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Essay / The theme of social class in “Persuasion”
“Persuasion,” written by Jane Austen in 1817, is a novel that addresses major social and cultural issues related to living in a patriarchal society, in which social class is considered to be very important. Through this we are able to draw contrasts and similarities between modern times and the 19th century. Social class presents the theme in various ways such as: through marriage, class issues, the way people behave due to class, as well as the superficiality of class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Marriage plays a vital role throughout the novel, and social class is important in this regard because it seemingly dictates who one should or should not marry. This is manifested by saying: “he had acquired independence by uniting with a rich woman of inferior birth”. The verb "purchased" conjures up an image to make it seem like a transaction instead of pursuing love, and this is further emphasized by the noun "independence", which creates a plethora of meanings and lets the reader create their own. interpretations. One of them could be that he breaks social norms by marrying someone outside his class, and thus becoming a little more independent because he is not dependent on social contradictions. Additionally, since it is difficult to climb the social ladder to be highly regarded, you must have been born rich, not self-made, as you would still be considered "low born". The 19th century reader may be more understanding of this subject, as it is common for people to marry only within their own class, and to marry someone who is not considered to have the same status as you is frowned upon. However, this is very contrasting from the point of view of today's readers, because nowadays marriage has almost no barriers and we are a more tolerant society. It is clear that the social hierarchy presented is flawed for various reasons, an example of this is presented by saying: "First, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth to undue distinction and of elevating men to honors that their fathers and grandfathers never dreamed of. » The adjective “obscure” demonstrates that if you are born into a certain wealth or position, you will be rejected and looked down upon in society. In addition to this, the adjective “undue” demonstrates how your future would have already arisen. The negative adverb “never” demonstrates how unattainable he seems, which is completely juxtaposed to what the modern reader may be thinking. Apparently we, the reader today, feel that we are capable of working where we want to be, and that the place where we were born does not represent our future, but that may be completely different from what thought the 19th century public. would think, because this is what society can consider normal. Being of high social status makes you feel superior to others, however when Elizabeth and her father are in the presence of someone of even higher status, Anne says that she: "wishes they had more of pride; for “our cousins Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carteret”; “our cousins, the Dalrymples,” rang in his ears all day long. The comparative “more” demonstrates that Elizabeth and her father lack pride when it comes to knowing someone of higher social standing. The use of the personal pronoun “our” demonstrates how, through these social connections, they can be considered highly ranked. By exaggerating the amount mentioned by Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carteret due to the saying "all..