Comparing Swift's Pride And Prejudice

Love can be described as “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley had had a “passionate affection” for each other ever since their first encounter at the Meryton Ball. It is known that the love between two people should be the first deciding factor in a real, successful marriage. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, was written in England during the 19th century, where social rank and money were what really mattered in a “successful” marriage. Jane and Bingley’s complex relationship is very similar to the song Love Story by Taylor Swift, which was written about Taylor Swift and her own lover.

From the first glance Jane took at Mr. Bingley, she had been intensely in love. Jane described Bingley

as “just what a young man ought to be, sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease, with such perfect good-breeding!” (Austen 10) Unfortunately, Jane and Bingley’s relationship was complicated, and monitored. Although they both admitted to loving each other, Mr. Darcy, Bingley’s close friend, and Miss. Bingley, Bingley’s sister, both did not want him to marry Jane because of her dysfunctional family, lower social class, and lack of emotion shown directly towards him. In reality, Jane was head-to-toe in love and was truly upset when Bingley moved to London and was set to never return to Netherfield Park, an estate close to where the Bennets lived; Longbourn. Jane travels to London with her aunt and uncle, in hope to see Bingley again. Sadly, he does not visit her. Ultimately, Jane gives up on the idea that Mr. Bingley will ever propose and moves on. In the next few months, Mr. Bingley does propose and shows that his love for her is unconditional.
The ballad, Love Story by Taylor Swift, tells the tale of Romeo, Taylor’s love interest, and Juliet, Taylor, are deep in love. They meet at at ball where Romeo makes his “way through the crowd and says, ‘Hello.’” Juliet’s father finds out about their secretive relationship and tells Romeo to stay away. Taylor sings about how devastated she was begging him to stay. She characterizes their love as “difficult but real.” Juliet then waits for Romeo to finally come back. Subsequently, he proposes after her father gives him his consent. Love Story presents a strong, legitimate affection between two people and an obstacle that had to be conquered. It shows that no matter how many impediments there are to defeat, if two people are truly in love, they can conquer anything, much like Jane and Bingley’s relationship.
There are a lot of similarities between Love Story and Pride and Prejudice.

In the verse, “I got tired of waiting. Wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you was fading,” Taylor Swift sings about waiting for her love to come back, much like Jane waited for Mr. Bingley to return but, “all expectation from the brother (Bingley) was now absolutely over.” (Austen 129) Jane writes to Elizabeth stating that she encountered Miss. Bingley who always said Bingley was busy. That gave Jane the impression that his love for her was lost and she would never see him again. Another line from Love Story that represents Jane and Bingley’s relationship is, “And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet.’ But you were everything to me, I was begging you, ‘Please don't go.’” Jane and Bingley’s relationship was supervised. Taylor says her father doesn’t was her to be with Romeo but, she exceedingly loves him that it would kill her to lose him. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy portrays a father by telling Bingley that Jane seemed to not show interest in him. Darcy knew Bingley was passionately in love; he told Elizabeth, “I could then perceive that his (Bingley) partiality for Miss. Bennet was beyond what I had ever witnessed in him.” (Austen 169) He later explained his thoughts on Jane’s actions towards Bingley, “Your sister I also watched. Her look and manners were open, cheerful, and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced from the

evening's scrutiny, that though she received his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them by any participation of sentiment.” (Austen 169)
In a genuine marriage, where two people sincerely love each other, they will do anything and everything to be together, even when there are obstacles to be faced. Although, people kept Jane and Bingley separated, they proved that their relationship was strong enough to withstand struggles and eventually, they got through them; similar to Love Stories plot. Love Story catches the attention of Pride and Prejudice enthusiasts because of its lyrical similarity to Jane and Mr. Bingley’s relationship.