To Room Nineteen and Pride and Prejudice Passage Analysis Essay

To Room Nineteen

The passage is about a short story "To Room Nineteen," authored by Doris Lessing. This book was written in 1963, and the plot takes place in London in the 1960's. The passage begins by describing how Mathew and Susan were happily married and was an ideal couple in the eyes of the society. Their friends admired their marriage because most of them had gone through a divorce and could not stand putting their families in order. The passage illustrates that the two got married when they were older than most of their married friends (well-seasoned the late twenties). This is the first paragraph of the story, and therefore the setting of the passage is at the beginning of the story. As a result, a conflict has not emerged. This passage is significant because it triggers questions into the mind of the reader. The reader develops an interest in wanting to know what will happen next for the better part of the story.

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The story addresses the vital theme of the rights of women and the task they performed a conservative London society during the 1960's. The passage begins on a good mood, but things drastically change for Mathew and Susan, who after successfully building a family with four children, buying a home and having well-paying jobs, Susan ends up with a mental disability upon the realization that her husband has had multiple relationships. That takes place when the youngest twins begin school and are sent back home due to finances.

The protagonist encounters many struggles both emotionally and psychologically. The theme of the plight of women in a masculine society later comes out. She quits her job to raise her growing family and becomes a prisoner since every moment, her husband and the children needed her service. Hence, that she was always confined at home and there was a disconnection with the society.

The passage indicates that the author starts the story with an irony. A conflict arises in the proceeding parts of the story and the good mood used to set the story fades. The protagonist, later on, fights against her inner consciousness and wonders if they made the right choices as a family. From the passage, the author uses the phrase, "for the real thing" to mean that they had been very patient for each other to live the kind of life that they wanted or dreamed of. The author of the passage begins to explain Susan's in the passage by describing how perfect and brilliant it was. She illustrates that the marriage was "grounded on intelligence" but ironically, it turns out to be "a failure of intelligence" (Lessing, 1978).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the theme of attitude towards women and the role they play in the society, later on, covers the entire book. The protagonist goes ahead to experience inner struggles within her and ends up suffering mentally because the society subjected her to a situation where she had no choice but to abide by her environmental conditions of serving her children and supporting her husband who goes ahead and commits infidelity. The only way to escape this is to commit suicide.

Desperation is the surest path to making a decision, good or bad

This statement means that whenever a person is in a state of despair, and there is pressure in making a decision, the decision made can be bad or good because too much pressure influenced decision making. That is true concerning "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.

The truth of this statement is seen at the moment when Lydia and Wickham escape. The family assumes that they might have gotten married. However, there is a hidden fear that the two might have not married at all. On Lydia's part, this frantic choice is not a good choice. There are hopes, however, that these matters would be solved only if the two have at least married. That would have prevented the reputation of Lydia not to be damaged.

Elizabeth also receives a message through a letter from Jane. This letter is a report of Lydia's act of desperation. Also, Gretna Green has been used as a reference to Scotland. This is a conducive place in the outskirts of England. It is at this place that the young people of that generation would escape with their would be brides and get married instantly. The culture dictated that once someone is married, there was no need of seeking consent and blessings from the parent back at their home. Therefore the desperate move by Lydia to run away and escape from her community and get married is not the worst event that could have taken place. If the two fled and ended up not marrying each other, the good name and image of Lydia would have been tarnished. Therefore, making a good marriage for Lydia would be impossible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the statement "desperation is the surest path to making a decision, good or bad" is therefore very relevant to the events that take place in 'Pride and Prejudice through the character of Elizabeth and Lydia. Austen (2018) thus summarizes that Elizabeth Bennet who is the protagonist is, therefore, a stubborn and pride lady who is well opinionated on why she would not get married just because the society demands so.

References

Austen, J. (2018). Pride and Prejudice & Mansfield Park. e-artnow.

Lessing, D., & Jarfe, G. (1978). To room nineteen. London: Jonathan Cape.