Pride and Prejudice : A Male Dominated Society
             When Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice, which was first published in 1811, she could not have been aware of the scrutiny that her book would be placed under in today's modern society. Written in 19th century England in the romantic era, Jane Austen wrote about what she knew. In a time where men controlled most things, she chose to write a novel predominantly about women, their place in society, and the roles that they played. In that particular era, when men dominated both the social and political world, women would not have given a thought to the structure of their lives. It was common for a woman to grow up with her life's only goal being to be secure herself a suitable husband. The only career option a woman had at that time was to become a governess. In today's society, where women are free to wear what they like and aspire to become involved in a great many careers, it would seem that in comparison to the women in the novel, we take a great many things for granted.
             Upon reading Pride and Prejudice, my first impression was that the main women characters in the novel were strong women, and that it seemed that men had very little influence over them. So being asked to do a feminist reading of Pride and Prejudice, I found myself lost, how could I show the gender struggles of women when I had found none. However, after returning to the text, it became apparent that there were many things I had overlooked. Yes, these women were all very strong, but the restrictions placed upon them were of great strength too. Once one finds these restrictions and examines them more closely, they are able to see just how limited the choices of women were.
             Pride and Prejudice is centred around the Bennet family and the marriages and connections of which the family make. In England in this period of time the main purpose in a woman's life is to marry. Love is a rarity that do...