Introduction
This essay examined how folks in the two stories dealt with what society expected. The first story is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. It took place long ago in England when folks had to follow many rules due to their class. Elizabeth refused to do what was expected of girls, and Mr. Darcy changed how he saw type. The other story was On Beauty by Zadie Smith. It happened now and talked about race, school, and gender. Kiki questioned what she was supposed to look like, and Howard focused on his studies in new ways. Both stories showed characters who didn’t always do what others thought they should. By exploring them, we can learn about how norms have changed but stayed the same. Looking at the characters can help us see the ongoing fight against what society wants. While the paper looked specifically at those two books, it believes the issues relate to today, too. Examining the characters prompts us to continually shape norms to create a more equal and inclusive future for all.
Background Information
In England long ago, folks had to follow many strict rules about who they could marry. Those with money and essential families had the highest places in society. Getting hitched wasn’t just about who you loved but making sure your kids would be taken care of and your name meant something. The ladies also had to fit the right mold and get paired with someone suitable for their family’s name. The book shows how everyone felt they had to act in ways that folks expected. It was tough for the characters to pick what their heart wanted against what they were told to do (Austen 4). The book shows all the proper ways people had to talk and act around others and how love needed to take the right path for their status. It gives an accurate picture of what those times were like and all the pressures shaping what the characters did each day.
Rather than draw parallels with the era depicted in “Pride and Prejudice,” Zadie Smith’s novel “On Beauty” is set during a markedly transitional time when the seeds of change only began to take root and blossom. It happened about 20 years ago in America when folks were still figuring stuff out (Fitzgerald 46). The characters in it, primarily these two named Kiki and Howard, don’t always act how others think they should because of how they look or what they study. How people see each other and what’s seen as good-looking gets mixed into the story, showing how life is diverse nowadays. The ever-shifting concept of normality progresses as our varied array of cultures and notions continually intermingle and advance one another in a progressively globalized world. The book draws a picture of a university that shows how what we expect from intelligent people evolves as things change in a community with many kinds of individuals, highlighting the troubles the characters face against what most folks assume.
This passage tells how two novels show how folks live up to what others expect and decide things for themselves. The books take place long ago and now, but both talk about what society thinks we must do and what we choose to do. No matter when their story happens, Pride and Prejudice and On Beauty focus on this same big idea (Crozier 89). They invite readers to consider whether these struggles mean something to us today as we try to fit in and be who we are. In Pride and Prejudice, the characters must obey rules from long ago. Beauty’s characters deal with today’s hard things, like getting along with different folks. But the core of both tales is about balancing what others think we should be, with what’s truly in our hearts. This battle to find harmony between outside views and our internal truths will likely persist through the generations. The novels lighten this timeless human drama, leaving modern audiences to ponder its resonance in our multicultural, complicated world.
Social Norms in Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen carefully looked at how folks in England acted in the olden days, showing all the different types of groups and what they had to do. Long ago, if you came from a wealthy family or got lots of money and land, you were higher up in society when someone passed. It wasn’t just about money, though – you also got respect and could tell others what to do. Mr. Darcy was one of those wealthy, and everyone knew he’d marry someone equally rich and essential (Proulx 106). Folks like Elizabeth Bennet had it more challenging to fit into society with all its rules. She had to judiciously consider with whom she associated, considering their standing in the community. Her and others’ struggles show how tough it was dealing with society’s expectations and how they had to be clever to get around them sometimes.
The passage covers how society saw gender roles back in the day, wrapped in Pride and Prejudice. It says that ladies were meant to act politely and find a good husband. The book challenges this with Elizabeth Bennet. She wasn’t your typical woman from that time as she was clever and intelligent, going her way without caring what others thought. While most girls had to get married, Elizabeth did what she wanted and used her head (Qiao and Wang 506). Austen shows how hard it was for women with all the social rules telling them how to behave. It also shows what could happen if a gal didn’t follow what everyone else did. The story highlights how individuals can choose their path even if society wants them to act similarly.
In Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice,” the connection between marriage, class standing, and gender roles is strongly knit together. The story shows that marriage isn’t only about love and plans to guarantee your financial security and status in society. How the characters see marriage – like how Mr. Collins only thinks about what will help his situation or how Elizabeth refuses to do what people expect – shows how personal wants mix with what society says is right (Sha’bäni et al. 78). By exploring marriage as something that joins two lives by social rules, Austen thoughtfully looks at how traditions can restrict people’s choices. Readers are invited to think about how expectations from the community still shape individual destinies today.
