, Research Paper
Pride and Prejudice: The Cost of Marriage
19th century England had serious social problems from the heyday of Royalty and Nobility. One of the most significant of these was the tendency to marry for money. A person sought a partner based on the dowry receivable and their allowance. This process went both ways: a beautiful woman might be able to snag a rich husband, or a charring and handsome man could woo a rich young girl. In these marriages, money was the only consideration. Love was left out, with the thought that it would develop as the years went by. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen comments that marriage in her time is a financial contract, where love is strictly a matter of chance. This is clearly evident from the very first line of the novel: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 1).
Lady Catherine states the fact that happiness in marriage is strictly a matter of chance. This holds true in the conception of marriage held in the novel. All of the marriages in the book formed under the bonds of money, rather than the bonds of love, end up unhappy or unsuccessful. The whole novel outlines attempts to dance around love for the combination of a wealth and attractiveness. It is thought that in, ?the world of this novel, marriage is a market, and the young women are its merchandise,? (Money & Marriage).
The first line of the novel is interpreted to mean that a wealthy man either actively pursues a wife based on his knowledge that no one would turn down a wealthy suitor, or attractive women use their beauty to their benefit to attract a wealthy husband. Confident in his knowledge of his own wealth and magnificence, Darcy’s less than romantic first proposal to Elizabeth is a good example of the first of these truths. Darcy marches into the room, and after stating all the reasons why a wealthy man such as himself should never marry a ?socially inferior? person such as Elizabeth, he proposes to her. He is totally confident in the knowledge that no woman would turn down marriage to a person as rich as himself, no matter how obnoxious he is. Darcy is shocked when Elizabeth refuses him. This refusal shatters his conception of reality, showing him that money is not all-powerful and perhaps his view of the ?marriage market? is false. ?Pompous, shallow, ignorant, boring and self-satisfied, Mr. Collins, in terms of his financial position and Elizabeth?s prospects, is a good catch,” and this is what seems to throw him head over heels in love with Elizabeth (Money & Marriage).
Mrs. Bennett is the embodiment of the second part of the rule. Her marriage was based on the principal of financial gain, and she desires her daughters to be the same. She was able to attract Mr. Bennett, a seemingly sensible and self-controlling man, by, ?keeping her mouth shut and smiling a lot.? Basically stated, she entered their marriage under false pretences. She had no real love for him, only a desire for financial gain. Every action taken by her in the novel is directly intended to undermine her daughters? marriages, guiding them toward financial gain (Laski, 68). She is furious when Elizabeth turns down Collins, as her marriage to him would mean the estate would stay in the family. She found Darcy rather unpleasant, but would have been furious if Elizabeth had told her that she had turned Darcy’s marriage proposal down.
Charlotte Lucas represents the group entirely left out of this equation. She has neither extreme beauty nor wealth (Brooke, 156). She cannot even attract a husband through her wit as Elizabeth does, and so she is basically without hope for inclusion. While Charlotte is speaking to Elizabeth about her sister, she expressed her opinion as to Jane’s relationship toward a gentleman. She says it is probably better not to study a person because you would probably know as much after twelve months as if she married him the next day. Charlotte even goes as far as to say that, ??it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life,? (Austen, p.21). Elizabeth is astonished when Charlotte accepts Mr. Collin’s marriage proposal, as she does not understand fully Charlotte?s predicament. “I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collin’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state,” (Austen, 95). She cannot hope for a wealthy and handsome husband like Elizabeth and Jane can, as she does not have their particular assets. Rather, she can hope at best for security and a degree of comfort.
Elizabeth is not particularly romantic either, however unlike Charlotte, Elizabeth has a certain picture of an ideal marriage in her mind and, therefore, would never marry for reasons other than love. It can be assumed that since Elizabeth is the main character, this is how Jane Austen sees marriage. Since Elizabeth would not marry without love, we can also assume that Jane Austen sees what Charlotte does as immoral. Elizabeth also feels that marriages formed by passion alone are just as bad as marriages formed without love.
In conclusion, the essential statement made about marriage in Pride and Prejudice is that a marriage for money will end up unsuccessful. At the same time, a marriage based purely on the means of passion and love alone will also be doomed to failure. A balance must be met. Balance doesn?t necessarily have to be equal, but must be present in order for a marriage to be successful. This is proven in the novel Pride and Prejudice, by examples of unsuccessful marriages formed for money, and successful marriages formed by a combination of love and security.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Oxford, 1998
Brooke, Christopher Nugent Lawrence. Jane Austen: Illusion and Reality. New York:
D.S. Brewer, 1999.
Duckworth, Alistar M. The Improvement of the State: A study of Jane Austen?s Novels.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1971.
Grab, Ginger. Money & Marriage: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 20 January 2002.
