Satire is a tool that an author uses to poke fun at a serious political or moral issue. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses her satire to bring out the ridiculous in her comical characters. This is achieved through exaggeration of their manners and the use of humor to attack and show her disapproval for certain characters that represent the prevailing attitudes during that time period. But what exactly is Jane Austen satirizing? Many would say that she is satirizing the snobbery and shallowness of the upper middle classes. However, this is only half true. In fact, we must look at with more detail what exactly this snobbery and shallowness is aimed at. More accurately, it is aimed at women who suffer as a result of these follies. In this book, their shallow female attitudes ultimately cause this suffering. These attitudes are a result of women’s vanity, desire for domestic comfort, and their preoccupation with love.
A woman’s desire for domestic comfort ultimately causes her unhappiness. Jane Austen attempts to satirize this female stereotype of passivity that is shown by some women in the book. To her, this desire for comfort is strictly a feminine weakness. One example is Charlotte Lucas, as she accepts Mr. Collins’ proposal. Mr. Collins’ is an utterly silly individual who “was not a sensible man…… [A] mixture of pride and obsequiousness” (Page 69). He is also extremely conceited as he thinks himself superior to others because of his good standing with Lady Catherine. Charlotte’s only reason in marrying Mr. Collins is to gain financial stability and comfort as Mr. Collins is prosperous under his wealthy patroness. Although Charlotte’s reasons for marrying him are understandable: to marry before she is too old and prevent from becoming a spinster, she knows perfectly well the unhappiness that might come as a result of the marriage “Her reflections were in general satisfactory. Mr. Collins was to be sure neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was...