Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

to whomever he pleases is the same body of law silencing
Evelina and keeping her from her legacy while elevating
an artificial heiress in her place. Similarly, Evelina
is the artificial property of Mr. Villars, who views her
as an extension of his moral self, an unclaimed property,
free to be appropriated as his own representation (Tucker
5). He raises her to be a model of himself, continuing
in his footsteps after his death. It is Mrs. Selwyn,
another byproduct of settlements and jointures, a woman
not looked on kindly by the upper classes, who becomes
Evelinafs savior through her ability to manipulate the
language of male hierarchy.
Similarly, Austen hampered Mr. Bennet' s ability to
provide for his family by having him to resettle his
estate long before the birth of his children, as was the
custom of his day. In the end, his youthful decision
unfortunately allows him only to wait for his death while
the odious Collins waited with him. With his death, the
profundity of Mr. Bennett s decision will become publicly
clear. The Bennet daughters labor under the shadow of
being daughters of landed gentry with nothing to offer,
but they, like their mother, continue to spend
thriftlessly. While critics continue to call Mr. Bennet
to task for, among other things, not ridding his estate