Pressure to become a wife

It has been interesting to see how different periods of the history have taken a firm stance on marriage. Becoming a "wife" it has been an idea that it is put on women's minds as a way of reaching not only an aim but also to be completely a "woman".



What I find interesting is the comparison that can be made between what does it mean to be a wife now and then. In Pride and Prejudice Mr.Bennet and Mrs.Bennet try to give the best to their daughters to reach the aim of becoming a wife. An important point of consideration is the age of the sisters. However, as  is well known, Jane Austen did not specify about the age of the protagonists although it is assumed that the story is centered on young people. In fact, in the majority of the representations of the novel (movies and documentaries), the main characters seem to be around twenty or even less.


If we make a connection between the reality women in Pride and Prejudice and  what women experience nowadays in terms of getting married, it is possible to state that the age in which women  feel more pressure to get married has changed. I would say that in today's world a woman that turns 40 years old without a husband can surely experience a big social pressure. Although more and more women have decided is to remain single by choice, still it is not one hundred percent accepted by society.



However, the pressure put on women it is also put on men. From a traditional perspective, it has been set up  women's roles and men's and it is needed to point out that both have to fulfill with especial characteristics.  On one hand, women need to be attractive and smart enough to be elegible to be a wife (in general terms). On the other hand, men have to be economically stable and need to flirt with girls until find the right one. 

As I can see it, I do not see a huge difference between the women's reality in Pride and Prejudice and the reality that women are actually living. In fact, I can only see a progression but I do not see that this belief has been completely erradicated. Certainly, women are  much more independent than centuries ago since nowadays women are open to get a job or going to College. In spite of that, the majority of conservative countries and communities still believe that a woman has to have a man who can hold her life.

"Marriage in Pride and Prejudice." 123HelpMe.com. 27 Oct 2014 

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/if-pride-and-prejudice-took-place-today-jane-would-have-to-be-40/373874/

http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2012/08/austens-pride-and-prejudice.html