The Constraints of Societal Expectations on Love and Identity in Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh

Thematic Claim: Society’s Rules vs. the Right to Choose Love and Selfhood in Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh

Rachael Lippincott’s Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh argues that societal expectations—shaped by gender, class, and historical era—exert a powerful, often crushing force on both love and identity. Yet the novel also insists that these constraints are not absolute. Through the parallel journeys of Lucy Sinclair in 1812 and Audrey Cameron in 2023, the story shows that while social norms can dictate who we are allowed to love and how we express ourselves, personal courage, self-awareness, and the support of others can create space for defiance. The novel ultimately suggests that true freedom is not the absence of constraints but the ability to recognize them, challenge them, and choose a path that honors one’s own heart—even when that path is uncertain or requires leaving one’s world behind.

The Weight of 1812: Lucy’s Gilded Cage

Lucy’s life in Regency England is defined by the expectations of her father and the broader society. Her father views her primarily as a commodity to be traded in marriage for social and financial gain. When he announces that Mr. Caldwell has invited her to the annual ball, he makes his intention explicit: she is to “secure his proposal once and for all.” Lucy’s internal resistance is palpable—she finds Caldwell a fool, twice her age, and utterly unappealing—but she feels she has no choice. As she reflects, “What purpose does any woman have but this?” Her entire upbringing has been a preparation for this single objective: to marry well, not for love, but to repair the “damage” of being born a woman.

The novel illustrates how deeply these expectations are internalized. Lucy does not openly rebel; she performs her duty, nodding when her father commands her to visit the dressmaker and agreeing to attend the ball. Her small acts of defiance are furtive and private: ordering a lilac dress on a separate tab, maintaining a friendship with Grace Prewitt against her father’s wishes, and reading novels he would disapprove of. These gestures give her a fleeting sense of agency, but they do not change her fate. As she tells Audrey, “It’s just… how things are, Audrey. What we as women are expected to do.” The weight of societal expectation is so heavy that even imagining an alternative feels impossible.

Lucy’s mother’s portrait serves as a poignant symbol of this conflict. Her mother believed Lucy would marry for love, a hope that now seems “foolish” to Lucy. The portrait represents a lost ideal—a world where love could guide choice—but also a reminder of the reality that her mother’s own marriage was likely transactional. Lucy’s father married her mother for her dowry and status, not love. The portrait thus embodies the novel’s central tension: the desire for love versus the practical demands of society.

The Constraints of 2023: Audrey’s Invisible Walls

Audrey’s world in 2023 appears far freer, yet she faces her own set of constraints. Her artistic identity is under threat: she has been wait-listed at RISD and must submit five new pieces, but she has been unable to draw since her breakup with Charlie. Charlie, who gave up art after being rejected from RISD, encouraged her to do the same. This pressure to conform—to abandon a dream because it might fail—mirrors Lucy’s pressure to marry for security. Audrey’s sketchbook, once a source of joy, now sits blank, a symbol of her blocked creativity and her fear of rejection.

Audrey also struggles with her sexuality. She admits to Lucy that she has had crushes on girls but never acted on them, partly out of fear. She says, “I think it almost felt easier to just avoid it completely, or try to.” Even in 2023, where her parents have taught her that “people can love whoever they want,” she acknowledges that “there are still some people who don’t feel that way.” Her avoidance is a form of self-censorship, a way of staying in a “safe little box” to avoid risk. This internalized constraint is less overt than Lucy’s but equally powerful.

The novel draws a parallel between the two women’s situations. Lucy is trapped by external rules; Audrey is trapped by internal fears. Both are, in different ways, “pruned and prepared” for lives that do not align with their true desires. Audrey’s fear of rejection—from art school, from love—keeps her from pursuing what she wants. Lucy’s fear of her father and society keeps her from even acknowledging her feelings for Audrey.

The Cross-Time Challenge: Love Against the Rules

When Audrey crash-lands in 1812, the two women’s constraints collide. Lucy’s world is one where same-sex love is “abhorrent,” as she bluntly tells Audrey. This moment is a turning point: Lucy’s words are not just a statement of fact but a reflection of her internalized belief that such love is impossible. Audrey, hurt, accuses Lucy of censoring herself, of letting her father and society think for her. The argument exposes the core conflict: even as Lucy begins to feel something for Audrey, she cannot imagine a future where those feelings are allowed.

The novel complicates this by showing that Audrey is not entirely free either. When Lucy points out Audrey’s own avoidance—her failure to tell Leah how she felt, her hesitation to submit her RISD application—Audrey is forced to confront her own “safe little box.” The two women are mirrors of each other, each constrained by the expectations of their respective eras. Lucy’s constraints are external and brutal; Audrey’s are internal and subtle. Yet both must learn to take risks.

The climax at the wedding is the ultimate act of defiance. Lucy, standing at the altar, declares she objects and tells Mr. Caldwell she is “choosing herself.” This is a radical break from every expectation placed on her. She flees with Alexander and Mr. Shepherd, and when she finds Audrey tied up in the library, she cuts her free. Their kiss is a rejection of the rules that would keep them apart. The quarter, which brought Audrey to 1812, falls to the ground, and they are transported back to 2023—a literal escape from the constraints of Lucy’s world.

