How does social power compare and contrast from Austin's time to current day American society? What sources of social power exist today that didn't then? How do those similarities and differences affect people's choices in marriage?
Explore examples of Collins & Darcy
Similarities between Pride & Prejudice and today
Paragraph One:
-Gender: men hold the power
- Men choose who to dance with at balls - women gain status based on being chosen
- Collins chooses Elizabeth, then Charlotte
- Darcy holds back to see who he will choose
- Men still dominate society
- Men still propose marriage to women & rarely vice versa - shows that men have the power
Paragraph Two:
-Wealth
- Collins has power to choose a wife because he will inherit Mr. Bennet's property
- Darcy and Bingley's wealth allows them the freedom to marry any woman they want
- People still marry for money & have more social power & options if they are wealthy
- Still common enough that it's not surprising to see an older, unattractive man in an expensive sports car with a much younger, much more attractive wife
Differences between Pride & Prejudice and today
Paragraph Three:
-Gender & Wealth - not as pronounced now
- Women have more equality than 200 years ago, can now support themselves without men
- Earning power gives women more choice in marriage
- Also more diversity and acceptance of different lifestyles - marriage is not the only acceptable path
- Women can decline to marry without fearing poverty & social rejection
-New sources of social power
- More social mobility today - people can climb the social ladder
- Fame is probably a greater source of social power than wealth or gender now (but fame often leads to wealth)
- A lot of pop culture (rap, hip-hop, fashion, sports, dance...) starts with lower classes and moves up
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