The
Significance of The Carriage and Travelling in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Noelle
Eiffe
Dissertation
Supervisor:
Dr. Gillian Thomson
2013
Introduction
In a letter to her sister Cassandra in the year 1796,
Jane Austen stated her travelling preference, “As to the mode of our travelling
to town, I want to go in a stage-coach but Frank will not let me”. This
statement is indeed quite unusual, as it was not the recommended mode of
transport for a young lady of considerable status in society. It is important
to note that, from close reading of Austen’s texts, not a great deal of her
characters chose to take a stage-coach. In today’s terms, stage-coaches are on
par with trams and buses, nowadays many of us choose to take our own private
cars. Just like in Austen’s era, many in society had their own mode of
transportation in the form of carriages and this displayed ones place in
society. Surprisingly, Austen, who rarely depicted the social hierarchies in
her novels, chose to ride in a stage-coach herself. Much like today, travelling
and the freedom of owning a vehicle in the Regency Era was fast becoming
popular as it opened up new opportunities to society. Austen illustrated this
popularity in all of novels as her characters took pleasure in travelling to
new places and meeting exciting people. Although Austen focuses her writings
and themes on the many class systems, she herself accepted her place in
society. Her father was a clergy man and the family led a simple and pastoral lifestyle. In
spite of this, it is important to note that although Austen knew her place in
society, she had no qualms about travelling in a stage-coach that would have
been beneath her. This rebellion or attitude can be seen in her writing when
she deals with class rankings and attitudes towards ones place in society. From
reading her novels, it is possible to say that Austen was an important commentator
as she wrote about English society. In Pride
and Prejudice the carriages play an integral part of the novel in the sense
that they illustrate much about characters that posses them.
Throughout the Regency Era, many factors allowed for
an increase in travelling and movements of people in society. At
the time Britain began to renew and build new transportation networks to defend
the country against Napoleon and to increase the movement of English products
through trading. Britain itself had many investments colonies around the world.
By improving the road networks it allowed for more products to become available
and this too would have created much needed revenue for the government. The
country was becoming more and more industrial and agricultural systems were
improving also. Roads would have been improved to facilitate the movement of
produce from one part of the country to the other.
Carriages would have cost a fortune and for that
reason they would have been confined to the affluent members of society. In
order to raise money for the military for their war against Napoleon in Europe,
the government authorised and compelled a tax system on such luxury items;
“England’s war with France came at a cost, and one of the expedients to which
the government resorted was a tax on private carriages”.
As a result of this, the government would have had an authority on who owned a
carriage, so the privileged in society would have had favour. The affluent in
society had lighter, faster carriages whilst the poorer would have had to take
the stage-coaches. This issue is was well illustrated by Austen in Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Darcy jokes
at the prospect of a fifty mile drive, “Little more than half a days journey.
Yes, I call it a very easy distance”. While Elizabeth Bennett rebels stating, “The
far and near must be relative, and depend on many varying circumstances. Where
there is fortune to make the expense of travelling, distance becomes no evil”.
The reader would know that Mr. Darcy came from an affluent family and that
would make owning a carriage and travelling around accessible for him.
In Pride and
Prejudice the carriage can be seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity and
owning one would have opened many doors and opportunities to owners. As with
cars, the carriages would have been available in all sizes, colours and shapes
to suit all budgets.
This dissertation is split up into three sections, or
chapters. For the first chapter I will focus on the carriage and the
significance it plays in the novels. As I mentioned before, the carriage plays
an integral role in the novel and had certain meanings for different
characters. The style of carriage somewhat symbolised that persons place in
society and the qualities they possess.
In the second chapter I will be looking at the
travelling and movements that Austen so carefully illustrated in her novels and
more specifically in Pride and Prejudice.
Any reader of the novel will note the characters frequent holidays to cities or
to parts of the country side. Travelling is a huge aspect of any book or novel
as it moves the story line to new places. It allows the characters to reflect
on issues and to learn from new experiences.
In the third chapter I will be looking at the social
movements of the characters in the novel. For instance, Mr. Darcy can move and
travel around Britain without a second thought due to his financial situation.
