Recipe for happiness “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I have ever heard of” (Austen). The directness of this quote fully encompasses the main theme of an advantageous marriage for the English novelist Jane Austen. His realism, biting irony, and social commentary have earned him historical prominence among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen's major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between 1795 and 1815. During these twenty years England was at the height of its power in the face of many historical milestones (Thomson). It is no coincidence that Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice directly coincides with the historical events of this period. The most visible impact that is historically highlighted in Pride and Prejudice is the changing social landscape of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. England. The landed gentry, those who owned land, were the most influential division of society in Austen's time. In the case of small land classes, the English encouraged the consolidation and expansion of estates by enforcing strict inheritance laws. This was created to concentrate wealth and expand estates by passing property to male children or male relatives rather than distributing it to family members (Sheehan). This is strongly reflected in one of the main conflicts of Pride and Prejudice. Since Mr. Bennett has no sons or five daughters, Mr. Collins, a member of the extended family, must inherit the land to ensure that it remains in the family line. Along with this, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are landed nobles, symbols of wealth and power, as they own large properties and very large sums of money. Due to Mr. Collins disinheriting the girls after...... middle of paper...... the most transformative eras in British history which she completely encompassed in her novels. His writing style and consistent themes that are emphasized not only in Pride and Prejudice, but throughout his novels, are undoubtedly the product of the historical transformations that were occurring in the 1800s. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Pride and prejudice. Whitehall T. Edgerton, 1813. “Militia” print. Regency Collection October 30, 2005. Web. February 18, 2014. Sheehan, Lucy. “Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice.” Columbia College 2009. web. February 18, 2014Southam. The Jane Austen Companion Review. and Web. February 18, 2014 Thomson, Gale. “Jane Austen’s England.” 2005-2006. Wollstonecraft, Mary. The demand for women's rights. 1792. “Women’s Suffrage Movement.” The development of women's rights and the Web. February 18. 2014