Social problems and moral values in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

The objectives of this study are to find out the social problems presented in the novel Pride and Prejudice and to reveal the moral values in this novel.

The data of this study were from the novel Pride and Prejudice, and the structural approach was used in this research.

Two major subjects are found: social Problems and moral values. The first concerns women’s position, a gap between the upper and lower classes, and matchmaking. In Pride and Prejudice, women are portrayed as being weak. They have no economic independence. In marriage, they tend to marry for property and security. For this, they will marry a man who is very rich and marry for a comfortable home. Women are also expected to be always beautiful and accomplished. A gap of the upper and the lower classes can be seen through the social manner of the upper class toward the lower. Forbidden marriage among people of the upper and the lower class is another case in this. Meanwhile, matchmaking among the members of the upper and among the persons from different classes can be seen another social problem. The second concern the facts that one should not judge a person by appearance; one cannot force another; pride of someone can cause prejudice of someone else; and it is not easy to understand one’s character. The following moral values are found: one can make friends with anybody though different in characters; experience is a good teacher; regrets always come late; parent’s teaching to children can influence personality in adults; reading books can make people wise; and wealth and rank can cause people to be haughty and selfish. The next moral values concern the facts that one should love and give affection to one’s siblings and that marriage by sex, beauty, and youth instead of morality, love and intelligence results in unhappiness.