The Different Types of Marriages Presented in Pride and Prejudice

Discuss the different types of marriages presented in Pride and

Prejudice and what this tells you about the different attitudes to

marriage in the early nineteenth century.

Austen opens this book with a cynical commentary on the Eighteenth

Century conception of the value of love - 'It is a truth universally

acknowledged that a gentleman in possession of a good fortune must be

in want of a wife'!

Throughout the book, there are many insights into different beliefs on

why to marry. Marrying for money was very popular, followed by lust,

calculated marriages and arranged marriages. Something not as often

thought about were love marriages. “Happiness in marriage is entirely

a matter of chance”. This was mainly because parents either rushed

their children into marriage, or convinced them that love marriages

don’t always bring money. Also, Fathers such as Mr Bennet who talks of

his daughters as being “four of the silliest girls in the country”

gives the impression that parents want to give their daughters away to

the richest people that come their way.

Jobs for young women were scarce in Jane Austen’s time because of a

lack of education available to them. This was because university

places were not open to women, nor were professions or politics. This

made a successful career highly unlikely. One way for a young woman to

acquire wealth and status was to marry someone rich. Inheriting money

was another option however it was made difficult as the eldest son of

the family usually got most of the inheritance. Women tended not to

live alone. A young, never-married female with money was not allowed

to set herself up as head of the household she had to hire an older

lady “companion”. Even Queen Victoria had to hav...

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...scoundrel”. The marriage would not last, as Wickham had to

be paid off to marry Lydia. Mr Gardener and Darcy paid off Wickham, a

considerable amount, to bring Lydia some happiness but also to lift

the shame of Lydia’s elopement.

This book is a parody of the battle between the lower gentry of merry

England and the slightly higher class as they each search for love,

but each is hindered by pre-conceived Prides' and 'prejudices' of

other social classes. The main protagonist, Lizzie Bennett, manages to

overcome her mother's objections to the pomposity and design of her

long-time adversary, Mr Darcy, and find true love. The book is full of

minor characters that all marry for the wrong reasons. Charlotte for

status; Lydia for sex and Mrs Hirst for money. But the Bennett sisters

are manipulated by Austen to marry for the only thing worth marrying

for ... love.