Obsession with Class

In Jane Austen’s time, social classes in England and Europe as a whole were not as blurred as they were in America. Yes, it was possible for members of the lower class to socialize with members of a higher class – like the Bennets and Mr. Collins socializing with the Bingleys, Mr. Darcy, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh – but they are repeatedly treated as inferiors and there was little room for movement on the social ladder. It was exceedingly important for members of the middle class to appear as though they are wealthier, as is shown by the Bennet family seemingly living beyond their means. The Bennets are risking becoming paupers because they are ashamed of their middle-class standing and wish to appear as members of the upper-class that they are not a part of.