Love And Marriage In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

628 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Womens place in society in pride and prejudice

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” circulated in 1798 when the world was changing at a hasty rate. The American War of Independence took place, slavery was abolished and The French Revolution began. Austen disregarded these historical events and chose to highlight social issues she found to be pressing through her romantic fiction. Through Jane’s observations she decided to hone in on the concepts of love and marriage. Many novelists during Austen’s time used numerous metaphors and symbolisms to illustrate people, places and ideas but Jane chose to do the opposite. Austen relied heavily on the character’s behavior and dialogue and also on the insight of the omniscient narrator. In the first volume of “Pride and Prejudice,” Austen’s characters’ behavior and events make it apparent that love and marriage do not always agree.
The novel begins with the legendary declaration, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Austen proceeds to demonstrate the complete opposite; a single woman must be in want of a young man in possession of a good fortune. She then admirably goes on to describe the social interactions of love and marriage of the upper class. Throughout the novel and during Jane Austen’s generation there were many strict social protocols and women were deemed inferior to men. The rules of conduct begin as Mr. Collins is to inherit Longbourn and the Bennet women are not able to visit him without a male introduction and Mrs. Bennet is adamant on her daughters meeting Mr. Collins, to move up socially. Mr. Bennet provokes Mrs. Bennet by suggesting, “You and the girls may go… or you may send them by themselves to visit the affluent Mr. Bingley”, knowing ...

... middle of paper ...

... a device to contrast the other couples and their relationships. Austen develops their relationship at the first town ball; she describes their actions to indicate that they are falling in love. During the time period, men and women had to meet at formal occasions like a dinner or ball and there was always a very strict code of conduct in romance. When Mr. Bingley danced with Jane twice everyone concluded that he was genuinely interested in her. Whereas when Mr. Darcy chose not to dance with Elizabeth everyone concluded that she had been insulted. Love was considered less important than marriage and women were forced by society to find suitable husbands. Elizabeth thinks Jane should act naturally to Mr. Bingley and her love will be seen, but Charlotte Lucas thinks Jane should be very assertive and not let the chance of financial security slip through her fingers.

Show More
Related

  • The Ethics of Jane Austen's Heroines

    2689 Words  | 6 Pages

    Jane Austen's novels at first glance tell a story of romance set primarily within the landowning society amidst country estates, and their cultivation of tea parties, social outings, and extravagant balls; ladies sashaying in flowing gowns through precisely decorated rooms, and men deliberating over their game of whist. The storybook romance usually unfolds in these familiar settings, and inevitably involves the conflict of two lovers separated by differences in social class, and the resulting influence of the diverse societies they revolve in. Although these superficial aspects of Austen's stories are protruding at the seams, underneath the skin of these well-clothed dramas lie serious moral issues afflicting the culture of England during Austen's life.

    Read More

  • Symbols in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Often times in Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s setting reveals whether its occupants will adhere to, or break the social order of the time. Darcy’s home at Pemberley helps the reader understand that despite Darcy’s outward appearance in the beginning of the book as a social elitist, Darcy truly breaks with social order. As Elizabeth examines the inside of the house at Pemberley, Austen states “but Elizabeth saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine,—with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings.” Though Darcy is seen as prideful, his home does not show it. This parallels his break from social order. The social order of the time put emphasis on outward shows of wealth and opulence, yet Darcy’s home is beautiful even in the absence of “gaudy” shows of wealth. Just like his home, Darcy does not choose a wife for show (a staple of the day) or follow the social order to the letter. A more direct example of his break from social order that the setting supports is his rejection of the social “rule” of dancing with unpaired ladies at a ball, commenting that he doesn’t feel he needs to dance with ladies re...

    Read More

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

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    She emphasizes that marriages can only be successful if they are founded on mutual love. Elizabeth and Darcy 's relationship is really different from all the others in the novel. Elizabeth does not care about him being super rich and he does not find her the most beautiful. At the beginning, he thinks she is “tolerable”. They do not like each other at the beginning, they argue a lot and are really sassy towards each other. They are the opposite of amiable. Their relationship is far beyond just physical attraction. Darcy secretly helps out with Lydia 's situation. He does not want Elizabeth to be hurt nor does he want her family to ruin their repuation. He helps Elizabeth and does not bring it up, let alone brag about it. Love is not boastful. This shows the reader how contrasting Darcy and Collins ' characters are. “Elizabeth 's heart did whisper, that he had done it for her...” She has a feeling that Darcy is the one who helped out but she is not one hundred percent sure. Elizabethis wistful about saying so many bad things about him and she regrets her little speech when she rejected him. Unlike every other character in this novel, Darcy and Elizabeth took things slowly. Darcy purposes to her after a long time, when he was sure about his feelings for her. Even when she rejects him once he did not ask her over and over again, unlike

    Read More

  • Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Characters and Social Expectations

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    England, under James 1st rule was a vastly altered period compared to our now modern society. So many of the values held during this time, have now been discarded and forgotten. Jane Austen grew up in the Romantic period and experienced a world which was divided, whether through education, class, status, fashion, abilities, gender and etiquette. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice is counted as one of the great classics of English Literature. Austen engrosses readers to live in her world for a time and experience a society filled with matchmaking, romance, marriage and gossip. Every one of her characters is so distinctive and has a clearly outlined caricature. Each of their diverse values conveys a different thinking of the time. Pride and Prejudice is preoccupied with the gentry and most of the social aspects which consumed these people’s lives. There were so many expectations of how you would behave in public, but of course not all of these were upheld. Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, Mrs Bennet and Charlotte Lucas are four characters which keep such strong beliefs about the social norms. These characters are expressed so descriptively and through their personalities readers can learn just how the numerous social standards were received.

