In her work Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen defines six types of marriage. Excluding the Phillipses and the Lucases, the remaining six marriages contrast each other and show Austen´s opinions on the subject of marriage. Within a social and cultural context where marriage was assumed to be of great importance, Austen uses this number of marriages to expose and satirise societal values of the age and to explore the nature of the ideal marriage.
The marriages of Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, The Bennets, Lydia and Wickham and the Gardeners form the center of the paper. What was their driving force to enter into matrimony? Can they truly be regarded as six different types of marriage and if so – which type of marriage did Austen favour herself? As an introduction, the paper gives an insight into the meaning of and the various reasons for marriage in the Victorian era and presents the alternatives for women if an eligible partner was not in sight.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Marriage in Victorian Age
2.1 Reasons for Marriage
2.2 Alternatives to Marriage
3. The Marriages in Pride and Prejudice
3.1 Elizabeth and Darcy
3.2 Jane and Bingley
3.3 Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins
3.4 The Gardiners
3.5 Lydia and Wickham
3.6 The Bennets
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the various types of marriage depicted in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, analyzing the social, economic, and personal motivations behind them to determine which models of partnership Austen ultimately endorses.
- The socio-economic necessity of marriage for women in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Contrasting marital motivations, ranging from pragmatic economic security to romantic love.
- The role of gender roles and inheritance laws in shaping matrimonial decisions.
- An evaluation of specific character pairings to illustrate Austen’s critique of societal norms.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Elizabeth and Darcy
The marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth reveals the characteristics which constitute a successful marriage. One of these characteristics is that love cannot be brought on by appearances, and must gradually develop between the two people as they get to know each another.
Darcys immediate opinion of Elizabeth is that she is “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Darcy was not automatically attracted to Elizabeth, and soon after that “he had made clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face” but then “he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.” At that time he was physically attracted to her but had not made any serious attempts to get to know her better because of his pride which lets him assume that “anyone with middle-class associations must be unworthy.”
From the beginning Elizabeth states that only the deepest love can convince her into matrimony. After being called “tolerable” by Darcy she immediately builds up her prejudice against him which seems to increase everytime they meet. Pride and prejudice reach their climax when Darcy insults Elizabeth by telling her that he loved her despite "his sense of her inferiority." Elizabeth firmly tells him that, even though he was rich and powerful, she "had not known [him] a month before [she] felt [he] was the last man in the world whom [she] could ever be prevailed to marry."
Elizabeth is unaware of Darcy’s interest until his proposal. From Darcy’s proposal and letter to her visit to Pemberley, there is a steady progress in her mind that culminate in her emotions of shame. The series of events which they both have to experience give them opportunities for
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Defines the research scope regarding marriage as a means of social and economic security for women in Austen's era and outlines the six marriages analyzed.
2. Marriage in Victorian Age: Discusses the historical context of marriage, focusing on financial pressures, the emergence of middle-class morality, and the limited professional alternatives available to women.
3. The Marriages in Pride and Prejudice: Provides a comparative analysis of the six key couples in the novel, evaluating their motivations and the success of their unions.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings to demonstrate that Austen champions marriages based on mutual respect, intellectual compatibility, and love over those driven purely by economic or superficial concerns.
Keywords
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Marriage, Social Security, Economic Status, Gender Roles, Romantic Love, Pragmatic Marriage, Victorian Morality, Feminism, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Social Mobility, Nineteenth-Century Literature
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic work?
The paper explores the diverse representations of marriage in Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice" to understand how historical socio-economic conditions influenced marital choices.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the intersection of financial security and marriage, the limitations of the female role in a patriarchal society, and the conflict between societal expectations and individual desires.
What is the main research question?
The paper seeks to identify the driving forces behind the characters' decisions to marry and to determine which specific marriage type Jane Austen favors as an ideal model.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The author uses a comparative literary analysis, evaluating specific character dynamics against the historical context of 18th and 19th-century marriage laws and customs.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body provides an in-depth analysis of six specific couples, including Elizabeth and Darcy, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, and the Bennets, contrasting their experiences to highlight societal critiques.
How is the term 'marriage' characterized throughout the text?
Marriage is analyzed as both an economic institution for survival and as a potential union based on mutual respect and shared values.
How does Charlotte Lucas’s marriage specifically exemplify the era's economic constraints?
Her marriage highlights the desperate need for financial stability among women who lack personal wealth, demonstrating a pragmatic, albeit unromantic, choice for survival.
Does the author argue that Austen supports all marriages in her novel?
No, the author argues that Austen utilizes different marital outcomes to satirize societal values, clearly distinguishing between unions based on genuine connection and those formed for superficial or purely economic reasons.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Nicole Gast (Author), 2005, Marriages and the alternatives in Jane Austen´s 'Pride and Prejudice', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/49805
