For the most part, Daniel Deoe’s Robinson Crusoe tells a story of a man who lives on an island where the class of a person does not matter. Nevertheless, the concept of the middle class still plays a significant role in the book and its narrative. Robinson’s father is a man who believes that his son must not engage in any kind of risky activities such as sea voyages. Robinson’s father considers “middle State” to be the best way of living one’s life without being “exposed to the Miseries and Hardships” (Defoe 6).
Essentially, by “middle State,” he actually means living as a middle-class individual who does not experience either extreme poverty or any significant wealth. Yet, despite the desire of his father, Robinson still decided to avoid peaceful living and went on an adventure on a boat headed to London (Defoe 9). Essentially, Robinson ignored the advice of his father, which eventually led him to be stranded on an island.
Jane Austen, in her book Pride and Prejudice, shows a different side of middle-class living, one which involves a complex relationship with the representatives of other classes. Austen portrays a strict hierarchy in the society, which she depicts in the book. For instance, Elizabeth Bennet can be considered a middle-class woman who falls in love with Mr. Darcy, a representative of the aristocracy. When Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth for the first time, he does it in an insulting manner, saying, “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?” (Austen 215). Basically, he refers to the difference in their classes and thus highlights his superiority in comparison to Elizabeth and her family. Essentially, Pride and Prejudice enables the reader to gain an insight into the negative aspects of class society where status becomes more important than the character of a person.
Although Robinson Crusoe does not focus much on the female characters, there are still two important ones in the story. The first character is the mother of Robinson, who is dear to him and with whom he shares his desire to see the world and asks her to tell it to his father. Thus, Robinson’s mother is shown as a person who is close with her son to the point that he trusts her with indirectly conveying the message about his wishes to the father. Another female character in the book is the widow of Robinson’s friend, who for many years kept his property without knowing whether he was alive or dead. At the end of the book Robinson thanks her for her help and determination and sends her money since she lives in poverty (Defoe 241). Thus, in Robinson Crusoe, the female characters are shown as kind and loyal to Robinson.
In the case of Pride and Prejudice, the variety of female characters is more diverse, yet, the most important of them is certainly Elizabeth Bennet. It is through Elizabeth. Jane Austen wishes to demonstrate her view of women as independent and intelligent. For example, in a scene when Lady Catherine accuses Elizabeth of not being suitable for Mr. Darcy, the young woman shows her dignity.
Specifically, Elisabeth says, “I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness” (Austen 396). Essentially, she makes it clear to Lady Catherine that she herself decides what to do with her life and not her relatives or any other person. Thus, Jane Austen portrays women not as passive and simply following the order of their family and husbands, but independent and resilient individuals. As a result, the key difference between Robinson Crusoe and Pride and Prejudice is that the latter makes women the main characters of the story.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Cambridge UP, 2006.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Oxford UP, 2007.