Jane Austen's novel is commanded by women; Pride and Prejudice explores the expectations of women in a society set at the turn of the 19th century. Throughout the plot, Austen's female characters are all influenced by their peers, family pressures, and their own desires. The social struggle of men and women is visible throughout the novel. Characters, like Elizabeth, are examples of women not acting as correctly as they are supposed to, while other women like Mrs. Bennett allow themselves to be controlled by men and society. Mr. Collins is a representation of the struggles men face in a female-dominated novel. The theme of marriage is prominent in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Marriage can be examined in different ways due to Mrs. Bennet's commitment to finding husbands for her daughters, the male parallelism of marriage to their wives, and Elizabeth's non-traditional approach to finding love . Bennet's behavior during the book can be seen as a common depiction of women in a 19th century society and a way to research marriages during this period. Readers are often exposed to Mrs. Bennet as she interacts socially with her peers. "'If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield,' said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, 'and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for'" (Austen 10). Mrs. Bennet's quote shows how little power upper-class women have in deciding their own futures. They cannot inherit any wealth and it is socially frowned upon for women to work. So women simply rely on their manners and physical appearance to find them a spouse who will support them financially for the rest of their lives. This...... middle of paper ......ideas and prejudices. Gale Resource Center. Np: np, nd N. pag. Gale Literary Resources. Web. December 16, 2013. .Stovel, Bruce. . » Gale Cengage Learning. nd N. pag. February 20, 2014. . Gale's Literary Resource Center. Np: np, nd N. pag. Gale Literary Resources. Web. February 3. 2014. .