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Pride and prejudice theme of marriage
Pride and prejudice theme of marriage
Pride and prejudice theme of marriage
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Austen presents us with several different examples of marriage in
Pride and Prejudice.
‘Austen presents us with several different examples of marriage in
‘Pride and Prejudice.’ Focusing on at least three couples, explore
how each relationship is presented and what you think are Austen’s
intentions.
Throughout ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Austen often refers back to the era
in which it was written and the kind of culture and society that she
grew up in herself. It is also apparent that she sees the character
Elizabeth as an alter-ego for herself, as she is rebellious to the
things expected from her by her family and society in general - in
reality, it would be preposterous to turn down a marriage proposal!
It is evident that Austen did not like the general role that women
took on in the early nineteenth century, with no financial
independence and an expectation to serve the rest of their lives being
a good wife and mother with only the accomplishments such as music and
art, to excite them.
I have first decided to comment on the relationship between Mr and Mrs
Bennet. Mr Bennet clearly regrets his marriage to Mrs Bennet and
realises that he was really only attracted to her beauty and wealth,
rather than her personality. This runs parallel to the relationship
between Lydia and Mr Wickham. Wickham eloped with Lydia only for her
money because he was desperate to leave his debts behind and wanted a
companion to join him in his escape, which resulted in an unhappy
marriage, an arrangement made only to protect the family’s honour and
respect among other acquaintances who would very much have frowned
upon the elopement if it had not resulted in a marriage.
Marriages of that time were rarely for love; they were usually to
ensure financial security, to carry on the family name, connections
and a comfortable home. An example of this is the marriage between
Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins. She tells Lizzie after her
engagement, “I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a
comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins’s character, connections,
and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness
with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage
state.”
Mr and Mrs Bennet’s marriage is presented to us through satire and
condescendence. Mr Bennet, though unhappy with his marriage, has the
upper hand where he can mock his dizzy wife while Mrs Bennet sits
blissfully unaware. Mrs Bennet’s days are solely confined to ensuring
that her daughters are married off to wealthy young gentlemen with
good status and connections, to make sure that when her husband dies
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice illuminates a social courtship between the proud Mister Fitzwilliam Darcy and the shrewd, unconventional Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is proud of her own identity. She astutely justifies herself as “a gentleman’s daughter” (Austen 337) in her confrontation with the prejudiced and class-conscious Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mister Fitzwilliam Darcy, who shares Elizabeth’s sharp tongue, comes from a family of high social status; his privileged upbringing instilled in him “pride and conceit” (Austen 349) that blinds him from acknowledging the similarity and equality between him and Elizabeth. Upon first proposing to Elizabeth, he does not realize that he is not raising her social status by marrying her. They are of equal authority in marriage; their similar personalities makes them all the more equal and complementary to each other. Thus, their marriage, following a second, sincerely worded proposal, signifies Darcy’s recognition of Elizabeth’s worth, and through his recognition, Austen argues for the fundamental equality between husband and wife.
little, if nothing at all based on a good love match. This can be seen
Marriage in Pride and Prejudice It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife." Jane Austen provides subsequent argument with the first line of her novel, Pride and. Prejudice. The.
In 1813, a woman’s main goal was marriage. Females wanted to find a man who could provide for them and take care of them; not all women wanted love. Many were fine with living on a wealthy estate and living in an upper-class manner. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel about the Bennet sisters, five girls whom, in the time of 1813, are all unmarried and are looking for husbands. The central conflict is based around two young women, the eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. The girls have their similarities and differences, and can be compared and contrasted in many ways; in terms of which is stronger at handling the pressure of relationships, context clues give a valid answer. What the reader must interpret for his
It is not unusual for an individual to disagree with social customs or expectations. Some people are only happy when they can rebel against society. Most mature adults eventually realize that compromise is necessary to achieve happiness. This is the case in the early nineteenth century England setting of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. In the novel, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a lively, independent woman, whose family's financial situation and whose strong mindedness suggest that she may never marry. Mr. Darcy, is a rigid and proper man, who falls in love with Elizabeth, despite their differences. By the end of the novel, Elizabeth and Darcy learn to compromise, and, in doing so, become truly happy. In marrying, they not only fulfill themselves as individuals, but also affirm the principle values of society. The marriage at the end of the novel shows Jane Austen's ideal view of marriage as a social institution.
Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the disposition of the parties are ever so well known to each, or ever so similar before hand it does not advance their felicity in the least (Austen 23).
