Chapter 56 of Pride and Prejudice provides fertile ground for a Marxist reading. Marxist literary critics read literature through the lens of socialism. One of socialism's emphases is class struggle, and class struggle is quite evident in this chapter.
In chapter 56, Lady Catherine de Bourgh unexpectedly arrives at Longbourn to pay Elizabeth Bennet a visit. Apparently, she had heard a rumor that her nephew, Mr. Darcy, planned to propose to Elizabeth. This threw her into a rage. The reason she was so upset is that the Bennet family was from a lower class than the de Bourgh and Darcy families.
Consequently, Lady Catherine believed Elizabeth was being what one might call "uppity;" in other words, she did not did not know her place. In fact, the indignant Catherine even declared that Elizabeth was ungrateful for all the "kindness" she had showed her when she had visited Mr. Collins. However, Elizabeth rebelled against these class conventions and refused to submit to Lady Catherine's will simply because she belong to a higher social class.
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