Answer and Explanation:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
The line above is the very opening of the interesting novel "Pride and Prejudice", by author Jane Austen. However, as interesting and popular as that novel remains till these days, the role of women as it is portrayed in the story is worthy of discussion.
It is important to notice that the historical and cultural setting was quite oppressive. In England of the early 19th century, women did not have freedom of choice. They were expected to be accomplished, learning how to paint, draw, play the piano, sing, etc. They were expected to be polite and to be good conversationalists, as long as they did not profess any opinions that showed too much intelligence or determination. But, above all, they were expected to marry. That was the only assured way of having a stable life, financially speaking. Therefore, marriage was both convenient and mandatory.
Marriage is, as a matter of fact, what the story revolves around. While Jane and Elizabeth are lucky enough to marry men they love and who love them, that cannot be said of all the other characters. And even the marriages of the two are seen as incredibly convenient, since the men are wealthy. The youngest daughter of the family, Lydia, marries a poor man who does not love her. And since they elope first, she almost ruins her sisters' chances of marrying - eloping was seen as a disgrace, since it meant the girl was no longer a virgin. Elizabeth's friend Charlotte saw herself as a burden to her family simply because she was still unmarried at the age of 27. She marries a man she does not love with the sole purpose of not staying single for life.
Independence was frowned upon. At a certain point in the novel, Elizabeth walks three miles on her own to go see her sick sister. She is quickly criticized by the fancy Bingley ladies. Her way of expressing strong and decided opinions is also a target for criticism.
As we can see, Austen paints a clear and vivid picture of how difficult and oppressive it was to be a woman in the 19th century. Of course, there is still oppression all over the world, be it for cultural reasons or for abusive partners and families. But there is no denying that, in general, women seem to have much more freedom now.