Social Norms in On Beauty
Zadie Smith’s novel “On Beauty” takes us into today’s world, looking at how folks see each other. It shows how stuff like race and looks shape what we expect. This black lady Kiki has to deal with what people think cause how she looks and where she comes from. The book looks closely at how our images of different kinds of people affect their lives. Kiki’s experience illuminates the profound difficulty one may face in feeling comfortable within their own culture when broader society pressures them to conform to particular expectations. It gives a deep look at how race makes life complicated now.
So, this book talked about how folks see stuff differently based on race and gender. It said this guy Howard was studying’ art but thought about things differently than most others. He didn’t think race should matter for what one studies. The story dug into how traditions and new ideas clash, asking’ what even counts as fancy learning’ and culture (Smith 156). It looked at how schools change with the times. Howard challenged what one expects from intelligent people because of his skin and actions. The novel really got into norms for all sorts – gender, who one loves, all of it. It showed how characters felt their roles were changing and all the layers to fit today. Overall, it uncovered the complicated rules of society now and how folks see each other differently than before.
Character Analysis in Pride and Prejudice
While Liz Bennet went against societal expectations, her independent spirit shone through as she marched to the beat of her own drum in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”. She possessed both intellect and wit far beyond what conventional expectations demanded of her. When Mr. Collins asked Liz to marry him even though she didn’t like him, just so she’d have money and stuff, she said no way! Many girls back then felt like they got to marry whoever could financially support them (Smith 221). But Liz wanted to marry for love instead of cash. Against expectations of conformity, she boldly chose to follow her path freely. Plus, Liz spoke her mind and didn’t care what other people thought of her strong opinions. She challenged all the limits they put on women during the time in old England. Liz Bennet proved that you don’t need to follow stupid rules about how women should act, which added to the book’s message about how ladies had it rough in the early 1800s.
Initially, the gentleman was uncertain. Darcy came across as stuck-up and distant because he was from an influential family. But things changed between him and Elizabeth. Even though most people felt Darcy should only marry another rich person, he fell for Elizabeth, who wasn’t as rich (Smith 156). By the end, Darcy was more stuck on social class than before. It was weird to see Darcy change so much, given his background. Yet what happened showed love can change a person and help them see past what others think is right. Now Darcy didn’t feel the need to only be with other rich folks to keep up appearances. Things between him and Elizabeth prove that social class shouldn’t keep them apart if someone likes another person. The story makes it clear people have more power than they realize to not let society control who they care about. By the end, Darcy knew following his heart mattered most, not silly social rules. This proved individuals can challenge what others expect if they want to be happy.
Character Analysis in On Beauty
Zadie Smith’s novel “On Beauty” introduces folks whose personal journeys provide deep insights into how society sees things. Kiki, the main character in the story, starts a profound exploration of norms about beauty and her own self. As a black woman, Kiki wrestles with expectations tied to her race, challenging the usual views of beauty. The book looks into her struggle to accept herself and how she handles norms about beauty that often leave out or put down people based on their skin color or where they come from (Smith 189). Kiki’s character becomes a way for Smith to examine how society’s standards affect how someone sees themself, getting readers to confront the strong effect of beauty norms in shaping how an individual thinks of their looks.
Howard questions his field’s conventional wisdom in the book. He examines art but does things differently from how white people usually do. Even though most students are white, Howard shows it’s possible for other folks, too. His work shows the rules for what kinds of folks can do specific jobs are sometimes wrong. Howard’s character provocatively causes readers to ponder deeply what societal demands are placed upon specific collections of individuals and when such anticipations perhaps require modification (Qiao and Wang 312). The author, Smith, writes real characters, letting the reader explore tricky questions about pushing against what others might expect due to looks or background in different areas of life, like beauty or intelligence.
Comparative Analysis
While “Pride and Prejudice” and “On Beauty” had similarities, they also differed on societal standards facing the characters. Both novels centered around defiance of marriage norms. Elizabeth, from one book, and Kiki, from the other, challenged typical gender roles and the idea that a woman is only as worthy as her ability to find a proper husband. The girls valued being their person and choosing what made them cheerful over following what others expected (Smith 175). The universal battle against female restrictions in different ages was shown. The stories delivered this clash between personal independence and social limits in old and new approaches.
