Thursday, April 2, 2009

Hack Chaise


"everyone says he is eat up with pride, and I dare say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to the ball in a hack chaise." (Chapt. 5, page14).

A hack chaise is what a taxi was called during Austin's time. Class is an evident theme in Pride and Prejudice and clearly displayed in this passage. In order for a family to own a carriage a horse must be kept, and the family also must employ a driver and groomer. If a horse is to be owned the expenses of its food and keep in a stable must be payed. All of these expenses add up to much more than the modern car would cost a family in today's society. In this passage Mr. Darcy is considered too proud to be acquainted with a person such as Mrs. Long, who cannot keep a carriage. This is a prime example of how little different classes mingle with one another.

~"Hack." Webster's Online Dictionary - with Multilingual Thesaurus Translation. 02 Apr. 2009 .

~The Republic of Pemberley. 02 Apr. 2009 .

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