How Does Jane Austen Express in the Novel Her Attitudes Toward the Courtship in Her Time?
How does Jane Austen express in the novel her attitudes toward the courtship in her time? One who is fond of romantic stories must appreciate Pride and Prejudice, one who appreciates Pride and Prejudice must say highly about the love between Elizabeth and Darcy. However, there are four kinds of courtship in this novel which are represented by four couples of Jane & Bingley, Charlotte & Collins, and Lydia & Wickham and the couple that had mentioned before. Some of them are out the reasons of true love and mutual understanding of each other, while others are based on either physical appearance or economic background. Pride and Prejudice not only tells us a romance but also mirrors the English society of eighteenth century. It was depicted in the opening chapter by Austen that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Without saying the virtues that the man should possess, Austen illustrated that the first and for most quality of marriage is a better economic condition. As the old saying goes that money matters, and it is not destitute examples of this phenomenon. The marriage between Charlotte and Collins is the best example of this kind. With a fixed income and the shelter from Lady Catherine, Collins is the most ideal husband who can save Charlotte from her spinsterhood and guarantee the well being of her future. While Collins just be in want of a wife according to the request of Lady Catherine. Austen showed her disapprove of it through a sarcasm way: at first, Collins proposed to Elizabeth which he thought is a compensation to the Bennet family for he was going to inherit the estate of Mr. Bennet after his death. Failed to this proposal, he turned to Charlotte whom he thought is more willing to accept his proposal. Apparently, Collins and Charlotte were not on the same ground toward marriage, thus led the obedience of Charlotte to Collins. As we always associate romance with the prelude of some misunderstandings.