Throughout history, men have always held a high place in society, especially during the 1800s. Pride and Prejudice takes place during this time period and follows the same pattern seen throughout history in which men were the breadwinners. Men earned the money for the family and held the most prominent positions in society, while the women were subjected to the wishes of men. In addition, men had many rights that women in society did not, including the right to own property. Because men were believed to be physically strong, they were given all of this power. Women, on the other hand, were morally stronger than men, so they were in charge of caring for the children. Due to these reasons, the ideal man in the 1800s was seen as strong and independent and, therefore, superior to the morally strong women at the time. Throughout the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses Mr. Bennet, Mr. Williams Collins, George Wickham, and Fitzwilliam Darcy to display the ideal man as strong and independent in society.

While Mr. Bennet displays the life of a traditional man in the novel because of his independence, he also challenges the ideal view of men because of his lack of responsibilities as a father and his stance as financial head of the family. Throughout the novel, Mr. Bennet shows that he does not care for his social class but rather for his pride and position in the family. While talking to Mrs. Bennet about Mr. Bingley visiting, Mr. Bennet says, “If he wants our society, let him seek it. He knows where we live. I will not spend my hours in running after my neighbors every time they go away and come back again” (Austen 402). While Mr. Bennet believes that Mr. Bingley should have to work for what he wants, Mrs. Bennet believes that Mr. Bennet should have to work to give away his daughter’s hand. Because of these reasons, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have two completely different perspectives on marriage. Mr. Bennet shows his independence because he always stands up for what he believes in unlike Mrs. Bennet (Overmann 3). He believes in a loving and respectful marriage, while Mrs. Bennet values a marriage that comes with wealth and a high social status. For example, when Elizabeth goes to tell her father about her marriage, her father says, “We all know him to be proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him”(Austen 254). Mr. Bennet encourages Elizabeth to pursue her love for Mr. Darcy, showing that he believes in a loving marriage. While Mr. Bennet cares for his daughters, he challenges the standard of an ideal man because he does not live up to his responsibilities as a father and as the head of the family. His duty as a father is to make sure that his family is in a state of security for the future, but he does not have plans if something happens to himself. He also does not worry about his daughter’s futures, and this is alarming to some readers. During the novel, readers understand that Mr. Bennet tends to withdraw from his family. Because he detaches from his family during times of need, some readers lose respect for him. As a result, Mr. Bennet’s independence leads him to embody an ideal man, but his lack of responsibilities as a father and his stance as financial head of the family lead him to challenge the ideal view of men in society.

Mr. William Collins’s narcissistic and foolish attitude lead him to display the role of a common man in the 1800s. Throughout Pride and Prejudice, Mr. William Collins is a snobby, self-confident, pompous, and ridiculous man. His conceited nature is shown when he states, “I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions” (Austen 46). This nature causes him to be disliked by many in society. However, since he is a man and thus higher up, he is not ridiculed for his lack of respect. Mr. Collins is so easily impressed by himself and his own beliefs that he does not even recognize the feelings of other people. Because of this, readers believe that he is a social climber who uses people in his life to reach the top of society. Furthermore, many readers believe that Mr. William Collins is somewhat foolish because of the amount that he relies on other people. Another reason is that he is in a rush to marry someone for the sole reason of having a wife to show off to the church. Since he is a clergyman, he is even further elevated as a member of society more than just being a wealthy man. Mr. Collins used his elevated stance as a clergyman by “agreeing to everything her Ladyship said, thanking her for every fish won, and apologizing if he thought he won too many” (Austen 114). Due to the fact that climbing the social ladder is important to Mr. Collins, he is inclined to not only visit Lady Catherine often but to also tell people his connections in an effort to elevate himself. He tries to kiss up to Lady Catherine through his ministry, but he was just after her money and status in society. Although he was regarded highly in society, he wanted to climb further by becoming friends with Lady Catherine. As a result, Mr. William Collins’s narcissistic and foolish attitude lead him to embody a typical man at the time of the novel.

