Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The central theme of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is marriage, as indicated in the opening line of the book:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in a want of a wife." As we later find out, it is mainly Mrs. Bennet who is in search of a suitable husband for her daughters. It was a common practice during Austen's time for women to marry a husband to save herself from spinsterhood or to gain financial security. However, I dare to say that Jane Austen herself did not particulaly like this approach because the marriage of Mr. Collins
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We can say this because she did not let Elizabeth get involved with Mr.Wickham. Elizabeth's aunt Mrs. Gardiner cautioned Elizabeth not to fall in love with Mr. Wickham because he is not wealthy. "You are too sensible a girl, Lizzy, to fall in love merely because you are warned against it; and, therefore, I am not affraid of speaking openly. Seriously, I would have you be on your guard. Do not involve yourself or endeavour to involve him in an affection which the want of fortune would make so very imprudent."(Chapter 26) The last sentence explains everything. Mrs. Gardiners advices Elizabeth not to fall in love with Wickham or to let him fall in love with her because the relationship would not be reasonable. Mrs. Gardiner's advice to Elizabeth shows that Mrs. Gardiner realizes that money is as important as love. Jane Austen created the character of Elizabeth in the eighteenth century when it was considered proper to keep passions and emotions under control and when sense was considered to be more imporant than feelings.
That is why we can see here a conradiction between sense and sensibility. In case Elizabeth was in love with Wickham, she should not marry him nor show any affection towards him. Getting involved with Wickham would not be rational because he does not have enough
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It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."(Chapter 34) Mr. Darcy did not reveal only his love but all his objections to this marriage. He actually said that even though it is against his sense, he cannot hold his feeligs back any longer. Darcy actually offended Elizabeth by his proposal because he said that his love towards her is against reason. Elizabeth was also offended because Mr. Darcy proposed her using manners she did not like. He behaved as though Elizabeth was honoured and was not allowed to say
In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the necessity of marrying well is one of the central themes. In Austen’s era a woman’s survival depended on her potential to acquire an affluent partner. This meant a choice of marrying for love and quite possibly starve, or marry a securing wealthy person, there was a risk of marrying someone who you might despise.
‘Pride and Prejudice’ is a novel fixated on marriage: throughout, all the ‘action’ occurs within scenes devoted to either the talk of marriage or actual proposals. This cannot be expounded more than within the very first line: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’. Here, at the beginning of the novel, a definite, though somewhat sarcastic, statement introduces the main theme of the novel – marriage- and, possibly more importantly, not love.
and her friend Charlotte Lucas in Chapter six two main views on marriage is brought to the forefront. Charlotte gives the view that Marriage is more of a necessity so that women can have financial stability, whereas it is evident that Elizabeth believes in marriage. should be a union of two loving people and a lasting emotional situation. Then the s Charlotte’s view is that she will marry Collins because she needs to. hold her situation financially and socially, and not because of any.
In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen criticizes marriages based on infatuation. Lydia is immature and foolish enough to confuse lust for love. On the other hand, Wickham 's character is very manipulative and scheming. Wickham 's past proves that because he had planned to run away with Darcy 's sister
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.
...ews of these ideologies. While Elizabeth does accept many of the norms of the period she also challenges the purpose for marriage and has an outspoken mind. Her confident personality doesn’t allow the fact that she has less wealth than many others and is constantly being scorned at to interfere with her happiness. She doesn’t permit the social expectations of her times to hinder her strong beliefs and fate in life. Pride and Prejudice is so vastly different to most other novels during the early 19th century that Jane Austen must have held some very alternative views. The heroine Elizabeth challenges the most social expectations of that time and she ends up the happiest of all the characters. This theme must have opened Romantic readers minds, perhaps to the way society should be and this I believe is why this novel is one of the great classics of English literature.
In Becoming Jane Austen, a novel by Jon Spence, Jane Austen's Cousin Eliza, marries Jane Austen's brother, Henry. She asks him to marry her because of her wealth. Though, Henry has no feelings for Eliza, he agrees to the marriage because of the wealth that is sure to follow their arrangement. Becoming Jane Austen is about, the life of Jane Austen and the novel speaks of the events that Spence believes to have much influenced Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. Spence quotes Austen in a conversation regarding her novel and the conversation was after her relationship with Mr. Lefroy seized, “My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire” (Jon...
Charlotte speaks more to the general attitude of the period, the plain desire to be married. In the same conversation Elizabeth commented, “Your plan is a good one where nothing is in the question but the desire to be well married to get a rich husband or any husband, I daresay I should adopt it” (Austen 23). Elizabeth, unlike Charlotte, does not desire to marry for the sole purpose of convenience; she refuses to settle for just any man because society tells her to do so. She later states, “This is not quite enough to understand [Bingley’s’] character.” Elizabeth’s own opinions are shown through Jane’s situation, she wishes to understand her partner’s character before committing to marriage....
Austen?s tone is condemning when talking of marriages based on money, which on one hand shows her recognition of romance and sentimentalism but on the other can be seen as her bitterness for never finding love and marrying. For a novelist so concerned with the theme of marriage, it would seem that Austen believes in love with marriage being the just way to display affection. Austen?s condemning tone towards marriages based on class and wealth could be Austen recognising that marriage is not the only important thing in life. Austen would have had time to contemplate this, being so close to the end of her own life and realising that her life was complete without marrying.
The Bennets have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs Bennet, is one who agrees with the opening sentence: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’ The statement is one of great significance to the novel, because of its masterful irony, its humorous tone, and its foreshadowing of the entire novel. To Mrs Bennet, the arrival of Mr Bingley in the neighbourhood is seen as a great opportunity for one of her daughters to obtain a wealthy spouse. The first sentence is ironic because a man with a fortune does not necessarily need a wife, as much as a woman, who has no means of outside support in the 19th century, is greatly in need of a wealthy spouse. When the reader meets Mr Darcy, a wealthy and ‘fine, tall person’, with ‘handsome features’ ...
Elizabeth is so upset about charlotte marrying Collins because she is afraid if being forced into a similar marriage or ending up as having no money, no marriage .Concerning the civil status and economic right of woman , Austen is hitting at the patriarchal society. The nightmare of not marrying is worse than marrying someone like Mr. Collins.
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.
Collins is interested in Elizabeth as well, and wants to marry her for several reasons which he deems proper and just. Mr. Collins is certain that he is worthy of Elizabeth’s acceptance because of his connection to the family of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and his position as a clergyman, but also because he will inherit her family’s estate when her father dies. He has no notion of love or lifelong happiness, which Elizabeth finds ideal in a marriage. He tries to understand her refusal, crediting it to her “wish of increasing [his] love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.” Elizabeth, for the sake of his understanding fully, says, “Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart” (108). Austen demonstrates how Mr. Collins considers marriage to him a perfect solution to the problem of the entailed estate, while Elizabeth knows marriage to him would make her miserable. He later finds an acceptable match with the practical Charlotte
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)
...: Charlotte Lucas. It is most obvious that this marriage is not based on love, as it could be argued that Mr Collins may have had loving feelings for Elizabeth only days before; therefore making it highly improbable that both he and Charlotte could have developed feelings of love for one another in such a short space of time. Charlotte’s swift acceptance of Mr Collins’ offer shows that she is anxious to get married to gain both social and financial security. From this point on, Austen ensures that the reader is made aware of the very likely possibility that Charlotte may never have loving feelings towards Mr Collins, and vice-versa. However this should not prove to be a problem for Mr Collins, as he only desires a wife so to conform to the status quo.