth he has. Mr.Darcy is also considered as the ideal husband candidate
because of the amount of money he has. Money can make a person rich and
also the medium in which their character will shape life.

Status
Status is a person's position in society. In this novel Pride and Prejudice,
family and marriage are the benchmarks for the status of women in the
nineteenth century. This is what makes most women at that time really want
an ideal man to be her husband. An example of a status that influences this
novel is the character of Mr Darcy and Mr. Bingley.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in

possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”(Austen,
2001; p.2)

Single men who come from rich families will indeed be the dream of
women because of their social status in society. The status of women becomes
dependent on men in their social environment compared to their individual
conditions. Hence, they must marry the most appropriate man and are
expected to have a high social class to the point that the woman's family
sometimes forces them to marry according to these criteria. While they have
the opportunity to choose the man they want to marry, this probability is
likely to be small, unless the man is also rich and wants to marry her.

CONCLUSIONS
Social class is one of the issues in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane
Austen. The life of British society in the 18th century described by Jane Austen
often alludes to the importance of social status in their lives. Mr. Darcy, who
has a high social class, was initially reluctant to get acquainted with the Bennet

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family, who had a middle-lower social class. Likewise, with the main character,
Elizabeth Bennet. The existence of social class issues is indeed inseparable
from the conditions and views of the community at that time. Especially for a
woman who will marry a man. When a woman marries, her social class will
depend on her husband. It may be upper, middle, or lower class. The
conclusion obtained after analyzing the social class issue in the novel Pride and
Prejudice is the impact of social class in British society at that time in the form
of Pride and Prejudice as the title in the novel. Pride is an emotion or feeling in
the form of deep satisfaction or pleasure towards the achievement of
something done by the power possessed based on one's own opinion. While
prejudice is an emotion or feeling felt by someone towards another person
based on their social class. In addition, there is a reflection of social class that
occurs such as status, wealth, and power. Status is the position that everyone
has in society. In this Pride and Prejudice novel, family and marriage affect
women's status in society. Wealth is the total value of what a person, family,
or group owns. This is usually associated with money as a benchmark. Then,
power is the ability that a person has to influence others to behave, believe,
and judge what they want.

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