Courtship in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

1319 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender in 20th century English literature

Courtship is friendly and often ingratiating attention for the purpose of winning a favor or establishing an alliance or other relationships. Courtship is a reoccurring theme in the novel The Pride and the Prejudice. For example, Mrs. Bennet is very concerned that all her daughters will marry, Lydia eloped with Wickham, Elizabeth turned down Mr. Collins proposal, and Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth.

Have you ever wondered why people focus so much on growing up and getting married? Mrs. Bennet's main concern in life is to see that all her daughters are married, preferably to wealthy men. She doesn't even seem to care whether or not her daughters truly love the men. There are many times in the book when Mrs. Bennet tries to set her daughters up with men. For example, when Bingley first moves to Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet encourages Mr. Bennet to meet him and make friends with him before any of the other neighbors. Another example of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her daughters is when Jane becomes ill while at Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet encourages Jane to stay instead of coming home because she feels this will bring her closer to Bingley (Citation). Arranged marriages were not an uncommon this during this time. Although arranged marriages occur less often now, dating is still very much arranged at times. The perfect example of arranged dating is Carmel Catholic High School's Homecoming dance. Many of my friends have been set up with guys they have never even spoken a word to. They were so desperate to go to the dance; they didn't care who their date was. This directly relates to the Pride and the Prejudice. For example, Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas who accepts his offer. Charlotte, who greatly fears being single, doesn't even truly love Mr. Collins. She does not care if her husband is foolish and vain, as long as she has a husband. Charlotte has no romantic ideas that marriage must be based on love. She tells Elizabeth, "I am not romantic you know. . . I only ask for a comfortable home."(chapter 22)

Elizabeth is a beautiful independent woman who is not about to conform to society. She is always doing the unthinkable and is constantly surprising us with her wit and intelligence.

Show More
Related

  • The Attitudes Toward Marriage in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Attitudes Toward Marriage in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Jane Austin wrote the novel Pride and Prejudice in 1813. The novel provides a great deal of information and gives us a detailed insight to the different attitudes towards marriages at the time. Pride and Prejudice is focused and written about the lifestyles among "gentry". The "gentry" was the middle to upper class citizens in England. In the novel Jane Austin shows us that social status is a very important factor and that is was essential to have connections with people higher up in the gentry.

    Read More

  • Explore Jane Austen’s attitude to marriage in Pride and Prejudice

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    little, if nothing at all based on a good love match. This can be seen

    Read More

  • In Want of a Wife: Jane Austen’s Reaction to Marriage

    1618 Words  | 4 Pages

    The romantic era in literature was characterized by many different authors, male and female. Jane Austen was only one of many authors in that era, and one of the longest lasting; through her many novels, she shows various views on love and marriage. In Jane Austen’s critically acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice, Austen spares no character, male or female, in her criticism of the understood custom that the only route to happiness was marriage.

    Read More

  • Marriage and Breeding in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    During Jane Austen stayed single and spent much of her life writing and going to fashionable parties like the one Miss Bennet and Mr Darcy assembles at. Jane Austen observes the biased views of marriage of the upper social class in the novel. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife. " Is the ironic suggestion that Jane Austen begins Pride and Prejudice with. This introduces several of the major issues and themes that have been explored in the novel throughout the past two centuries: marriage.

    Read More

  • Elizabeth and Darcy: Flaws and All

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marriage was not about love in the 19th century, and this is shown when Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins. Charlotte needs to secure a future for herself, and marriage is the only option for a woman to improve her financial standing. Additionally, Mrs. Bennet constantly tries to marry her daughters off throughout the novel. In the 19th century, the only reason women really existed was for marriage. ...

    Read More

  • Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen In pride and Prejudice there are many different marriages that occur. There are also, various, different incentives for these marriages. In comparing Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship with, Lydia and Wickham, and Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins the reader begins to see the different reasons in which the partners marry. The reader can base their views on the priorities of each relationship. If a reader was to read of a marriage based on financial security like Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas' they may have preconceived ideas about how the relationship will work if love is not involved, they may form prejudices on the marriage based on their own beliefs and ideals.

