‘Gaze’ and ‘Visuality’ in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

For many readers, there is no connection between Jane Austen’s novels and the sexualized body. Sexuality in Austen’s novels is never explicit; nonetheless, it permeates every look, gesture, and letter that passes between her lovers. This article aims to reveal the concept of ‘gaze’, especially female gaze, in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . According to feminist critics it is psychologically inevitable that women are the sexual objects of men; therefore, they have effectively refused to acknowledge the possibility that a female gaze could exist. Arguably, as it is indicated throughout this article, women are not necessarily rendered mute and inert by the male gaze; in fact, they actively shape and respond to male desire and their gaze encompasses as much authority and power as the male gaze.