"Class"

This chapter of The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen describes class rank in her time period, and how it affects property, respect given or received, social levels, and how it was "a fact for life." It quickly explains the titles we see often in pride and prejudice like "Sir," "Baronet," and "Lady."In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is "untitled" and how unrespectable that is. Much like Jane Austen was as she was growing up and suffered from her lack of title nobility.  All of this titles reflect on the amount of power they uphold and how it even differs in one specific family. In pride and prejudice, it shows how the characters differ in their idea of power. Like Mr. Darcy, he learns to see past the class rank due to Elizabeth, but those like Lady Catherine de Bourgh believe in class rank and power like it is religion. Not only must you have the title, but appearance must show it as well. Clearly, money and nobility had much to do with one's power.