Interesting but I disagree with her. I do not think the aristocracy included families like the Bennets. Actually,of characters in Jane Austen’s major fiction, only Lady Catherine and Col.Fitzwilliam would be part of the aristocracy. The peers were Nobles. The peers and their wives were the nobility. Sir Thomas Bertram, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse were gentry.The Bennets were gentry. Lady Catherine no more considered Elizabeth Bennet as part of the aristocracy then she did her . vicar. Darcy was also gentry. It is an interesting talk. Thanks.
Nancy, if you take it that she is using aristocracy in the sense she defines it, as in the class that governs, I agree with her. But I also agree with you that the British aristocracy at the time would not have used it in that way. The landed gentry (such as Mr Darcy and Mr Bingham) were part of the upper classes, but would not have been described nor have described themselves as part of the aristocracy.
Interestingly, Ngram viewer tells us that, in the books they scan, the term nobility was used 6 x as much as aristocracy in the Regency period. The term aristocracy is used about as much today as it was in the Regency, but the term nobility has dropped to nearly the same level. Not sure what that tells us, if anything.
Interesting but I disagree with her. I do not think the aristocracy included families like the Bennets. Actually,of characters in Jane Austen’s major fiction, only Lady Catherine and Col.Fitzwilliam would be part of the aristocracy. The peers were Nobles. The peers and their wives were the nobility. Sir Thomas Bertram, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse were gentry.The Bennets were gentry. Lady Catherine no more considered Elizabeth Bennet as part of the aristocracy then she did her . vicar. Darcy was also gentry. It is an interesting talk. Thanks.
Nancy, if you take it that she is using aristocracy in the sense she defines it, as in the class that governs, I agree with her. But I also agree with you that the British aristocracy at the time would not have used it in that way. The landed gentry (such as Mr Darcy and Mr Bingham) were part of the upper classes, but would not have been described nor have described themselves as part of the aristocracy.
Interestingly, Ngram viewer tells us that, in the books they scan, the term nobility was used 6 x as much as aristocracy in the Regency period. The term aristocracy is used about as much today as it was in the Regency, but the term nobility has dropped to nearly the same level. Not sure what that tells us, if anything.