The books are different in how they looked at what folks thought. While one mainly talked about class groups and how that affected relationships between people, the other went into things like race, school, and what beauty meant. Some characters in the second book, especially this one guy, faced hard choices about who they were and what they did in a world with folks from all around and smart folks too (Qiao and Wang 201). This pointed to more expectations and challenges in the second compared to the first set in old England, taking the talk farther than that time. Comparing the two showed what they had in common and how their characters resisted what people desired, revealing what was true everywhere and what was local.
Literary Techniques
Pride and Prejudice and On Beauty use excellent literary tools such as irony, mockery, and humor to challenge dumb rules and change how folk see stuff. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses irony and sarcasm to show how ridiculous expectations were back in Regency times. Even the title is ironic ’cause it acts like pride and prejudice are just some folks’ problems when the whole society had those issues. The novel’s humor often helps point out problems, too, with witty talks and ironic situations shedding light on how dumb class lines and marriage hopes were. Elizabeth Bennet’s sharp tongue and ironic views mainly help dispute societal norms, showing how humor can weaken unfair social structures.
In “On Beauty,” Zadie Smith shows how an idea can be viewed differently. The story uses funny ways to see how folks think about race, school, and what folks see as lovely looks. Smith skillfully mixes humor in the story, using it as a means to highlight the contradictions and stuff that don’t match up with what folks expect society to be. The character of Howard, with his schoolwork and times against what’s seen as regular, becomes a source of both humor and powerful critique (Sha’bäni et al.). Additionally, the novel’s place—a university where folks learn—becomes a strategic place for jokes, as the schoolroom is cut up for its pretending and biases. Combining comedy and social commentary shows the authors’ ability to handle essential topics with humor, making social issues entertaining but thought-provoking.
The role of where folks spend time and what’s around them really shows how characters react to what others expect. In Pride and Prejudice, the nice but boring feel of the English countryside and busy, fancy places in London make it very clear how folks in society want people to act. Where everything happens shows the characters’ limits and chances and how that affects their choices and talks. Like in On Beauty, where people learn becomes like a small world version of what smart folks today think is important. You can feel the clash between old-school, bright places and new ways of thinking hard about stuff in how the characters talk to each other in that place. Choosing the correct backgrounds helps viewers understand how society’s norms affect characters and how being there affects what they say and decide.
Critical Perspectives on Pride and Prejudice
This passage discusses how magazines often discuss the deep meaning hidden in Jane Austen’s classic stories. Publications like “Nineteenth-Century Literature” and “Austen Studies” normally feature articles that dig deep into the society back then, how the characters act with each other, and the big ideas Austen wrote about. For one thing, essays on “Nineteenth-Century Literature” may examine how class and gender affected someone like Elizabeth Bennett. They help us see how she challenged what folks thought was normal in an unexpected way. At the same time, “Austen Studies” could give serious thought to techniques Austen used for writing and how she secretly criticized the rules of her time using humor and sarcasm.
Right off the bat, “Pride and Prejudice: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, Reviews, and Essays in Criticism” edited by Donald Gray had a ton of deep papers that could seriously improve how we see Jane Austen’s story. Those essays from the collection might shine a light on how folks have made sense of Austen’s work since way back when and how it impacted books and society altogether. Students may explore how folks’ ideas about things like class, marriage, and gender roles within the novel evolved over time. Highlighting significant elements from those articles may help someone comprehend how historians have assessed and praised Austen’s character and social critique, especially why “Pride and Prejudice” remains relevant to modern society.
Critical Perspectives on Beauty
The articles in magazines like “Studies in the Novel” took an authentic close look at Zadie Smith’s book “On Beauty” and had a lot to say about what it was getting at and how folks saw it. They dug deep into the story and what it was trying to show about society. The essays examined how the author talked about things like race, looks, and learning and made sense of the complex tale through current social norms. The perspectives from magazines like that helped expand how the novel affected literary discussions and cultural conversations. Plus, pulling insights from how critics reacted to the book sheds light on how others in the world of books and regular readers made of it and what they thought it meant. These opinions may have talked about how the work added to talks about race, school, and beauty, giving more context for grasping the broader effects of Smith’s writing within modern literature and cultural discussions.
