Oscar Wilde detested the way in which people lived and the rules one had to follow in order to represent their class properly or to not embarrass themselves. The dishonesty and lies that overpowered Victorian era people 's everyday lives are greatly ridiculed in Wilde’s writing. Algernon and Jack use fake identities to escape their current situations, and throughout the play they use this to their advantage until it blows up in their faces. They have fallen in love with women who believe that they are marrying a men with the name of Ernest. Algernon had only just met Cecily when he declared that he was in love with her and he used Jack 's non existent brother as a segway to Cecily’s heart as she yearned to marry someone of the name of Ernest.
Jane more and more feels the need to belong somewhere. Characters like Abbot and Mr. Brocklehurst in the novel judge Jane by her class status and physical appearance; while characters like Bessie, Helen and Miss Temple who get to know Jane, appreciate her more for her individuality and thoughts. Jane has a tendency of attaching herself to poor, humbly figures ridiculing the wealthy, comparable to her rich family the Reed’s and Mr. Brocklehurst. Mr. Brocklehurst, based on her opinions of him as being a cold-hearted, greedy man she criticizes for his actions at the school and how he parades his wife and daughters in fine
This is different than Lady Catherine who maintains the importance of decorum and the power of social class. Lady Catherine dresses extravagantly, her actions are so to show that she comes from a higher class. “Because honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, forbid it. Yes, Miss Bennet, interest; for do not expect to be noticed by his family or friends, if you wilfully act against the inclinations of all” (Austen 336), this quote shows that Lady Catherine really cares about honor, decorum and prudence. She does not agree with Elizabeth marrying Mr. Darcy, her nephew, because Lady Catherine views Elizabeth as her inferior
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Title- Pride and Prejudice - the title represents two major themes of the book Setting- 19th century England, Regency Era Longbourn (Bennetts) Pemberley (Darcy) Rosings (Catherine de Bourgh) Genre - Romance novel on the outside (relationships) also a satirical novel (internally mocking class relationships) Historical Information Pride and Prejudice was wrote in 1797 and published in 1813 Originally rejected by the publishers Original title was First Impressions Controversial novel because Austen mocked the classes of society by showing the rules and morals women had to abide by Themes Pride - Many characters especially the upper class like Mr. Collins, Darcy, Wickham even the middle class like Elizabeth and Jane all exhibited some sort of pride. “ You are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense.” pg. 108 Prejudice- Many characters developed first impressions of others that were inaccurate, like Elizabeth of Darcy and Wickham.
Polly sometimes envys the Shaw’s for having money, being able to buy what they want when they want it, while she on the other hand has to earn her own money to buy practical things rather than new dresses. The conflict intensifies when Tom was talking to Fanny one night at the opera, and said to his sister “It’s just Polly.” This deeply upsets Polly to hear one of her dearest friends say such a thing, and to refer to her as just Polly rather than a friend. Even Fanny continues to call Polly “Old fashioned” she might not mean it to be rude, but it still hurts Polly to be called names by her friends. Polly soon begins to wonder if she is to old fashioned and independent and that her friends feels the same way as the other people who look down on her, she beings to think about this after the day she passed Tom and Trix and Tom did not say hello to her. Even the ladies in Fanny’s sewing circle tease poor Polly, she knows she is an outcast to ladies and does not like going because the ladies talk and gossip about things she does not understand and she finds it unpleasant when they deliberately call her old
Darcy initially insults Elizabeth for being of the Bennet family when Bingley persuades him to dance with her. “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I am in no
The society of that time had ideas and expectations on how women should behave. They were expected to be humble, pure, innocent, good wives and mothers. Furthermore, they were seen as inferior to men in almost every aspect. Feeling himself as a 'misfit ', Hardy was always in a disagreement with editors and critics, thus he had to edit his texts to conform the Victorian Society. In this way, he identified himself with the suppressed classes.
Social criticism and satire in British Society The filmed play Pygmalion, by Bernard Shaw is romantic comedy and also drawing social criticism in British society at late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The story of Pygmalion start with this, on the rainy street of London Higgins and Pickering finding a lady that fits Higgins’ needs, they bet on a flower seller Eliza with an incurable accent. At this point, Higgins is a person who is arrogant, opinionated and eccentric, and he sneers at the culture of the high society, and Pickering as an amateur phonologist, he likes to bet on Professor Higgins and the phonetics. Revert to the subject, Higgins claims her speech and intonation can be changed using his phonetics teaching style, while Pickering argues that it is impossible. The Pygmalion teaches a lesson about the true value of human dignity through a story about Eliza who sells flowers and practices language and manners.
Darcy takes pride in his social rank and that makes him look down on people with lower class, “Initially prideful, Darcy doesn 't think these country people are good enough for him. Elizabeth has pride, too: though looks aren 't everything to her, Darcy 's insult still stings.” (Austen, 1813, Ch. 3). Prejudice is also a major theme in the novel, as the title implies that prejudice goes hand in hand with pride, guiding the protagonists into making wrong assumptions. Mr. Darcy’s prejudice against the lower class stops him from accepting and admitting his true feelings for Elizabeth, while Elizabeth owns prejudices against the upper class for their behaviour towards them, “His character was decided.
The two adults kept emphasizing that he was wealthy and people will be jealous of their relationship. Lady Capulet neglected to care that Juliet wanted true love, instead of money. Another example is when Juliet decalred to her mother, “That I must wed, tell my lord father, madam I will not marry yet. And when I do, I shall marry Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris” (Shakespeare 3.5.118-124). When Juliet said this, she was obviously weary of the fact that the Capulet’s didn’t think of her as a