Furthermore, Charlotte Lucas who has no fortune settles for marriage with Mr. Collins, the arrogant, self important, materialistic and boring man. She thinks that it is better to be married than not, even if she doesn’t like him and he is not likely to make her happy.
By the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Lydia are happily married to Darcy and Wickham, respectively. However, the reader finishes the novel with very different perspectives on the two marriages. The union of Elizabeth and Darcy is viewed as the happy ending of the novel. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a positive outcome for the novel where the two do not end up married. In contrast, Lydia’s marriage with Wickham is viewed in a negative light by the reader, and at times could even be seen as an obstacle in the way of the satisfying ending of the novel. The difference between our perspective on the two marriages is a product of the seemingly rash decisions made by Lydia when contrasted with the sound, well thought out
Since Wickham is not wealthy, he tries to take advantage of this situation. He agrees to marry Lydia as long as his debts are paid off and if he continues to receive money from Darcy. Just like Mr. And Mrs. Bennet 's marriage, their “passion” dies out very quickly. “His affection for her soon sank into indifference...hers lasted a little longer...” True love never dies. Lydia is too young to understand Wickham and his schemes because she is blinded by the infatuation she has for him. Their marriage is an example of an unsucessful marriage.
Throughout the history of literature there have been many connections made between writers and their reoccurring styles of writing found in each of their literary works. Jane Austen is only one example of this type of author who exemplifies a style of repetition by using repetitious themes. Theme is a very important literary element in any piece of literature. Themes teach the reader a life lesson, often times lending advice or a point of view. In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, she uses themes which can also be found in other pieces of literature written by Austen. These themes deal with the subjects of; marriage, good breeding and appearances, social rank and morals, and happiness. In the novel Pride and Prejudice Austen uses different literary elements including; satire, irony and humor in order to support these themes. In addition to using these elements Austen also supports her themes through the actions and opinions of different characters. One very prevalent theme found in this novel is marriage which can be shown through the characters of; Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, Mrs. Bennet Charlotte Lucas and Lydia Bennet.
The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.
One of the most striking examples of Austen's satire is her emphasis on reason, as opposed to the wanton passion lauded into the bulk of romantic novels. Lydia and Wickham's marriage is seen as a triumph of their "passions" over their "virtue", and she is certain that "little permanent happiness" can arise from such a union. This is exemplified by Wickham's continuance of his extravagant habits, and the degeneracy of any feelings between them to indifference. The indifference Mr Bennet has for his wife, and the unsatisfactorine...
Jane Bennet is the eldest daughter in the Bennet family at 23 years old and is deemed the most beautiful of all the daughters and of all the ladies of Hertfordshire. She is amiable, and her “sweetness and disinterestedness are really angelic” (132). She never wishes to think shamefully of anyone as long as she can help it. Her modesty is strong enough that those who do not know her may believe her to be reserved. Elizabeth and Jane have opposing dispositions yet their relationship is vital as they balance each other out. Jane brings out the benevolent qualities of others for Elizabeth while Elizabeth keeps Jane weary of ill-intent.
The Relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice In the 19th century, a controversy arose over what the true foundation and purpose of marriage should be. The basis of this conflict was whether one should let reason or emotion be the guide of their love life and if a balance between the two could be maintained. The relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy in Jane Austen's book Pride and Prejudice depicts such a balance, thus becoming the model for Austen's definition of a perfect couple and for true love. Their relationship is neither solely based on a quest for money on Elizabeth's part, or emotions that blind the couple from all other important aspects of life.
In the novel Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, several, if not all of her characters, can confirm the belief that in order to achieve happiness one must discard their pride and in turn, replace it with self-respect accompanied by some humility. In addition, acceptance and mutual respect must replace one’s prejudice. The novel reveals four couples that live through social inconviences. The setting, although the novel does take place in many different places, is mainly broadcasted from Longbourn, somewhere in England. It is set around the Bennet family, which consists of seven members. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and their five daughters which of whom none are yet married. At this period in time, marriage was based a great deal upon money and reputation, not so much love and trust. When a single man entered town, he was called upon only if his financial situation was above normal. Marriage was based around land, family connections, and wealth. In many minor characters of the novel, pride is a common characteristic. Mrs. Bennet, for instance, is extremely proud when it comes to her daughter’s marriages of mercenary benefits. She is so concerned that her neighbors have a high opinion of her that her own vanity will not