Works Cited 24

The Ideal Man in Pride and Prejudice from the Perspective of the Cinderella Complex

Introduction

As one of the greatest female novelists in the world, Jane Austen created enormous well-known works, such as Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1816), Persuasion (1818). As a writer who has one of the most widely readers, Jane Austen still attracts modern people with her theme of works, elegant prose and wit. Edmund Wilson said that, “She is the one writer apart from Shakespeare, who seems impervious to shifts in fashion” (Wilson 72 ). 

Born in a rural middle class family, Austen spent her lifetime living in the countryside. When she is a child, she is taught in school by her father, a conservative clergyman in the Sreventon village. Austen indoctrinated herself with variety of conservative ideas, which, along with her living environment, affected her literature horizon. Life experience influenced her talent in portraying the trivial things.

Pride and Prejudice, as one of the most influential novels in British literature history, has been under intense discussion since its first publication. David Cecil also commented that “ The reputation of Austen is the firmest of all British writers” (Cecil 98). Jan Fergus called Pride and Prejudice “her most popular novel, both with the public and with her family and friends” (Fergus 20). It is the book that expressed her disapproval and subversion of the social values in the early nineteenth century.

Back in the 19th century, she is not one of the most popular novelists, and surely her position is not widely praised in the literature circle. After nearly 20 years, Jane Austen became prevailing, particularly among female readers. She is a genius whose brightness beyond words and works have been spreading around world in over thirty languages. She achieved her resurrection in the modern society by her timeless literacy legacy.