    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

  • Social Commentary on Love and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

    1728 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jane Austen shows the readers within the first sentence what the plot and main theme of Pride and Prejudice is and what social ideas she plans on presenting through this novel. The first sentence of Pride and Prejudice stands as one of the most famous introductory lines in literature. It states, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 5). This statement puts the novel in motion by showing that the novel will deal with the pursuit of single wealthy men by various female characters. By stating this, Austen reveals that the reverse is also true in the nineteenth century English society, which is that single women of no wealth during these times are also in want of a husband. Austen’s whole purpose in the writing of this story is to show the social pressures on women’s marriages and how this social expectation is faulty. Swords quotes David Springs assertion that “Jane Austen’s major preoccupation was the fate of women in the society of her time.” Jane Austen was a young woman who lived during the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, and was witness to women’s roles and restrictions and that times societal flaws. Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice to show her attitude on her society’s rules and ideas on women and marriages through her character’s pursuits of spouses and matrimonies.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Elizabeth And The Bennet Sisters

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Female Stereotypes In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is a female centric novel. The contrast between Austen’s strong female protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, and the theme of marriage as a driving force throughout the novel suggests that, for an author whose own life was independent from a man, Austen was providing social commentary on women in society and could thus be seen to challenge traditional female roles. This is particularly important when taken into account the time period the novel was produced in. Austen was writing during a time where feminism was not a developed idea. As a female writer she was viewed as highly unusual for not marrying and having a career, something which ran contrary to the middle-upper class view for women as the domesticated, subservient housewife.

    Read More

  • Marriage in Pride and Prejudice and in Jane Eyre

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the moment Elizabeth and Darcy meet, Elizabeth is blinded by prejudice and Darcy by pride though they like each other. Only when they admit the wrong they have done, especially Elizabeth, they are to be married. She should accept the right of Darcy to have some sense of pride toward his class and she has to learn to comply to social rules .therefore, it is not about marriage as much it is about learning to comply to rules. Elizabeth and Darcy will meet on common grounds. It is about finding moderation between nature represented by Elizabeth and art represented by Darcy. Only then the marriage would be successful.

    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

  • Social Satire In Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice promotes change in the way the English society during the 19th century viewed marriage. Through the use of conservative characters that were socially accepted in England during this time, Austen provides the reader with necessary details that show how insane these people were. On the other hand, Austen gives her dissentient characters more credit for their rebellious deeds. Austen’s campaign against social prejudice seems to succeed when Elizabeth marries Mr. Darcy for love rather than money.

    Read More

  • Pride And Prejudice: Synonyms For Marriage

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s famous novel, is, in large part, a study of marriage. It is an interesting novel for Austen since she was never married. The social culture of Austen’s day made marriage a crucial aspect of a woman 's life. A women in that time was dependent on a man for money and social standing. Synonyms for marriage are union and alliance both have very different meanings. Marriage as a union implies a fully joined couple. A marital alliance suggests that marriage is an association for mutual benefit such as money, social standing, or physical desires. Austen 's characters are developed to emphasize these differences in the reasons for marriage. She makes abundantly clear through her development of these marriages

    Read More

  • Theme Of Love In Pride And Prejudice

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    The definition of love is not entirely universal. Acclaimed author Jane Austen explores two different types of love through the characters that lead the plot in her novel, Pride and Prejudice. The story surrounds two couples, Bingley and Jane, and Darcy and Elizabeth, who share in their own unique and individual versions of happiness. This essay will aim to explore the effects of the two different types of love, why it matters and how Austen provides commentary on love in general through the actions, decisions and effects of each of her characters.

    Read More

  • Major Themes In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

    1890 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jane Austen may be regarded as a very blunt writer by many readers simply for her titles. With titles such as Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice, it is very easy to assume things about the contents of her novels. One may even claim that she gives away her primary themes and contents of the novel in her titles. Though this is a broad claim, for there are a great variety of themes and messages found in Austen’s novels that are not discussed in her briefly worded titles. Throughout the novel of Pride and Prejudice, certain evident and recurring themes beyond those initially described in its title arise. Though most of the important themes and topics of the novel are shown from the very start of the novel. In the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses the interactions and conversations of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as a means to introduce some of the most prominent themes of the novel to be later expanded upon including those of marriage, love, and wealth.

    Read More

More about Love And Marriage In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

Open Document