From this, one is able to conclude that the carriage can symbolise freedom or
isolation.
Chapter 1
As mentioned in the introduction, carriages in novels
move the story to different destinations and situations, and they too can
characterise the owners of the carriage. Austen also had a keen skill for
describing her characters in terms of what they possessed and what they lacked.
Carriages were a way to highlight who had money and who was respected in
society, so not only were they a basic necessity but they also became a symbol
of affluence. When reading Austen’s novels and watching the film adaptations
the presence of carriages is quite evident, but it is important to acknowledge
that the general population in Regency Era Britain did not own a carriage.
Kirsten Olsen states that, “fewer that 1in 100 people owned a carriage and that
fewer than 1 in 160 owned the sort of carriage that we associate with Austen’s
characters”.
Austen details
greatly the style and type of carriage the owners have, and then she would go
on to describe that type of person the owner is. By doing this, the reader is
able to gain an insight into the attributes the characters possess.
Public transportation would have been the main mode of
transport, although Austen chose to focus specifically on the wealthy in
society and shy away from critiquing the less fortunate. It is evident that
Austen’s female characters are mostly motivated by money and the prospect of a
good marriage. This can be seen when Mrs. Bennett hears the news of Elizabeth’s
engagement to Mr. Darcy, the hyper mother bursts out with, “Oh! My sweetest
Lizzy! How rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what
carriages you will have!”.
This further cements the notion that where money lies, a carriage is soon to
follow. Mrs. Bennett wanted only the best for her daughters and is straight
away consumed by thoughts of materialistic items rather than what a wonderful
marriage they will have.
When discussing rank and status within Pride and Prejudice a specific mention
should be given to the character Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as her mode of
transport was a phaeton. It is important to mention Lady Catherine, as
incredibly she is the only owner of such a vehicle in the novels of Austen.
This carriage is an old fashioned mode of transport with a high seat to fit two
people comfortably; there is no room for a coachman or chauffeur, so Lady
Catherine depended on herself for travelling. By giving Lady Catherine a
phaeton, which is much higher than other carriages, it gave her a higher
position over others in society. By reading the novel, we know that Lady
Catherine believed herself to be far superior to those around her, so that carriage
suited her personality. That carriage allowed Lady Catherine to look down upon
those in her presence and to demands certain things from them. Like when she
demands of Elizabeth, “what carriage her father kept”. Upon Mr. Collins arrival at the Bennett
household, he is quick to illustrate his patron’s wealth and status to
Elizabeth, “Her ladyship’s carriage is regularly ordered for us. I should say
one of her ladyship’s carriages for she has several”.
From this quote, it can be concluded that Lady Catherine is indeed a very
wealthy and powerful woman for she is able to afford multiple carriages.
By using carriages as a symbol of wealth, Austen was
capable for describing her characters in light and subtle ways. An identity is
given to the characters by providing them with a carriage, it gave them
personality. By deliberately giving Lady Catherine a phaeton, Austen is giving
her power, superiority and status.
Chapter 2
Throughout the Regency Era, like the agricultural and
industrial sector, tourism began to rise with the improvement of road networks
and the development of new routes. As seen in Pride and Prejudice the upper class in society thought nothing of
travelling to resort towns and cities. With the Napoleonic wars raging in
Europe, British upper class began to travel the countryside and explore what
their own country had to offer. Travelling and movement plays an integral role
in Austen’s novels, and Pride and
Prejudice is no exception. By allowing her characters to move freely
throughout the country, Austen inadvertently creates a new world in which
characters can form new identities and to reflect on issues in their own world.
In this chapter I will illustrate the impact travelling can have on main
characters.
When Elizabeth Bennett is invited by her aunt and
uncle to travel Britain they “set off...in pursuit of novelty and amusement”.
This journey was enlightening for Elizabeth as she became awestruck with the
world she was living in; she took in the beauty of nature, the flowers, birds
and rivers. More importantly, when Elizabeth visits Pemberley, Darcy’s estate,
her opinions quickly change. She appreciated its natural beauty and its
integration into nature. “She had never seen a place for which nature had done
more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward
taste...at that moment she felt, that to be mistress of Pemberley might be
something”.
