In a society, sets of moral and cultural codes exist as universally communicated standards for its people to abide to despite the codes' frequent intrusions and violations towards the individual's self-identity, privacy, and beliefs. For a society, these standards represent its interests and needs that benefit it and its people as a whole and disregard the opposing interests of individuals; rather, the status as ubiquitous standards encourages the backlash against the views that contradict society's. Yet, for the individual, social customs risk harming his individuality, his self-portrayal based on his characteristics, interests, actions, and beliefs. To contradict those codes would lead to condemnation and ostracization towards the individual. But, despite being social beings wanting to help out their people and fearing ostracization, individuals should not relinquish their individuality entirely to the point where they merely follow what society tells them without forming opinions. Though to help a group society, individuals should partially abide to conformity, only to the extent to which their beliefs strongly contradict society's interests and preserve their identity. In Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, an eighteen century rural English society encourages young women to marry wealthy, genteel young men for the high social relations and wealth. In villages, the romantic and social scene of a ball encourages the courting of the young and wealthy. Yet, this interest in marrying for wealth, which families often encourage, leads to marriages without the consideration of love. However, the young Elizabeth Bennet asserts her individuality by refusing to marry simply for wealth and social relations, and she stands by her belief in marrying for love. Despite risking her socioeconomic status , Elizabeth saves herself for a loving, happy marriage. (rewrite thesis)Therefore, though conformity helps the needs of a group, it should be limited to the extent to which an individual's beliefs and interests outweigh the group's benefits and do not strongly contradict the group’s interests.
The social norm of marrying into wealth often dictates young women’s attitudes towards marriage without the consideration of the women’s beliefs. For the adult daughter of the Lucas family, Charlotte approaches the age at which she would not be as young as other women prime for marriage into wealth and the highly social English lifestyle. In desperation to find her partner, Charlotte quickly marries Mr. Collins for the sake of conformity, it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune”(Austen 85). Believing that marriage is the only success for young women, Charlotte completely conforms to social norms. She views marriage into wealth as economic security and thereby allows social norms to form her opinions on marriage. However, Elizabeth Bennet differs from Charlotte in her affinity to individuality. After Mr. Collins shockingly proposes to Elizabeth, Elizabeth stands by her belief in marrying for love rather than wealth, "You could not make me happy...in making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate...without any self-reproach"(Austen 74). Not only does Bennet assert her individuality in her refusal to marry based on the lack of love, but she also refuses to marry Mr. Collins to preserve her pride; she refuses to be manipulated into marriage simply to acquire her family's estate and to get rid of Mr. Collins' guilt. She decides not to be passive and conforming, but rather to be independent of social norms. In Charlotte's situation, although Charlotte conforms to the societal ideal of marriage, she manages to secure her lifestyle and socioeconomic status in her marriage to Mr. Collins with the jovial acceptance of her family; therefore, both conformity and independent interests are satisfied. Yet, in Elizabeth's case, Elizabeth's firm belief in love for marrying despite the societal pressure from her mother and acquaintances demonstrates the assertion of her own core beliefs needed in an individual to preserve their individuality and prevent social norms from completely overtaking it.
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