This work analyses prejudices in Elizabeth Gaskell’s "North and South" and Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice". Both novels employ a wide range of prejudices which I will compare in categories such as gender, space and class. The thesis basically investigates the constitution of prejudices in the two novels. Moreover, it explores their causes and how the characters eventually overcome them. My aim is to draw a concise and structured overview of the prejudices in "North and South" and "Pride and Prejudice" as well as to compare the characters’ ways of dealing with them.
As a means to a better understanding of my argumentation I will begin with a brief presentation of Regency and Victorian society focusing on their conventions and value
systems. In this context I want to inform about the strictly organised class system, the role of women, as well as regional ideological differences between the North and South of England in both eras which resembled each other to a great extent due to their historical proximity. Beginning then with the practical part of the thesis, I first focus on NS and then on PP; in both cases the interpretation of prejudices is performed based on three categories: class, gender and space. Corresponding to each nove individually, I explore these subgroups on account of their relevance within the book. That is, analysing NS I first refer to the spatial dimension, simply because, in my view, the contrast drawn between North and South England is the starting point for all other types of prejudices in this novel. The same principle applies to PP, where all prejudices emanate from the class hierchary presented by Austen; hence I start discussing the social dimension. To conclude my thesis there will be a thorough comparison of both novels with regard to the presented prejudices.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION: PREJUDICES IN REGENCY AND VICTORIAN SOCIETY
2. PREJUDICES IN NORTH AND SOUTH
2.1 SPACE: INDUSTRIAL NORTH AND TRADITIONAL SOUTH
2.2 CLASS: SOUTHERN GENTEEL SOCIETY AND NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
2.3 GENDER: MARGARET HALE AND JOHN THORNTON
3. PREJUDICES IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
3.1 CLASS: THE CLASHING OF CLASSES
3.2 GENDER: ELIZABETH AS CHALLENGER OF GENDER CONVENTIONS
3.3 SPACE: AVERSION AGAINST THE NORTH AND COUNTRY LIFE
4. OVERCOMING PREJUDICES
5. CONCLUSION: MARGARET AND ELIZABETH AS MEDIATORS
6. WORKS CITED
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the manifestation, causes, and overcoming of prejudices in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, focusing on how the protagonists navigate and eventually transcend these societal barriers.
- The construction of prejudices based on social class and hierarchies.
- The impact of regional and spatial contrasts (North vs. South England).
- The challenges to traditional gender roles and the "separate spheres" ideology.
- The role of the female protagonists as mediators in polarized societies.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Space: Industrial North and Traditional South
As the novels’ title implies, Gaskell presents a clear opposition between North and South England. Characters explicitly express their aversion to either the southern or the northern environment over and over again. Yet, before analysing the prejudices there should be a short description of how both regions are portrayed in the novel.
The readers’ perception of southern life is shaped through Margaret’s point of view as well as the narrator’s descriptions. At the very beginning of the novel Margaret depicts Helstone, her southern childhood home, as the most idyllic place in a conversation with Henry Lennox, her cousin’s brother-in-law: 'Tell me about Helstone. You have never described it to me. [...] Is Helstone a village, or a town, in the first place?' 'Oh, only a hamlet; I don't think I could call it a village at all. There is the church and a few houses near it on the green—cottages, rather—with roses growing all over them.' 'And flowering all the year round, especially at Christmas—make your picture complete,' said he. 'No,' replied Margaret, somewhat annoyed, 'I am not making a picture. I am trying to describe Helstone as it really is. You should not have said that.' 'I am penitent,' he answered. 'Only it really sounded like a village in a tale rather than in real life.' 'And so it is,' replied Margaret, eagerly. 'All the other places in England that I have seen seem so hard and prosaic-looking, after the New Forest. Helstone is like a village in a poem—in one of Tennyson's poems.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: PREJUDICES IN REGENCY AND VICTORIAN SOCIETY: The chapter defines the term prejudice within the scope of the thesis and introduces the two novels, contextualizing them within Regency and Victorian social conventions.
