It's A Mans World

"How any one could have the conscience to entail away an estate from one's own daughters I cannot understand; and all for the sake of Mr. Collins too! --Why should he have it more than anybody else?" (Austen, 160)

Desdemona "I do perceive here a divided duty./ To you I am bound for life and education;/ My life and education both do learn me/ How to respect you; you are the lord of duty;/ I am hitheto your daughter. / But here's my husband; /And so much duty as my mother showed/ to you, preferring you before her father,/ So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor my lord" (19-20)

In both Othello and Pride and Prejudice, the women are suppressed by duties given by society.  Yet in Othello, Desdemona is more silent then the ever vigorous Elizabeth.  In what ways does this enrich or hinder Pride and Prejudice as well as Othello?



              Of course, there is no complete answer to this question, because it depends on the reader.  But for me, I keep wondering, what if the roles were switched?  Would Desdemona marry Mr. Collins because of her duty to her family, would Elizabeth punch Othello as tried to snuff out her light?  With a women being as headstrong as Elizabeth, it is obvious that her character enriches the story since her being headstrong is what caused her to attract Mr. Darcy's eye.  But could there also be a fault?  I have yet to find one and therefore can not answer.  But, with her being headstrong, there is still the importance of the role she plays in society.  If she does not find a husband, she will have to stay with her family instead of heading out in her own.  As a reader, I constantly found myself thinking "If you don't find a husband, (insert horrible consequence here)", and because of that I myself felt suppressed by the society within the book.  The restrictions given to Elizabeth and the tiring social antics made me feel as if I was Elizabeth herself.  This in fact did not happen for me with Desdemona, instead I felt fear for her life, but not a connection that I could be "like" her.  This, for me, hinders Othello due to the lack of connection to me as a reader, whereas with Pride and Prejudice it was a great enrichment.