Abstract

This paper examines how 19th-century realist literature by Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Louisa May Alcott critiques the institution of marriage and explores women’s agency within restrictive social frameworks. Through close readings of Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, and Little Women, the essay analyzes how female protagonists navigate economic dependence, intellectual constraint, and societal expectations. Drawing on feminist theories, including the works of Simone De Beauvoir’s concept of woman as “the Other”, bell hooks’ theory of critical consciousness, and Adrienne Rich’s exploration of marriage as both constraint and negotiation, this paper examines how these authors subvert dominant narratives of womanhood. Valerie Bryson’s idea that “the personal is political” and Paulo Freire’s theory of problematization further grounds the discussion, situating each protagonist’s choices within larger systems of power. In addition to incorporating Emma Goldman’s critique of marriage as a tool of economic and emotional subjugation, the paper argues that these novels collectively envision alternative paths for women’s self-determination. Together, they offer a literary foundation for ongoing feminist discourse on autonomy, love, and resistance.