Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813) is set in 19th-century regional England, where class lines are strictly drawn between the middle classes and superiors. In this society, gender roles are quite rigid and women can only gain respectful status in patriarchal society through marriage. Austen's novel conveys universal themes relevant to contemporary society such as sexism and classism which at first reading may seem antiquated as they are quite extreme. However, these values ​​retain their relevance to a contemporary reader as they relate to how people are still often unfairly perceived in our modern society, determined by their gender, wealth and occupation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The characterization of Mrs. Bennet and Charlotte conveys gender inequality that is still relevant, although not to the same extent that women's rights have greatly improved. In the 19th century gender roles were quite rigid and as a result women were not legitimate owners of any kind of material property and the only way to acquire a respectful status in society was to marry a man of high social status. Furthermore, women were often forced to marry not the man they loved, but rather a man they found more “agreeable” in all other respects. This is epitomized by Charlotte who like most women of the time accepted the fact that she would not marry for love as she said, “When she is sure of him, there will be time to fall in love as much as she wants. " This shows how Charlotte believes that it is not necessary for Jane to fall in love with Bingley and she does not even need to know much about him. She believes that Jane must work hard to marry Bingley, to have security and gain a respectful status in society. This reveals the inequality that women faced as they had limited options during the Regency era and many like Charlotte accepted the fact that they would not marry for love Mrs. Bennet, the servile mother feels as if she has the right to choose who will marry her daughter as she runs off to ask Mr. Bennet when Elizabeth rejects Mr. Colin. Mrs. Bennet said to Mr. Bennet, “Oh! Mr. Bennet, you are all in a commotion. because she swears she won't. This interaction reveals gender roles such that fathers had authority over their daughter in deciding who would be best to marry for the good of the family. Even though women can now choose who they want to marry and can marry for love, in the 21st century women continue to face gender inequality, and one of the most well-known inequalities is the gender pay gap. The full-time gender pay gap in Australia is 14%. Women earn an average of $241.50 per week less than men. This novel maintains its relevance to the contemporary reader as the values ​​and attitudes towards women are hidden compared to the rigid overt values ​​and attitudes aimed at women in the Regency era. The novel uses the caricature of Mr Collins and Lady Catherine De Bourgh to convey the division between the middle and upper classes, which is relevant to today's society, even if the prejudice against wealth is hidden. Austen uses caricature in her characterization of Lady Catherine and Mr Collins as they convey extreme values ​​and attitudes towards class as both do not.