Examples of conformity in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen?

Answer 1

Conformity in the form of marrying for convenience instead of love.

Eg 1: Mr Collins proposal to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is expected to accept Mr Collins' offer of marriage so she can save the rest of her sisters from destitution when their father dies. Elizabeth refuses to conform to the social norm of that era by rejecting Mr Collins' offer. Instead she decides to wait for true love (Mr Darcy).

Eg 2: Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas accepts Mr Collins' offer of marriage as she is getting old and needs to find a husband because she has no money of her own. She conforms by marrying for convenience instead of love because she felt she had no choice.

Answer 2

The Georgian society had strict rules about precedence, about proper and improper wealth. The Gardiners are despised by the Bingley sisters because they are merchants - a profession judged unsuited for a gentleman of the epoch. As for the Lucas family, they are honoured by those beneath them, whereas the snobs (once again, including here the Bingley sisters) have little consideration for them as: 1. they had once accumulated wealth through trade, for which reason they received a title, 2. they had lost most of the respective fortune to such an extent that the Lucas girls have little chances of marrying well.

Another type of double standard is more personal: Caroline Bingley mocks everything Lizzie does (even the good things) and highly praises Georgina Darcy, even when the latter is terribly embarrassed by these praises.

Answer 3

In Pride and Prejudice, conformity is evident in characters like Charlotte Lucas, who marries Mr. Collins for financial security rather than love, conforming to societal expectations of women marrying for status and security. Additionally, the character of Mrs. Bennet constantly pressures her daughters to conform to the norms of society by marrying wealthy men, reflecting the pressure for women to conform to societal expectations of marriage and social status. Throughout the novel, characters navigate the balance between conforming to societal norms and following their own desires.