Symbols and Character Connections

The quarter is the novel’s central symbol of choice and possibility. It is the object that sends Audrey to 1812, and it returns them to the present. It represents the idea that one can step outside one’s time and circumstances, but also that such leaps require a willingness to embrace the unknown. Mr. Montgomery, the mysterious shopkeeper, is the catalyst for this journey. His own story—trapped in a coal mine as a boy, he wished away and ended up in the 1300s—shows that constraints can be transcended, but not without cost. He gives Audrey the quarter and later offers to send her portfolio elsewhere, but she and Lucy decline, choosing to build a future together.

The sketchbook symbolizes Audrey’s artistic identity and her fear of failure. By the end, she has filled it with drawings of Lucy, and she receives a RISD acceptance letter. However, she chooses to take a gap year to explore the modern world with Lucy. This decision reflects a shift in priorities: she no longer defines herself solely by external validation (RISD) but by her relationship and her own growth. The mother’s portrait, similarly, is reclaimed when Lucy wears a lilac gown similar to her mother’s dress at prom, suggesting that her mother’s hope for love has finally been realized, albeit in a different form.

Characters like Martha and James provide support and wisdom. Martha, the housekeeper, recognizes that Audrey makes Lucy “more open, more vibrant, more like yourself,” and she helps Lucy escape at the wedding. James, the stable hand, tells Audrey that “real love doesn’t care about what’s proper or what other people think,” offering a counter-narrative to societal rules. These characters show that even within a rigid society, there are those who value individual happiness over convention.

Complexity and Contradiction

The novel does not offer a simple resolution. Lucy’s escape to 2023 is not a complete liberation; she must adapt to a new world, study for her GED, and learn to navigate modern life. Audrey’s decision to take a gap year is a compromise, not a rejection of her artistic ambitions. The constraints of society are not erased; they are renegotiated. Lucy still struggles with the overwhelming music at prom, and Audrey must help her adjust. Their love is real, but it exists within a new set of expectations—those of a modern world that is more accepting but still imperfect.

The novel also acknowledges that internalized constraints are hard to shake. Lucy’s initial belief that same-sex love is “abhorrent” is a product of her time, and even after she embraces her feelings, she must unlearn that shame. Audrey’s fear of rejection does not vanish; she still has to choose to take risks. The quarter, which brought them together, also reminds them that time is fleeting and choices have consequences. The novel’s ending—Audrey and Lucy dancing together at prom, “figuring it out” step by step—suggests that freedom is not a destination but an ongoing process of choosing each other despite the odds.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Lucy’s father represent the societal expectations of 1812, and how does Lucy resist them?

Lucy’s father embodies the patriarchal and class-based expectations of Regency England. He sees Lucy as a means to improve his social standing and business prospects, commanding her to secure Mr. Caldwell’s proposal. Lucy resists through small acts of defiance: ordering a lilac dress on a separate tab, maintaining a friendship with Grace, and hiding Audrey in his absence. Her ultimate resistance is at the wedding, where she publicly objects and chooses herself over her father’s plans.

2. In what ways does Audrey’s fear of rejection mirror Lucy’s constraints?

Audrey fears rejection from RISD and from love. She has not drawn since Charlie broke up with her, and she has avoided acting on her feelings for girls. These fears are internalized, unlike Lucy’s external constraints, but they function similarly: they keep Audrey from pursuing her true desires. Lucy points this out, noting that Audrey also avoids risks, such as not telling Leah how she felt. Both women must learn to take risks to grow.

3. What role does the quarter play in the novel’s exploration of choice and constraint?

The quarter is the catalyst for Audrey’s time travel, symbolizing the possibility of stepping outside one’s circumstances. It brings Audrey to 1812, where she and Lucy confront their respective constraints. The quarter also represents the idea that choices have consequences; when it falls at the end, it signals a return to the present, but also a new beginning. It is a reminder that freedom requires a leap of faith.

4. How does the novel address the complexity of societal expectations in both time periods?

The novel shows that constraints exist in both 1812 and 2023, though they take different forms. In 1812, they are overt and brutal—women are expected to marry for security, and same-sex love is considered abhorrent. In 2023, constraints are more subtle—Audrey faces pressure to conform to artistic standards and internalizes fear of rejection. The novel suggests that no era is entirely free, but that individuals can challenge their constraints through courage and connection.

5. What does the ending suggest about the possibility of love and identity beyond societal expectations?

The ending suggests that love and identity can flourish when individuals choose each other and themselves, even if they must adapt to new circumstances. Lucy and Audrey leave 1812 for 2023, where they can be together openly. Lucy adjusts to modern life, and Audrey takes a gap year to explore the world with her. Their dance at prom, where they “figure it out together,” symbolizes that freedom is an ongoing process, not a final state. The novel ends on a note of hope, showing that constraints can be overcome, but not without effort and mutual support.