Laski, Marghanita. Jane Austen and her World. New York: Viking, 1969.
348
Другие работы по теме:
Pride And Prejudice Marriage Essay Research Paper
Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while Lydia and Wickham’s marriage was based on their desire, attractions and financial status.
Pride And Predjudice Essay Research Paper Pride
Pride And Predjudice Essay, Research Paper Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set in Nineteenth century England, is a novel about marriage. Austen’s feminine writing and weaved storyline creates a novel which can be interesting to read and which women especially enjoy. The novel has a strong theme of marriage as a mother (Mrs.
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper True
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper True Love and its Affect on Couples In the 19th century, a controversy arose over what the true foundation and purpose for marriage should be. The basis of this conflict was whether one should let reason or emotion be the guide of their love life and if a balance between the two could be maintained.
Elizabeth Bennet Of Pride And Prejudice Essay
, Research Paper Jane Austen , author of Pride and Prejudice, portrays Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist, as an extremely attractive character. Her beautiful smile and expressive eyes only add to the atteniton she receives from her good sense of humor and witty personality. Elizabeth’s all around beauty make for an easily liked and respected character.
Analyze The Aptness Of The Title Pride
And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Jane Austen s novel about the upper-middle class of English society, Pride and Prejudice, was originally entitled First Impressions. The aptness of this original title is accentuated by the appreciation of how Jane Austen makes the reader aware of the temperaments and personalities of each of the characters.
Jane Erye Essay Research Paper Jane EyreMr
Jane Erye Essay, Research Paper Jane Eyre Mr. Edward Rochester is faced with a tough situation. Mr. Rochester is married to Bertha Mason, but he has fallen in love with Jane Eyre. Edward Rochester is a member of the British gentry. His avaricious father tricks him into marrying Bertha Mason, a rich woman with a family history of mental illness.
Jane Eyre 7 Essay Research Paper In
Jane Eyre 7 Essay, Research Paper In Charlotte Bront Jane Eyre, the main character faces many struggles. One of the struggles she faces is the temptation to run away with the man she loves and be his mistress or to marry a man who offers her the contrary where it would be a legal and highly respectable marriage but with no genuine love.
The Importance Of Marriage Pride And Prejudice
Essay, Research Paper In Jane Austen s novel, Pride and Prejudice, marriage is a very serious topic, it determines a woman s class, their happiness for future life or even if they will have a life at all. Marriage Forms alliances between families as land, income and title are extremely fruitful topics.
Thought
’s Of Marraige Essay, Research Paper Thoughts of Marriage “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen provides subsequent argument with the first line of her novel, Pride and Prejudice. A statement that remains true to this very day.
Pride And Prejudice 5 Married Couples Essay
, Research Paper Jane Austen?s novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while Lydia and Wickham?s marriage was based on their desire, attractions and financial status.
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper Molly
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Molly Miller 513865145 The Novel MWF 1:30 2-1-01 In the classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, originally entitled First Impression, Jane Austen approaches satire and irony with full force exhibiting both throughout the novel. In this novel Austen is critical of the English societies and prejudices of its upper classes.
Marriage The Perfect Ending To Pride
And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Marriage: The Perfect Ending to Pride and Prejudice An individual often finds himself in a conflict with the rules of
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper Function
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Function of Male/Female Relationships throughout Novel Marriage is arguably the undertone of Jane Austen+s novel, Pride and Prejudice. Marriage was a ladder in which one would hope to climb into a higher social rank. Even those who are comfortable with their current status, it is imperative that they only marry someone of at least equivalent rank.
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper A
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper A consistent and thought provoking novel, Jane Austen s Pride and Prejudice combines irony and wit to provide audiences with a comedic view of human complexity. The first paragraph in this novel consists only of a single sentence, but in the few words used, Austen is able to present a seemly strong and confident statement, only to use clever dialog and description to reveal its irony as the novel unfolds.
Austen Jane 2
Austen, Jane “Pride And Prejudice” Essay, Research Paper Jane Austen’s intricate novel exhibits dry, subtle humor. She paints her genteel and refined characters with a
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper Beneath
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Beneath the surface of the romantic comedy Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen presents an underlying theme of the economic situation faced by women in the early nineteenth century. The best representations of this in the story is how two of the women in the novel approach marriage, and what they hope to achieve or gain through it.
Pride And Prejudice Point Of View Essay
, Research Paper Marry For Love The point of view of a novel usually decides which characters we sympathize with. In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennett is the focal character, which causes the reader to feel closest to her. The reader can relate more easily to her feelings and actions, and given that all of Elizabeth s opinions on large issues are known and understood, the reader tends to side with her.
Pride And Prejudice 4 Essay Research Paper
Throughout Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the conflict between reason and emotion is conveyed through the marriage of several different characters. In the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, it is quite clear that the two have never experienced much love and is done mostly for financial benefit and out of infatuation.
