From Carriages to Career. Social Security in "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries"

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Frankfurt (Main) (Institute for English and American Studies), course: Universally Adapted Truths: Versions of Pride and Prejudice, language: English, abstract: It is clear that in today¿s society the necessity to marry is not as strong as it was in Jane Austen¿s time. Back then, women had to marry in order to survive; now, at least in the modern Western world, this is not the case. Women have more opportunities when it comes to their future, without having to marry. For a woman to have a career may seem normal today, but in 19th century England this was not an option. However, the need to live a good and secure life is still troubling women today.

The web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012) is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen¿s Pride and Prejudice (1813), where Lizzie Bennet vlogs about her friends, family and life. Even though Pride and Prejudice and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries take place in different times, social security still influences the lives of the characters.

In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy Bennet wants to marry but only for love and not because her mother is telling her to. She rejects Mr. Collins' and Mr. Darcy's first proposal because she does not love them. Eventually Lizzy does get married, because she falls in love with Mr. Darcy and accepts his second proposal, thereby fulfilling her intention to marry for love. In The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Lizzie is a grad student, living at home together with her parents and her two sisters. She is single, but getting a boyfriend is not one of her concerns. Instead, she is trying to get a good job to start her career and to justify her expensive education.

Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins, not because she loves him, but because she wants and needs to get married. She ends up unhappy but she reaches her goal to find a husband and obtain a secure life. Charlotte Lu accepts Mr. Collins¿ job offer because she sees an opportunity in this employment to help her in the future. She benefits from this job at Collins & Collins despite Lizzie disagreeing.