Group+J

**__ Class Structure __** In Pride and Prejudice there is an evident class strucutre that rules throughout the novel. This class structure effects the relationships that are developed as a result of a restriciton between which classes can interact. In the novel, there is no such mention of the lower class. The only element of the lower class that has been generated in the novel is the servants and maids in the houses. Characters of the upper class are very proud of their status and often acted with prejudice towards middle class characters. The upper class come across as snobby as they have standards and do not want​ to lower themselves. They often saw them as their inferior e.g. the way Mr Darcy acted towards Elizabeth in the beginning of the novel, the way the Bingley sisters acted towards the Bennets. The class structure in Pride and Prejudice greatly affects the women in the novel. The only way for the women to lift their social status and lift their wealth for their future is to marry a wealthy man who was entailed to a good future. This is why Mrs Bennet (the girl's mother) pushes so hard for her girls to find a wealthy man however, in the case of Elizabeth and Darcy, Darcy sees Elizabeth as a lower standard than he should have.

__Does a class structure exist in contemporary American society?__  In Australia there is a similar class structure to the one evident in the novel. There is the Upper class (rich), the middle class (average people) and then their is the lower class (poor, lower scale jobs). The class structure in Australia is however not as discriminatory as the one in the novel and people from different classes do mix, communicate and marry each other. This could be a result of changing views, values and culture. The class system is not as evident in smaller towns, however in the cities and capital cities of each state it is quite evident and one can pick out the upper, middle and lower class citizens.


 * = Characters ||= Social Class ||= Behavior/Attitude ||= Success in Society ||
 * = Elizabeth Bennet ||= Middle Class ||= Elizabeth really dislikes Mr. Darcy but loves her sisters. She is very opinionated, outgoing, and isn't conceited like Mr. Darcy. ||= Very good at Networking ||
 * = Mr. Darcy ||= Upper Class ||= Mr. Darcy at first tends to be a very rude and disrepectful human being. He sees himself as better than everyone else because he makes a lot of money. He falls in love with Elizabeth and is honest but overly opinionated. ||= Very successful in Society ||
 * = Mr. Bingley ||= Upper Class ||= Mr. Bingley begins to like Jane at the ball. He is a kind and generous man and even though he makes a lot of money he doesn't see lower class people as undeserving. ||= Loved by many people including the royalty. Women love him, very successful. ||
 * = Miss Bingley (Mr. Bingley's unmarried sister) ||= Upper Class ||= Snobby sister of Mr. Bingley. She looks down on Elizabeth for being of the middle class. She tries to get Darcy's attention, but it pushes he towards Elizabeth more. ||= Success in Society based on brother's status. ||
 * = Mr. Collins ||= Middle Class ||= Mr. Collins is a dumb, arrogant man. Delcares Lady Catherine as his patroness. ||= No real social status of his own. ||
 * = Lady Catherine deBourgh (great aunt of Mr. Darcy) ||= Upper Class ||= A rich, bossy woman. Lady Catherine is the aunt of Darcy and Mr. Collins' patron. She does not like the interest between Darcy and Elizabeth. ||= Noblewoman. Well connected. ||
 * = Mr. Wickham ||= Lower Class ||= A very handsome and charming militia officer. Has a bad background, that is brought up by Darcy to get Elizabeth away from him. ||= ? ||