    Read More

  • Love And Love In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jane Austen is a world known English author who lived centuries ago. Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in a small town in south-central England. In 1813, “Pride and Prejudice” was published and is still a well known novel today. The novel provides insight on overcoming prejudices, achieving happiness and someone to share it with. However the women in the novel thought they had to be married to experience happiness. Austen stated in the first line of the novel, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (1). Basically this statement is saying that a wealthy single man is looking for a woman to marry. This novel shows that love can change thoughts and feelings of pride

    Read More

  • Character Analysis in Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pride and Prejudice is a story about two married couples who do not respect each other. Mrs. Bennet business is to get her five daughter's to marry the most richest man in England. She is willing to take on any obstacles that get in her way. Mr. Bennet is a very outspoken and sardonic person. If there is anything he dislikes about mrs. Bennet or about what she is doing, he let her know. He love to criticize his wife. "I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party." I chose this quote because it shows how Mr. Bennet criticize his wife. Mr bennet plays around with Miss Bennet not

    Read More

  • Infatuation Of Marriage In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marriage is a beautiful bond, where two people who love each other unconditionally, promise to love and take care of one another for the rest of their lives. Through the experiences of Lydia and Wickham, Charlotte and Collins, and Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane Austen criticizes marriages based on Infatuation, convience and money and emphasizes that marriages can only be successful if they are founded on mutal love.

    Read More

  • Social Norms in Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is well-noted for its ability to question social norms. Most importantly, Austen explores the institution of marriage, as it was in her time, a time where many married for security rather than love. Her characters Elizabeth and Charlotte are renowned even more for their outspoken nature and different views on marriage. Though both Elizabeth and Charlotte yearn for a happy marriage, Charlotte has a more pragmatic and mundane approach while Elizabeth is more romantic and daring with her actions. Through the romantic involvements of both Elizabeth and Charlotte, Austen shows that happiness in marriage is not entirely a matter of chance, but is instead contingent on an accurate evaluation of self and others Elizabeth’s view on Jane and Bingely’s relationship is more hopeful, while Charlotte possesses a more aggressive view.

    Read More

  • Themes Of Marriage In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bingley and Jane Bennet show immediate chemistry from the beginning of the novel to the end. They encounter a rough patch in their relationship towards the middle of the novel when Mr. Bingley does not visit Netherfield for an extended period of time. However, the reader can almost assume an impending marriage between the two from the beginning of the novel, even with their rough patch in the middle. Bingley and Jane serve as the two of the most kind characters in Pride and Prejudice and establish themselves as the perfect couple. Their intentions in the marriage exhibit themselves as pure and kind-hearted. They married each other for all of the right reasons. Love distinguished itself as the most important quality in their caring and passionate marriage which proves as rare marriage equality in this novel. Many tried to separate this couple, including Darcy, but in the end all attempts to ruin their love failed because they ended up happily married. Their views and attitude toward their marriage portray a unique and rare marriage in this novel due to the fact that they married for love instead of money or

    Read More

  • Portrayal of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    2064 Words  | 5 Pages

    Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice portrays varying attitudes to marriage. "The intricate social network that pervades the novel is one that revolves around the business of marriage". Through her female characters the reader sees the different attitudes to marriage and the reasons that these women have for marrying. These depend on their social status and their personal values. The reader is shown the most prevalent and common view of marriage held by society in Austen's time, and through the heroine, a differing opinion of marriage is explored. We are shown how marriage is viewed by the very wealthy and the values they emphasise in marriage. Through the characterisation of these women and use of irony, Austen has influenced the reader's opinions on the characters attitude about marriage and that of their contemporaries.

    Read More

  • The Matrimonial Value Orientation in Pride and Prejudice

    3803 Words  | 8 Pages

    Pride and Prejudice is the most enduringly popular novel written by Jane Austen. It talks about trivial matters of love, marriage and family life between country squires and fair ladies in Britain in the 18th century. The plot is very simple. That is how the young ladies choose their husbands. Someone said that "Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the novel, flatly rejected William Collins' proposal, who is the heir of her father's property and manor, and refused the first proposal from the extremely wealthy nobleman Fitzwilliam Darcy later,"(1) all this makes it clear that Elizabeth "seeks no fame nor fortune, but self-improvement and high mental outlook."(1) It's right. From the view point of Austen, Elizabeth's marriage, who finally marries Darcy, as well as Jane-Bingley's, composing money and love, is the ideal marriage people should after. But in other marriage cases in this novel, we can see that if money and love can't be held together in one marriage, love would always make a concession to money because of the special social background. After reading through the whole book, we will find that money acts as the cause of each plot and the clue of its development. It affects everybody's words and deeds, even Elizabeth Bennet. Tony Tanner once said, "Jane Austen, as well as other authors, is very clear that no feeling could be extremely pure and no motive could be definitely single. But as long as it is possible, we should make it clear that which feeling or motive plays the leading role." (2)

    Read More

  • Essay on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's Parenting in Pride and Prejudice

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Marriage in Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

    Read More

More about Courtship in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Open Document