Firstly, I’d like to talk about social context. Jane Austen lived in the late eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. It was just the time when industrial bourgeoisie constantly rose and it was also the age when the feudal society transformed into modern capitalist society. Due to the development of the Industrial Revolution, Britain has become a power nation whether in economy or in power. In addition, although the independence of America led it to lose some important territory more or less, Britain also became a power nation on the sea and developed its sea trade rapidly since America had given up power partly. Just because of the two reasons, British people at that time became more and more material, utilitarian and even regard money as the most important thing. 

Therefore, Austen integrates these ideas into the novel, and set Pride and Prejudice in the time in which she lived. In such a social background, she adopts the daily life and human in reality as source materials to truly describe the society and reflect the conservative, tight British town life and human relationship in that time. Austen’s creation with her unique vision dramatically resurrects the life and thoughts of rural middle class. 来*自-优=尔,论:文+网www.chuibin.com

Another one is about the women status. Jane Austen lived at an age when women received widespread discrimination. In other words, men were in a totally dominate position. Although the freedom of marriage has appeared, British women were still in a relatively lower social status. Therefore, the discrimination concept to women was penetrating everywhere at that time. Firstly, from the view of thoughts, women were regarded as a kind of people who were lack of intelligence and ability, to say nothing of competing with men. People naturally believe that women’s virtue is patience and modesty and women should obey their husbands. From the first impression of Darcy to Elizabeth: prejudice, we can see that women were not respected at that time. Secondly, women are men’s vassals in economy. It is widely known that men have absolute priority in dismemberment of property. So, at that time, the most creditable thing is to marry a wealthy husband and live a guaranteed life. Therefore, a marriage, a perfect marriage is the only way that can help them to gain respect, wealth and status. From the erotic marriage between Charlotte and Collins which described by the author, we can see marriage is mainly decided by money and social status. Affection values nothing, so to speak. In a word, there is no equal at all between men and women in such a society.