SOCIAL CLASS AND FEMALE IDENTITY IN JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

The relationship between social class and female identity occupies a central position in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Set within the hierarchical society of Regency England, the novel explores how women’s lives are shaped by class distinctions, economic limitations, family expectations, and marriage opportunities. This article investigates the ways in which social class influences the formation of female identity through the experiences of Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Lydia Bennet, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Employing qualitative textual analysis, feminist literary criticism, and socio-historical approaches, the study examines how Austen portrays women’s attempts to negotiate personal desires within rigid social structures. The findings reveal that female identity in the novel is neither fixed nor solely determined by social position; rather, it emerges through the interaction of class, moral values, education, and individual agency. Austen challenges conventional assumptions regarding rank and respectability by demonstrating that genuine worth derives from character rather than inherited status. The article argues that Austen’s representation of women remains relevant because it highlights the enduring relationship between social structures and personal identity.