Pride and Prejudice Essay

Today in our society people normally get married for love. In other societies such as Indian and Muslim, some marriages are prearranged because of a family agreement. In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, a major theme of the book is marriage. Characters in the book marry others for multiple reasons. The three major reasons portrayed in the book are for pecuniary reasons, social status, or for love.

Mrs. Bennet, even though she isn’t getting married, is highly involved with her daughters’ marriages. She has a great interest in them because she knows that when Mr.Bennet dies, the outcome of her daughters’ marriages is what will determine were she will live after his death. When distant relative Mr. Collins first visited to view the estate that he is to inherit, Mrs. Bennet isn’t happy about him being there. Once she finds out that he may possibly marry one of her daughters, her feelings toward him change: “the man whom she could not bear to speak of the day before, was now high in her good graces” (71). When she finds out that he might marry one of her daughters, she acts very friendly towards him and tries to please him in every way possible in hopes that he will marry one of her daughters. If he does so Mrs. Bennet knows that she might have security. Mr. Wickham doesn’t necessarily marry Lydia for her family’s money, because they don’t have any, but how it will benefit him to do so. When Mr. Gardiner writes back to the family, he explains that he has arranged for Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia, as long as Gardiner “[paid for] his debts to be discharged, and something still to remain” (288). When Lydia and Elizabeth were talking about her wedding Lydia lets it slips out that Mr. Darcy was at the wedding. Elizabeth, outraged at t...

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...social barrier of money that could stop them from being together because it doesn’t matter to them. When Lady Catherine de Bourgh tries to stop the two, Elizabeth says to her “In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal”(337). Mr. Darcy enjoys the fact that he fell in love with Elizabeth first and had to pursue her instead of her chasing after him, like most woman in the novel do. He does not stand to gain anything in status and money by marrying her.

In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, there are many characters who get married. They all get married for different reasons, some better than others. The characters though who tend to have great pride in themselves and who are secure with who they are marry for love, while others seek it for status and money.