2. PREJUDICES IN NORTH AND SOUTH: This section investigates the specific spatial, class-based, and gendered prejudices depicted in Gaskell's novel, emphasizing the contrast between the industrial North and the agrarian South.
2.1 SPACE: INDUSTRIAL NORTH AND TRADITIONAL SOUTH: This chapter analyzes how characters view the geographical regions of England, highlighting the initial aversions and prejudices held by the Hales against the industrial North.
2.2 CLASS: SOUTHERN GENTEEL SOCIETY AND NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY: An exploration of the social stratification within the novel, detailing the clashes between the genteel South and the industrial North.
2.3 GENDER: MARGARET HALE AND JOHN THORNTON: A focus on the relationship between the two main protagonists, analyzing their mutual prejudices and the challenge to traditional gender ideologies.
3. PREJUDICES IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: An examination of social, gender-based, and spatial prejudices in Austen's work, centering on the Bennet family and the societal hierarchies of the Regency era.
3.1 CLASS: THE CLASHING OF CLASSES: An analysis of how rank, wealth, and connections create deep-seated prejudices among the aristocracy, the gentry, and the middle class.
3.2 GENDER: ELIZABETH AS CHALLENGER OF GENDER CONVENTIONS: This chapter discusses Elizabeth Bennet’s resistance to societal expectations regarding marriage, education, and the role of women.
3.3 SPACE: AVERSION AGAINST THE NORTH AND COUNTRY LIFE: An investigation into the spatial prejudices present in the novel, including the disdain for trade, northern connections, and the perceived limitations of country life.
4. OVERCOMING PREJUDICES: This chapter details how the protagonists in both novels evolve through personal growth, reflection, and improved understanding of others to dismantle their initial biases.
5. CONCLUSION: MARGARET AND ELIZABETH AS MEDIATORS: The final chapter summarizes the findings, concluding that both protagonists function as effective mediators who successfully bridge class and societal divides.
6. WORKS CITED: A comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources used in the research.
Keywords
Prejudice, Regency England, Victorian Era, North and South, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen, Social Class, Gender Roles, Industrial Revolution, Separate Spheres, Mediation, Marriage, Victorian Values, Social Mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The thesis explores the construction and resolution of prejudices in the nineteenth-century novels "North and South" and "Pride and Prejudice," analyzing how characters move past their biases.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The work centers on social class hierarchies, gender conventions, and spatial or regional ideological differences between the North and South of England.
What is the ultimate research objective?
The goal is to provide a structured overview of prejudices in both novels and to compare how the protagonists deal with them, ultimately positioning the women as mediators.
What scientific methodology does the author use?
The author performs a comparative literary analysis, categorizing prejudices into class, gender, and spatial dimensions to draw parallels between Gaskell's and Austen's narratives.
What is the main focus of the middle chapters?
The middle chapters delve into the specific social settings of the two novels, analyzing characters like Margaret Hale, John Thornton, Elizabeth Bennet, and Mr. Darcy in their respective societal contexts.
Which keywords characterize this academic work?
Key terms include Prejudice, Victorian Era, Regency England, Social Class, Gender Roles, Mediation, and the specific titles of the two literary works analyzed.
How does Margaret Hale act as a mediator in her story?
Margaret bridges the gap between the masters and the men by learning to understand both parties and physically placing herself in situations where she fosters cooperation rather than conflict.
How does Elizabeth Bennet’s perception of Mr. Darcy change?
Elizabeth initially judges Darcy based on superficial social prejudices and misinformation, but later re-evaluates him after reading his explanatory letter and witnessing his improved behavior toward her family.
What role does the "separate spheres" ideology play in the analysis?
The author uses this concept to demonstrate how characters like Henry Lennox and Mr. Collins limit women to the private sphere, while the female protagonists challenge these restrictions through their actions.
- Citar trabajo
- Elisabeth Heck (Autor), 2012, Prejudices in Regency and Victorian England, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/284036
