Compare the Representation of Relationships in ‘Pride and...

Pride and Prejudice is a classic novel about love and the role of women. Though times have changed, there is still a struggle for female independence and respect, in both relationships and the work place, despite the past desperate efforts of the suffragettes in the early 1900s and the present work of feminists and strong female characters today. However, Jane Austen’s novel has forever been the dream world of women all over the world because it’s a real story of the hardships in romance and the oppression of the ‘weaker sex’. In contrast, Liz Lochhead’s modern poem Rapunzstiltskin is less impressed with these romantic notions and looks unkindly on fairytales and the like, with their clichà ©d characters and false intentions. But on closer†¦show more content†¦Though, of course, all the girls at the time were relying on a man to take them away from home, as it wasn’t considered right for a woman to pursue the man. This idea can also be linked to Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet’s attitude towards him, and the development of their relationship. She continues to refuse and loathe him, as she believes that he’s getting it all wrong. His contempt causes him to act in a way that Lizzie can’t stand, but it’s when he rectifies his ways that Lizzie finally accepts and falls for him. The image of men is also similar between the poem and the novel. In fact, the character of The Prince (in capitals to show his status as a clichà ©d familiar of fairytales) is rather much like the character of Mr Darcy, as well as Mr Wickham. Firstly, Mr Darcy is immediately similar, as he’s close to being a prince himself – but he also has all the wrong answers as he fails to meet the expectations of the Bennets and their friends. Darcy is ‘most disagreeable’ despite his wealth and family. Darcy also lists the accomplishments he thinks a woman should have in chapter eight, another example of ‘all the wrong answers’, as Lizzie just thinks he’s being ridiculous and far too conceited. Then, in the last lines of the poem, The Prince ‘hazarded’, ‘guessed’ and ‘came up with’ what he thought the maiden wanted to hear. This is like Darcy’s proposal to Lizzie, as he arrogantly believes that he will definitely be accepted, but, like The Prince,