Representation of gender inequality and marriage norms in Jane Austen’s works within early nineteenth-century British society

Bhavna

Representation of gender inequality and marriage norms in Jane Austen’s works within early nineteenth-century British society

Author(s)	Bhavna
Country	India
Abstract	This article examines the representation of gender inequality and marriage norms in Jane Austen’s selected works within the context of early nineteenth-century British society. Austen’s novels are often read as domestic romances, but they also function as subtle social critiques of patriarchy, class hierarchy, inheritance practices, and women’s economic dependence. The study focuses on how marriage operates not only as an emotional relationship but also as a social and economic institution that determines women’s security, status, and respectability. Through novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion, Austen presents women negotiating restrictive gender roles, family pressure, property limitations, and social expectations. Characters such as Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, Fanny Price, Emma Woodhouse, and Anne Elliot reveal different forms of female agency, moral judgment, and resistance within a patriarchal society. The article argues that Austen does not reject marriage itself; rather, she criticizes marriages based only on wealth, rank, convenience, or social pressure. Her ideal marriage is presented as a relationship grounded in mutual respect, emotional maturity, moral compatibility, and equality of feeling. Therefore, Austen’s fiction should be understood not merely as romantic narrative but as a meaningful exploration of women’s limited choices and their struggle for dignity, self-respect, and agency in a male-dominated world.
Keywords	Jane Austen, gender inequality, marriage norms, patriarchy, female agency, early nineteenth-century British society, inheritance, class hierarchy.
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-01-06

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Representation of gender inequality and marriage norms in Jane Austen’s works within early nineteenth-century British society

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