VERBALISATION OF MASCULINITY IN THE PROTAGONISTS OF J. AUSTEN’S NOVEL «PRIDE AND PREJUDICE»

Abstract

The purpose of the presented study is to analyse the speech behaviour of the young men — the protagonists of J. Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”, Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy, in order to identify the manifestations of the linguistic “patriarchy” in the English aristocratic society of the nineteenth century. The object of the study was the different types of masculinity embodied in the characters of Bingley and Darcy in the context of the novel, and the subject was the linguistic manifestations of masculinity stereotypes in the behaviour of the male protagonists. The study results show that Darcy and Bingley represent two different types of masculinity: the traditional stereotype of an English aristocrat, refined and delicate, is presented in Bingley’s speech behaviour; Darcy’s behaviour at the beginning of the novel illustrates the traditional stereotype of masculinity, and at the end, certain transformations of this stereotype are noticeable, which are due to the protagonist’s love, as well as good upbringing, including the example of his father, who was a role model for his son. As a result, Darcy listens to his feelings and makes an offer to a girl from a poor family, which was not typical for the wealthy aristocrats of English society in the nineteenth century, preferring a happy future to material values. The protagonist performs deep introspection, which results in his sincere apology for his behaviour at the beginning of his relationship with his beloved girl. The prospects of the research are seen in the further study of stereotypes of femininity and masculinity on the basis of texts of both national and foreign women’s prose.