Social Norm | 19th Century Gender and Sexuality

The Victorians looked down on the idea of governesses because they upset the social balance. They were educated women who broke away from their life course in order to explore paths that were not previously open to them. It was stated that “many left their quiet homes for the school-rooms of halls and castles” (569). Many governesses turned their back on their old comfortable lifestyles. This ended up costing them because they were forced to work for an income or resort to a marriage beneath their ranks in order to live in comfort. Therefore, they were taken advantage of by the families who hired them because of their desperation. Becoming victims of their own circumstance, governesses were seen as unhappy women who were wasting away their youth on the education of families of varying social rank. Their position held little prestige because of its overabundance on the market. All they accomplished was upsetting the social order of things.

Brontë’s portrayal of governesses goes against the societal views. It offers a circumstance where being a governess is better than the alternative. While Jane is a ward of the Reed’s, her life is very bleak there. She is unhappy and poorly treated by her peers on a regular basis. It is not until she moves to Lowood that she is able to pursue her own education and start up a life based on her own wants. Jane remarks: “I had the means of an excellent education placed within my reach; a fondness for some of my studies and a desire to excel in all…” (149). While before she was just a girl living in ignorance and isolation at the mercy of her guardian, now she is set on a path toward independence and is happier than she ever imagined possible. If one had to pick from the two options available, the one that she chose certainly appears to be more agreeable.

My name is Jordan Reeves, and I am majoring in English. I like to read books on my free time but never get the time to read as much as I would like. I cannot say that I have a favorite author but one of my preferred ones is George R.R. Martin. His work on the A Song of Ice and Fire series is inspirational.
It is hard to say whether The Pride and the Prejudice agrees with the Sermons for Young Women or not. The way that I see it is that it takes the literal meaning of the book while mocking the gender stereotypes and social norms that are being taught. In Fordyce’s book, he comments on the effect that women have on the male etiquette: “Those who are most conversant with women of virtue and understanding will always be found the most amiable characters, other circumstances being supposed alike” (396). His theory is that a man’s character is shaped by the kind of women that he associates himself with. In a way this is true because people in general are shaped by the kind of people that with whom they associate. We are very social creatures and that reflects in the way that society is able to dictate what is or is not considered appropriate. The Pride and The Prejudice both supports and mocks this idea with the way that Elizabeth is able to chip away at Mr. Darcy’s frosty exterior and make him a more amiable presence. Elizabeth is not considered a virtuous woman by the standards set by Fordyce and yet she is the woman who is able to turn Mr. Darcy into a kinder gentleman. At the beginning of the novel when Darcy is first introduced he is considered standoffish and refuses to dance with women who he is not already affiliated with. However, the more that he converses with Elizabeth over the course of their chance meetings, he finds himself becoming too comfortable around her. His satisfaction towards her departure from Netherfield speaks volumes: “…Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked…” (XII, 40). Elizabeth’s stay at the house meant that she and Darcy were constantly interacting. As he becomes more familiar with her and grows attached, his demeanor also begins to change. He even grows so attached that he asks Elizabeth to dance as a gentleman should where before he broke the social code by denying her when seeing that she was lonely.