I am listening to some audiobooks (yes, JAFF, what else…is there other genres?) and there is something that I find hypocritical about social levels. If you have an estate and many children, what do you do with the children who are not heirs?
Most of the younger children have to find a way to support themselves. Females have their dowries, and, as the Bennet girls knew, if the dowry is small, they might live a poor life when their guardian passes. Mrs Bennet was always worried that her daughters would not marry well and they would be a burden when their father died. Same reason for Charlotte Lucas marrying Mr Collins. Not having any previous offers, she feared being a burden to her father and brother.
The Bennet ladies were born part of the landed gentry, where Charlotte’s family had begun in trade until her father was knighted. Even though the Bennets are gentlewomen, when their father died, they would be a burden to other family members if they weren’t married. Such females who end up being governesses or companion, to be able to survive, especially if they have any male relations who would come to their aid. To become employed, their reputation is pitied by others. Those who do not, like in Emma or in Sense and Sensibility, the ladies are barely able to survive on a minimal amount, and usually fall dependent on the kindness of the church or others in their neighborhood. Without kindness of their distant relations, the Dashwood ladies would suffer far worse, for they would have had to pay for a place to live and try to keep food on the table. The same could be said of the Bate ladies, mother and daughter, in the story Emma. Their situation was horrible, yet they had nothing else they could do. As in the movie when Eleanor tells Edward that a man can choose a profession, where women have no choice. They were considered to be the property of their fathers, brothers, uncles, then their husband when they marry. So, it is hypocritical for the females to be placed as part of the gentry while she has a man to protect her, and when there is no one, she becomes a pitiful burden.
When it comes to the male members who are younger than the heir, they must find an occupation to support themselves and any future family. What I find sort of hypocritical is that all sons not the heir must find some sort of trade or marry an heiress. What sort of trade or craft is acceptable? Clergy? Military? Medical? Law? Are there other trades which is acceptable? Like Summer Hanford’s story, can it be acceptable for a non heir male to own a shop, like a book shop or another sort of shop?
The thing I find to be at odds is how the upper class can accept such professions for their younger sons, yet they condemn someone from the lower class to be in a similar profession. Say Mr Bennet has two sons, and the elder Mr Darcy had two sons, and the elder Mr Bingley had two sons. The first born sons would be heirs. So, say Tommy Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Charles Bingley. All six of the sons have had a proper gentleman’s education, and the elder Mr Bingley had purchased an estate from his wealth coming from trade. Which of the second sons would be in a profession which would be acceptable for society?
If the Darcy second son, he could become most positions with little fear of being snubbed by society. A second born Bennet son would sort of being accepted, but not nearly as would be Darcy. Then we have a second son of Bingley. That son would always be thought far beneath society, as his family’s wealth came from trade and the younger son was in trade, and the family’s purchase of an estate would make no difference. Their wealth was from new money, and the upper ring of society would snub them unless there was some need of the upper ring required.
As we still see in our lives, more than 200 years later, still have such distinctions in levels. There will always be those in the upper 2 percent, and having to lower themselves to deal with “trade” is not acceptable. The middle class, like second born, would require a profession, and they would be similar, in professions such as technology, running businesses (being the boss over coworkers), military, medical, law. The lower class are still living day by day, paycheck by paycheck. They still work positions that is backbreaking, like construction, labor, cleaning, cooking, and such.
I also find it interesting that gentry females cannot see a man from the gentry without their cravat. Not all men on an estate or in town wore cravats or any sort of neck cloth. So why is it ok to be around a worker with his throat visible, yet it is the opposite with the gentry. Is there something about a gentleman’s throat that is forbidden, while the throats of workers it is no big deal.
The more I am writing this, I am chuckling. Who says life has changed tremendously? It is still the same distinct divisions and acceptance. Only good thing is we had made improvements in how the females are looked at. I am 61 years old. I can remember when my mother was not accepted to have a credit card, it had to be a companion card on my father’s card. She was not allowed to sign home loans or other such item. After my dad died, it was still different for Mom to be respected. It was frustrating (my dad died in 2006, so only 19 years ago). I had issues when I was younger. Not so much now that I am older, though I am seeing things going backwards. I am not bringing in politics, I am speaking of an attitude I see going on in the world as a whole. It is frustrating to see, as if we are not respected if we don’t have a husband, father, brother, or uncle who are overseeing our lives.
I wonder if we will see the same sort of system in another 200 years. Will there still be the ultra rich, the white collar type business people, and the dirt poor? Will women who have no male relations still be looked down on and pitied? It would be interesting to see what comes. My biggest hope would be for things to improve, but I truly doubt such.
Hope you all have a great day, and have a fabulous Valentine Day. Doesn’t matter if you are single or in a relationship, know that you are loved. It has been more than 20 years since I was in a relationship, so I learned to love who I am. Always remember that you are all amazing people, celebrate life every day. May you all find your Mr Darcy, Elizabeth, or whoever is your favorite Jane Austen character.
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