Impact on Contemporary Society
The analysis of characters challenging typical ways in “Pride and Prejudice” and “On Beauty” really impacts people now, pointing out how vital such struggles are. Even today, what society expects from folks, depending on their gender, skin color, and money, still affects their choices and chances. Elizabeth Bennet needed to follow what was typical for girls. Mr. Darcy changing how he saw things connected to money means a lot to the ongoing search for folks controlling their lives despite usual solid ways. Like that, “On Beauty” talks about modern issues like how folks see their skin color, beauty, and school, too. Kiki exploring beauty and Howard’s school work go against what society usually expects now, showing that even after progress, people still have to deal with complex nets of typical ways and beliefs about groups.
For this text, the writer aims to show how novels from long ago can aid modern discussions on social justice. Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice stood against what folks thought ladies should do, giving hope to the fight for gender fairness. The books invite readers to question the rules of the day and reconsider what society expects to spot where some standards may fuel treating groups unequally. Following what the characters go through, current talks could use a careful look at topics found in the works, helping folks better understand others. These novels show the protracted battle for rights and a society where all are treated the same, offering valuable insights that may encourage progress toward a more inclusive and welcoming world for individuals of all kinds.
Personal Reflection
While the tales within “Pride and Prejudice” and “On Beauty” initially enthralled me through their portrayals of societal norms and human behavior during that era, it was through analyzing the intricacies of how each character and relationship was shaped by the standards of the time that I gained meaningful insight into the social structures of the past. The description Jane Austen provided in “Pride and Prejudice” of what life was like for women at that time made me contemplate whether all that much has altered in that respect since then. Elizabeth’s indifference to others’ judgments and commitment to her own path were admirable traits that I appreciated. It surprised me how hard it was for girls way back when. Upon further inspection, I noticed the present situation shares similarities yet also exhibits novel variances compared to past circumstances. Sure, laws are different, but how some people still think girls should act isn’t so different from how it was. Elizabeth gave me the courage to ignore what people expect just because of my gender. Her story resonated deeply with me, serving as a poignant reminder of the importance of advocating for the just treatment of every individual, regardless of personal attributes or affiliations.
Zadie Smith’s “On Beauty” allowed me to look at how folks act based on what others think is essential. The story talks about what’s good to look like, how intelligent people must work, and what it’s like trying hard at school. I could relate to the characters dealing with all that pressure and how Kiki worries a lot about how she seems to others just from how she looks. Or how Howard has it rough at his fancy college cause others judge him before knowing. One’s perception of how others view them can profoundly influence one’s sense of self-worth and identity. The book mentions that diversity and smartness don’t mean just one way. We must eliminate thoughts that aren’t real about race and skills.
The profound changes between the era when Pride and Prejudice were published and modern times left me in disbelief at how vastly society had evolved in certain areas over the long stretch of intervening years. Even though folks with money and status still have it easy, at least girls don’t have to worry so much about finding a husband. Like that Elizabeth girl, girls now have more choices than getting hitched. This other book, On Beauty, talked about how black people used to be treated differently and how important it is for everyone’s voices to be heard nowadays. It also brought up how magazines and junk always say what people should look like and how that’s still messing with folks’ heads today. While reflecting on the passage of time, much has evolved since the release of those texts, yet certain facets have remained unchanged.
However, things shifted strangely as well, showing how what folks thought would be right changed through the years. The story about what it meant to be different depending on looks or where your family came from got more mind-boggling, like you were trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. The books together show that what society expects isn’t set in stone; some beliefs stick around while others fade away when times change for the better. Reading these stories gave me a more profound way to think about how what society thinks mixes with what folks want for themselves, making me want fairness and respect for everyone down the road.
Conclusion
This essay concludes by considering how two novels from different times illuminate how folks struggle with fitting in with what society expects. Jane Austen’s book about the Bennett sisters in Regency England indicates that gender-quality fights are old. Recent Zadie Smith stories explore complex subjects, including ethnicity and appearance. Both reports highlight the constant conflict between doing what others desire and being yourself. From Elizabeth pushing back to Kiki and Howard opposing current conventions, the characters represent humanity’s struggle to be honest while facing social constraints. These literary works inspire readers to imagine how social rules may be changed for a more just society. They recognize these stories still have much to tell us as we rebuild conventions to pursue justice and understanding in our complicated society where all kinds of people live together.
Works Cited
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