This trip opened Elizabeth’s eyes to the future she could have with Darcy, she
enjoyed the timelessness of her surroundings and she appreciated Darcy’s love
of all things natural and beautiful. Elizabeth had been resentful of Mr. Darcy,
she detested his arrogance and demeanour, but after her trip she realised that
she had been foolish to be so blinded. Her opinions changed and she accepted
she had been very mistaken, and that instigated a relationship and marriage
between Darcy and Elizabeth.
In Pride and
Prejudice Austen creates a parallel world for characters to change and to
create new identities, and this can be seen when Lydia ran away to Brighton.
Lydia escapes to Brighton with the handsome Wickham, by changing the scene and
place this gave Lydia the opportunity to rebel against the straight rules she
followed at home. Whilst reading the novel, and watching the film adaptations,
we know that Lydia is a foolish, immature woman who wants nothing but
attention. By running away and eloping to Wickham, a dark shadow fell on the
Bennett household as their family reputation was under doubt. Lydia did not
realise that even though she was away from home, her actions would still affect
her family. By Wickham taking Lydia away to Brighton, he took advantage of a
silly girl who knew no better. My behaving badly, Wickham’s true personality is
depicted
By allowing her characters to travel within Britain
Austen not only creates new scenarios, she also allows for her characters
personalities to flourish. When Elizabeth distances herself from her normal
life, her opinions change and she is mentally stimulated by her surroundings.
Interestingly, it is the characters that move out of their comfort zone that
flourish and blossom, and the characters that stay put remain narrow minded and
two dimensional.
Chapter 3
Jane Austen, influenced by her own surroundings,
allowed for Elizabeth Bennett to move up the social rankings. She ‘travelled’
to a new world. From the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth is shown to be a
free spirit and comfortable in her surroundings, she walked everywhere and did
not mind getting dirt on her shoes and ankles. She never desired horses or a
carriage for mode of transport, preferring to walk through the fields. By
walking, Elizabeth subconsciously rejects normal customs of taking a carriage
or horse. Miss Bingley disgusted to hear of a lady walking through mud for three
miles, “It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a
most country indifference to decorum”.
Elizabeth, with her dirty clothes, messy hair and mud to her ankles rejects
normal conventions and is illustrated as a liberated woman. Elizabeth was not
impressed by Netherfield or by Darcy’s arrogance and display of wealth; she
denies the behaviours that go with owning a carriage. In a slight
contradiction, Elizabeth married a man who was far more superior to her in
ranking and wealth even though she did not appreciate normal conventions.
Unlike Elizabeth, Caroline Bingley became obsessed
with moving up in society. It is important to note that Elizabeth was actually
far more superior to Caroline as she was a gentleman’s daughter, whilst the
Bingley’s earned their title through trading in the colonies. Mr. Bingley falls
in love with Jane Bennett, and in contrast to his sister, he did not feel
entitled to any place in society because of his families fortune.
Conclusion
Jane Austen’s novels and in particular Pride and Prejudice embodies the Regency
Era in Britain. This was a world not one of us could relate to today. When
Austen died in 1817, the country changed dramatically in the sense that it was
moved in to an Industrial Revolution as the steam engine was first developed. With
industries booming, trains tracks were planned, roads were improved and new
routes developed it allowed for people to move freely throughout the country.
Like the world we live in now, society became fast paced and ambitious. There
were more opportunities to move up the social ladder and to make a fortune. The
carriage, that signified wealth, ranking and power became an item of the past,
and associated with an old world. When cars were invented, the carriage was
lost but not what it stood for, cars are still used to display ones place in
the world and ones wealth.
Having read Pride
and Prejudice closely, I am appreciate how intelligent and deliberate she
was. By using the carriage as a motif in her novel, she illustrated her
characters wealth, motivation and status in the world.
Jane Austen has had an immense effect on the world in
which we live. Even today, her works are constantly being adapted to screen
with mass appeal. Her novels deal with uses like love, personal development,
ambition and friendship and these are themes audiences can relate to today. Her
novels illustrate a forgotten world were life was somewhat more simple and
creates a sentiment of nostalgia.
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