Pride And Perception Essay Research Paper Pride
Pride And Perception Essay, Research Paper Pride and Perception Jane Austen’s society values impressions, and considers them an important aspect of their culture. A first impression determines the entire perception of that person. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet learns a hard lesson by basing her perception of other characters completely on their first impressions. “The comedy is concerned with a heroine who must be educated out of a condition of self-deception brought on by the shutters of pride into a condition of perception when that pride had been humbled through the exposure of the errors of judgement into which it has led her” (Watt, 98).
On Social Classes In Pride And Prejudice
By Jane Austen Essay, Research Paper In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, life for the upper-middle class and the aristocracy was simple and comfortable, at least on the surface. Strict manners and morals, that often prevented them from asserting or protecting themselves, bound these two classes of people.
Jane Austen W Paragraph On How It
Relates To Pri Essay, Research Paper DawgEnglish Wednesday, September 09, 1998Author Essay: Jane Austen- Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen was one of the most remarkable authors to ever lead such an unremarkable life. In her entire life, she stayed within a 150-mile radius of her place of birth. She was never even published under her own name during her life, and when she died, she was not ever considered to be great.
Jane Austen Essay Research Paper Jane AustenJane
Jane Austen Essay, Research Paper Jane Austen Jane Austen was born in 1775 in Stevenson, England. It was there were she started writing her first novel First impressions which was renamed Pride and Prejudice . She wrote it when she was only 14 years old. She and her Father turned it in to the publishers but they rejected it.
Jane Austen Essay Research Paper Jane Austen
Jane Austen Essay, Research Paper Jane Austen’s Conception of Human Nature as Perceived through the Novel, Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s nineteenth century novel, Pride and Prejudice, demonstrates that human nature is innate and, for good or bad, can be cultivated and influenced by the society to which one subscribes.
Societies In Pride And Prejudice Essay Research
Paper Two Societies The novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, divides mainly into two societies. The characters in the novel are in conflict due to their income, in that, being part of the lower class submits some characters to prejudice and they rich are too proud. The following information will explain how the characters in the novel are ranked by their income.
Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essay
, Research Paper In the novel Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, several, if not all of her characters, can verify the idea that in order to achieve happiness one must abandon their pride and in turn, replace it with self-respect accompanied by some humility. In addition, tolerance and mutual respect must replace one?s prejudice.
Emma Jane Austen Essay Research Paper Essay
Emma Jane Austen Essay, Research Paper Essay Topic: That Emma is as relevant today as it was in the C19th How relevant is the story of ‘Emma’ including the social and emotional issues that run throughout the story to society today? Would young women in the 20th century struggle with these issues or are they unique to the period in which the novel is written?
Pride And Prejudice 10 Essay Research Paper
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen the entire novel is designed around a running theme: pride and prejudice. The passage in the novel that best relates this theme is in chapter thirty-four when Darcy is proposing to Elizabeth. This chapter is significant because it is one of the few times where the characters acknowledge that the sole purpose of a person’s life is to get a large salary and a high social stature.
The Trouble With Marriage Essay Research Paper
In Jane Austen s Pride and Prejudice the most important topic to theme and character development throughout the novel is that of courtship and marriage. From the very first chapter; the very first
Emma Essay Research Paper Jane Austens novel
Emma Essay, Research Paper Jane Austen?s novel Emma is basically a biography. As Jane Austen matured through her childhood years, she acquired many talents which are reflected
Jane Eyre Essay Research Paper Jane Eyre 2
Jane Eyre Essay, Research Paper Jane Eyre of Charlotte Bronte?s Jane Eyre, develops drastically within the first few chapters of the novel. Her environment was a major influential factor in Jane?s development.
Persuasion By Jane Austen Essay Research Paper
Persuasion Jane Austen’s Persuasion depicts a young woman’s struggles with love, friendship and family. Anne Elliot who is pretty, intelligent and amiable, had some years before been engaged to a young naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but had been persuaded by her trusted friend Lady Russell to break off the engagement, because of his lack of fortune and a misunderstanding of his easy nature.
Mansfield Park Essay Research Paper Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park Essay, Research Paper Mansfield Park This novel, originally published in 1814, is the first of Jane Austen’s novels not to be a revised version of one of her pre-1800 writings. Mansfield Park has sometimes been
Pride And Prejudice Essay Research Paper Pride
Pride And Prejudice Essay, Research Paper Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The title of the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, can be interpreted as a theme running through the novel. Pride, observed
On Pride And Prejudice Which In Your
Opinion, Comes In For T Essay, Research Paper Pride and Prejudice. “On pride and prejudice, which in your opinion comes in for sharper criticism from Austen. Support your answer by referring to specific incidents and episodes.”