Differing Types and Consequences of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
A.P. English
26 August 2013
Differing Types and Consequences of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice Marriage in the United States in the 2000’s differs greatly with marriage in nineteenth century England. While women of the United States have the liberty of choosing how they want to live their life, women who lived in England in the 1800’s did not have this independence. During that time, a woman’s most important, and sometimes only duty was to marry, and she regularly felt the pressure of marriage. If a woman did not marry, she was seen as a burden to her family and her family received a bad reputation. Furthermore, most women were expected to marry between their late teens and early twenties, which did not give much time for finding ideal partners. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice accurately describes nineteenth century marriage traditions and pressures, and expands on the various types of marriage resulting from these expectations. The marriage of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins is seen as socially ideal for the time. Because Charlotte marries into a higher social class, she is ensured financial stability and her family is ensured a satisfactory reputation. Despite the monetary and social perks of this marriage, there is little evidence of any authentic devotion in either member. Charlotte marries Collins only for his money, articulating that she would rather be economically comfortable than in love. This leads her to feel dissatisfied with her marriage. It is not only Charlotte who is slightly displeased, for Collins is as well. He proposed to Elizabeth Bennet before he did so to Charlotte. It was when he was turned down by Elizabeth that he asked for Charlotte’s hand in marriage. This being so, he lives with his second choice of partner, resulting in an unfulfilling marriage. While marriage for wealth does provide perks, it leaves both partners empty of genuine affection. Differing from Charlotte’s and Mr. Collins’s marriage is the
26 August 2013
Differing Types and Consequences of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice Marriage in the United States in the 2000’s differs greatly with marriage in nineteenth century England. While women of the United States have the liberty of choosing how they want to live their life, women who lived in England in the 1800’s did not have this independence. During that time, a woman’s most important, and sometimes only duty was to marry, and she regularly felt the pressure of marriage. If a woman did not marry, she was seen as a burden to her family and her family received a bad reputation. Furthermore, most women were expected to marry between their late teens and early twenties, which did not give much time for finding ideal partners. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice accurately describes nineteenth century marriage traditions and pressures, and expands on the various types of marriage resulting from these expectations. The marriage of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins is seen as socially ideal for the time. Because Charlotte marries into a higher social class, she is ensured financial stability and her family is ensured a satisfactory reputation. Despite the monetary and social perks of this marriage, there is little evidence of any authentic devotion in either member. Charlotte marries Collins only for his money, articulating that she would rather be economically comfortable than in love. This leads her to feel dissatisfied with her marriage. It is not only Charlotte who is slightly displeased, for Collins is as well. He proposed to Elizabeth Bennet before he did so to Charlotte. It was when he was turned down by Elizabeth that he asked for Charlotte’s hand in marriage. This being so, he lives with his second choice of partner, resulting in an unfulfilling marriage. While marriage for wealth does provide perks, it leaves both partners empty of genuine affection. Differing from Charlotte’s and Mr. Collins’s marriage is the