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Gender Roles In Death Comes To Pemberly

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Death comes to Pemberley

Justified treatment between genders is for the most part given. But in the quite mysterious novel Death comes to Pemberly written by P.D. James, the treatment of women proves the opposite. On the eve of the annual ball a death present itself in the Pemberly woodland. This after a chasie carrying a hysterical Lydia appears at the Pemberly estate. A murder invenstigation is started while the crises at the estate is in need to be handled. It is primarely through this chaotic crisis facing Pemberly, that James highlights gender roles of the nineteenth century as a key theme in her novel.

Reputation as well as beauty has for a long period of time been of much high importance rather than intelligence.
At the very beginning of the novel a thought of Elizabeths is presented. *It had been a revelation to Elizabeth that there were men who valued intelligence in a woman.* …show more content…

While the investigation is brought up to discussion, Geogiana clearly states that she would like to help. Darcy rejects her request, then explaining that she should have no part in it. Alveston then stands up and speak for Geogiana. *Forgive me, sir, but I feel that I must speak. You discuss what Miss Darcy should do as if she were a child. We have entered the nineteenth century, we do not need to be a disciple of Mrs Wollstonecraft to feel that women should not be denied a voice in matters that concern them. It is some centuries since we accepted that a woman has a soul. Is it not time that we accepted that she also has a mind?* p. 142. The way Mr. Darcy present a comparement between his sister and a child proves the portray of women at that time. His wish for her to have no involvement is further more proof of the role women at Pemberly is to not be included in the resolvement of the crisis. This clearly affects the potential women are carrying, standing in the way of their

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