Moreover, George Wickham has most qualities of a typical man in the novel such as how he is physically strong, but he lacks independence due to his need to always rely on others for security hence why he wants to marry a wealthy heiress. Wickham’s inner flaws are disguised by his outer beauty: “His appearance was greatly in his favor; he had all the best part of beauty, a fine countenance, a good figure, and a very pleasing address” (Austen 49). Even though Wickham is described as a handsome man and physically strong, he is also a foul man who plans to win money by marrying a wealthy heiress. For example, he had no intention of marrying Lydia, but he eventually decides to marry her in exchange for a good fortune. This decision finally allows the readers to understand who Wickham really is when Mr. Darcy writes Elizabeth the letter about why they hate each other. As a result, the readers may infer that Jane Austen holds a negative attitude towards men like Wickham (Gao 5-6). Another problem is that Wickham tries to only benefit himself and no one else. For example, he joins the military for the sole purpose of making money. Normally, people join the military to serve their country but this was not the case for Wickham. Wickham is a selfish man with no concern for the value of virtue: “He lacks the understanding of what a virtue is. He is a deceitful, shallow-brained, and a dissolute man” (Gao 5). Wickham is truly a man with poor morality and a lack of humility. As a result, he has the exterior of a gentleman but the interior of someone without ethics (Kaplan 116- 117). Even though George Wickham displays the strong characteristics of an ideal man, he lacks independence because he wants to benefit off of a wealthy heiress.

Fitzwilliam Darcy displays the life of an ideal man in the novel because of his independent attitude and his strong change of character. In the beginning, Mr. Darcy assumes that if someone does not have the money or a good social status than that disqualifies them from loving each other. From the beginning, he cares about his social status and not about what his heart is telling him. However, he eventually shows a change because he realizes that Elizabeth is someone with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with (Pride 8). Elizabeth has found a change in Mr. Darcy’s ways and admits her feelings to him:

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feeling of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a
dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world I would ever be prevailed on to marry. (Austen 178-179)
Elizabeth eventually recognizes his independent attitude and strong change of character. For example, Mr. Darcy seeks Wickham and pays his debt on the condition that he will marry Lydia. From the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is very quiet and reserved; therefore, he is independent and does not care what others think. He proves himself to be a kindhearted man who cares a lot about others by his action towards Elizabeth. Elizabeth is moved by his virtues, leading her to fall for Mr. Darcy (Gao 6). Because Mr. Darcy recognized his flaws and his courage when he first approached Elizabeth Bennet, he eventually admits to his wrongdoing and fixes his mistakes to lead to their marriage and life together (Pride 8). Overall, Mr. Darcy displays both pride and prejudice in the novel: “Fitzwilliam Darcy, like Elizabeth Bennet, combines in his characteristic the prime characteristics of Pride and Prejudice: his aristocratic demeanor (pride) and his belief in the natural superiority of the wealthy landed gentry (prejudice)” (Pride 8). As a result, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s honorable attitude and his change in character lead him to embody a typical man at the time of the novel.

Jane Austen uses Mr. Bennet, Mr. William Collins, George Wickham, and Fitzwilliam Darcy throughout the novel Pride and Prejudice to portray men as strong, independent forces in society. Mr. Bennet cares for his daughters’ wellbeing because he believes in a loving and respectful marriage, not in a marriage based on wealth and social status. As a father and head of the family, he needs to make sure his family has security for the future. On the other hand, Mr. William Collins wants to marry because he believes it will add to his happiness, please Lady Catherine, and set an example for his church. Moreover, George Wickham is truly a man with poor morality and a lack of humility because he plans to win money by marrying a wealthy heiress in order to benefit himself. Furthermore, Fitzwilliam Darcy shows his honorable attitude and change in character from beginning to end. At the beginning, Mr. Darcy assumes that people are incapable of love if they do not have money or a proper social status; however, as time progresses, Mr. Darcy realizes his true love for Elizabeth despite the societal views of her. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth went on to spend the rest of their lives together because of his independent and strong personality. Although men are still viewed as strong and independent, they are no longer viewed as superior to women in today’s society.