In this excerpt from Pride and Prejudice, social mobility is expressed through the dramatic shift in Mrs.
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The excerpt below is from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Write a text in which you interpret and discuss what is expressed about social mobility in the excerpt. Compare this to how social mobility is expressed in a literary text, film or television series that you have studied.
Background:
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bennet has just announced she will marry Mr Darcy despite her mother’s intense dislike of him. To Lizzie's surprise, her mother has a change of heart due to Mr Darcy's social standing and the size of his income and fortune.
When her mother went up to her dressing-room at night, she followed her, and made the important communication. Its effect was most extraordinary; for, on first hearing it, Mrs. Bennet sat quite still, and unable to utter a syllable. Nor was it under many, many minutes, that she could comprehend what she heard, though not in general backward to credit what was for the advantage of her family, or that came in the shape of a lover to any of them. She began at length to recover, to fidget about in her chair, get up, sit down again, wonder, and bless herself.
“Good gracious! Lord bless me! only think! dear me! Mr. Darcy! Who would have thought it? And is it really true? Oh, my sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have! Jane’s is nothing to it—nothing at all. I am so pleased—so happy. Such a charming man! so handsome! so tall! Oh, my dear Lizzy! pray apologize for my having disliked him so much before. I hope he will overlook it. Dear, dear Lizzy. A house in town! Everything that is charming! Three daughters married! Ten thousand a year! Oh, Lord! what will become of me? I shall go distracted.”
This was enough to prove that her approbation need not be doubted; and Elizabeth, rejoicing that such an effusion was heard only by herself, soon went away. But before she had been three minutes in her own room, her mother followed her.
“My dearest child,” she cried, “I can think of nothing else. Ten thousand a year*, and very likely more! ’Tis as good as a lord! And a special licence—you must and shall be married by a special licence. But, my dearest love, tell me what dish Mr. Darcy is particularly fond of, that I may have it to-morrow.”
This was a sad omen of what her mother’s behaviour to the gentleman himself might be; and Elizabeth found that, though in the certain possession of his warmest affection, and secure of her relations’ consent, there was still something to be wished for. But the morrow passed off much better than she expected; for Mrs. Bennet luckily stood in such awe of her intended son-in-law, that she ventured not to speak to him, unless it was in her power to offer him any attention, or mark her deference for his opinion.
*This level of income would place Mr Darcy among the richest people in the nation.
A special permission to marry given only to nobility.
Reference:
Austen, J. Pride and Prejudice (1813). Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1342/pg1342-images.html#CHAPTER_LIX
In this excerpt from Pride and Prejudice, social mobility is expressed through the dramatic shift in Mrs. Bennet's attitude toward Mr. Darcy after learning of his wealth and status. Initially, Mrs. Bennet is openly hostile toward Darcy, but upon discovering his substantial fortune and high social standing, her opinion changes entirely. She begins to imagine the luxurious life her daughter Elizabeth will lead as a result of the marriage—"What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have!" This change reflects the powerful role that wealth and status play in social mobility during Austen's time. Mrs. Bennet’s shift in attitude highlights how a person’s social rank can determine their value in society, and her desire for her daughters to marry into wealth underscores the social stratification of the period. The idea of moving up the social ladder through marriage is emphasized by her focus on Darcy’s income, and the ultimate possibility of reaching a status as high as that of the nobility—"’Tis as good as a lord!"
The notion of social mobility is not just about personal effort or merit but is instead tied to family connections and financial security. Elizabeth's initial refusal to marry Darcy due to personal feelings is contrasted with her mother's pragmatic desire to secure her daughter's position in society. This illustrates the tension between personal desires and the societal pressures of the time.
Comparing this to the 2016 film The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrmann, social mobility is also a central theme. In the film, Jay Gatsby rises from humble beginnings to a position of immense wealth, yet his efforts to move up the social ladder are constantly thwarted by the rigid class distinctions of 1920s America. Despite Gatsby's wealth, his inability to be accepted by the old-money elite highlights how social mobility is not always achievable, regardless of financial success. Much like in Pride and Prejudice, Gatsby's wealth is not enough to transcend social barriers, as he is still judged by his origins, just as Mrs. Bennet judges Darcy by his fortune rather than his character.
In both Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby, social mobility is intricately linked to wealth, but both texts also expose the limitations of this mobility. The social structures of their respective periods impose strict boundaries, making it clear that wealth alone cannot guarantee full acceptance or personal fulfillment.