For quite a while Jane Austen has lived behind the scenes of her works. Writing behind the closed door of her bedroom and publishing the books anonymously might have been a necessity of the English morals and censorship tendencies at that time.

But it also allowed her to escape the unnecessary over interpretation of her novels. The readers of those times experienced each book on its own, instead of dragging the heritage of previous impressions into it. Imagine a woman of the 1800s not only pursuing career of a writer, but also depicting the cruel reality of arranged marriages and family wealth management.

Austen’s natural criticism towards stereotypes, social division and prejudices had greatly affected her works. “Pride and Prejudice”, originally entitled “First Impressions”, is nevertheless centered among the upper middle class of the late 18th century England.

Bannet family are wealthy, but not rich. They have a full house of daughters and the biggest obsession of the parents is to find suitable partners for them. The long story of diabolism with getting married and hunt for the right partner begins. Through the eloquent social gatherings and sophisticated conversations the author demonstrates the difficulty and a limited number of choices women had to climb the social ladder at that time.

Imagine one of the protagonists, Elizabeth, disappointment, when her potential fiancée who spent so much time and charm on her becomes engaged to a girl whose family is on a much lower rang. Moreover, this girl will now inherit Elizabeth’s family estate. The emotional pain of that girl also being Elizabeth’s close friend fades to the social “injustice” and irregularity.

It is hard to make the perfect match when you are set on analyzing all the chances. Turns out the best marriages happen when you least expect it. And true feelings are grown over time. A happy ending for the Bennet sisters proves that the best calculations are made in heaven. It’s better to live freely enjoying each opportunity the day brings you. The rest will follow.

Author: Hector Ramos