Love And Romanticism In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

When compared to earlier artistic movements that emphasized order and reason, Romanticism in nineteenth century literature is characterized by themes of passion and individuality. In Pride and Prejudice, author Jane Austen shows Romantic ideals through the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, who looks to be married for love in a time when most women married for financial security. From the beginning to end of the novel, Elizabeth’s outlook on marriage changes as she matures and begins to think logically instead of following her heart. It appears that Austen values Romantic notions like individualism and personal freedom when in fact she challenges those values with Elizabeth’s constant reasoning and eventual acceptance of her love for Darcy and his social and financial status.

Instead of listening to her mother, who instills in her daughters that to secure their future they must follow the social norm of marrying a wealthy man, Elizabeth chooses to search for love. When looking for a respectable husband, most women in the novel only value social status and disregard character and morals. Elizabeth’s good friend, Charlotte Lucas, falls into this category of women when claiming, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (23). At the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Elizabeth stands out in her family and society because of her thoughts toward marriage. Elizabeth is from a middle class family and “Matrimony is not something [she] can afford to take lightly, because failure to find a husband will leave her in a state of relative poverty” (Monaghan). Due to the entailment of her family’s estate to a male cousin, Elizabeth must find a husband or she will be forced to leave her home when her father dies. Elizab...

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...iage, as she matures she comes to the realization that money is the key to happiness.

Although Austen utilizes Romantic notions in her writing and leads the reader to believe love is stronger than financial security, in the end Elizabeth settles for Darcy to secure her future. Throughout the novel, as Elizabeth’s character grows, her feelings towards marriage are influenced by her family and society. After her visit to Pemberley, Elizabeth comes to the rational conclusion that marrying Darcy for his fortune is more practical than searching for her one true love. Elizabeth’s maturation comes with a transformation of belief that suggests Austen’s values are more conventional than they appear on the surface of her writing. Austen defies the norms of the period by suggesting that any harmonious relationship, especially marriage, is and should be based off of money.