Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is about the Bennet Family who lives at their Longbourn estate, situated near the village of Meryton in England. Mrs Bennet's desire is to marry off her five daughters to secure their futures. The arrival of Mr Bingley, a wealthy bachelor who rents the neighboring Netherfield estate, gives her hope. At a ball, the family is introduced to Mr Bingley, who appears interested in Jane, the eldest Bennet daughter. Mr. Darcy, said to be twice as wealthy as Mr. Bingley, is haughty and aloof, causing a dislike of him. After accusing Elizabeth of not being “handsome enough”, and getting attracted to her, his first proposal for marriage is declined. Darcy then brings Bingley out and away from the Bennets, causing Jane to become heartbroken. After more visits, troubles, and proposals, Elizabeth is surprised by Darcy's behavior and grows fond of him, even coming to regret rejecting his proposal. Finally, after Elizabeth’s sister Lydia runs away, Darcy again proposes to her and is accepted. A main part of the novel centers on the requests of women, like how they should act and behave.
The requests to women show how they should be in order to be successful. People often had different ideas of how women had to act, depending on the condition and time. In the story, one of the most common ideas for the requests to women is having good manners. In the excerpt of ‘All Young Ladies Accomplished’, women needed to be able to please others, especially males, in which they might marry. When Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Barcy was talking about Miss Darcy, they regarded her as being tall and polite, as of having good manners. Manners are usually an essential piece to everyone, not only females. Even males need these types of requirements in order to thrive. Plus, it's not only the manners either that makes one stand out. There are also skills and different abilities that one has that can make up for the requests of women. Requests to women show how and what they have to do to be able to be successful in life.
Skills and women's abilities also prove as an important point in the requests to females. Important skills that are set during the time of the story may include knitting, playing instruments, or cooking. In the story, Miss Bibgley, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy all agreed on the fact that Miss Darcy is very accomplished for her age, meaning that it is very rare for someone her age to behave like that. They also suggested that her skills on the piano are very exquisite. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is very skilled. The story also suggests that “no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word”. It simply implies the importance of knowing things and being able to do them. Although different skills have different levels of intensity and importance, they are still all very essential. Anything like music or languages can prove that one is very knowledgeable and knows what they need to do in order to fulfill the requirements for women.
Elegance is one of the most important points in the requests to females. Womens’ abilities might be their strong point, but others tend more towards their looks and appearance. In the story, during the conversation, the three said that Miss Darcy was very pretty and had amazing facial features. And it's not just the facial features. How one dresses up and their style also matter, especially how they talk and how they walk. During the conversation, it was also suggested that “I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united.”. Elegance and especially style is what one thinks of when mentioning requests to females. Some people consider that looks as something that decides their future, as if they look good and are elegant, they will be able to marry a rich man and lead a successful life. If they are ugly and gauche, no one would want to marry them. Elegance is a must have ability for some, and it does come in handy a lot of times.
Manners, skills, and elegance, are all key points that create the requests to females. Manners help one stand out from everyone else as being polite, which can help a lot later on in life. Even if one has the slightest bit of kindness and politeness in them, others can immediately spot them and make judgements based on that. Skills also serve as an important piece. Skills like knitting, playing instruments, and cleaning are some of the most important ones. The story even says that a woman needs the knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and knowing foreign languages. Elegance can be expressed in both style and appearance. Some people refer to being elegant through their facial features. Others look more into elegance in terms of what they are wearing and how they should be like, including how they walk and how they talk.
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