The idea of love and romance had not been as open a subject as it has been the past few decades. At the time that ‘Cousin Kate’ was written (1860) the subject of love had been that a young woman was to marry to a man with money and status as a means of advancement in her life. This is seen in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen (a dominant novelist at the time) where the central character, Elizabeth, is urged by her mother to marry the wealthy Mr Darcy.…
Through the connections made between PP and LA, responders gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of a marital relationship within society, especially its importance in the lives of women. In the patriarchal society of Austen’s context women have no individual rights of their own and since inheritance was passed through the male linage marriage was the economic bases of life and the only option for women with limited fortune and beauty. The subsequent importance of marriage has been supported by the critic Ginger Graph, “the world of this novel; marriage is the market, and the young woman are the merchandise.” Austen has reflected the purpose of marriage as a tool for economic survival through her pragmatic characterisation of Charlotte Lucas who agrees to marry Mr Collins despite his, “conceded, pompous, narrow-minded nature,” she admits to Elizabeth that she “asks only for a comfortable…
The fundamental importance and value assigned to marriage in the context of Jane Austen and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is reinforced through Weldon’s discussion of the options for women outside marriage and its purpose of providing financial security for women. In ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Austen presents the historical context of her novel in the mock axiom of “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The parody of this statement is presented through Austen’s satirical tone, as the novel focuses heavily on women, rather than men, seeking to marry. Austen conveys this by directly informing the audience of Charlotte Lucas’ pragmatism, as she lives “without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young…
In two societies where social hierarchy rules over love in marriage, the tones of selfish progression in teh passage from Pride and Prejudice counter those of loving sercurity in the passage from Our Mutual Friend. The character of Mr. Collins uses marriage fro social gain, having it take precedence over the feelings of the woman to whom he wants to marry. The other man longs to probide for the woman he loves and wishes to marry.…
Present throughout Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is the idea of marriage and contrasting viewpoints on the matter. Elizabeth retains her romantic view of the subject, despite pressure from societal forces. Her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, however chooses security over emotional fulfillment, showing in a sense a societal norm at that point in time. Through Charlotte's friendship with Elizabeth, her dialogue that echoes the views of society regarding wealth and marriage, and her eventual choice to marry Mr. Collins, she serves as a stark contrast to Elizabeth; further emphasizing Elizabeth's own idealized views.…
The grounds of marriage are formed on the basis of genuine love but can also be seen as an avenue taken to gain financial and social security. Austen challenges the incessant need for women to marry in her time while Weldon supports her views by recontextualising her context to fit the contemporary period. Through this, the reader’s understanding of women becomes enriched through the examination of what a woman values in both contexts. The necessity of marriage is stressed and explored through Charlotte’s character as she marries Mr Collin’s despite being the second option. Her pride is not compromised as it is outweighs the financial security she gains from him. She was well beyond the average marrying age and would have been left in destitution had she not married.…
The three main marriages that are presented within the novel each denote a different type of marriages that were commonly found in the 18th century. These are the marriages of Mr and Mrs Bennet, Lydia and Mr Wickham and Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins. Austen has juxtaposed the foremost marriage in the novel, the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth, with the other three listed, in the sense that the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth was based on ‘true love’ an ideology that Austen herself adhered to.…
This essay focuses on how Jane Austen uses all the different marriages to try and express her own idea of an ideal marriage. The author expresses her view of an ideal marriage, which is one where the love surpasses the importance of economic and social compatibility, which is when it no longer matters if they are of the same economic and social class respectively. The key reasons behind the marriages in the novel “Pride and Prejudice” will be debated in this essay. All the marriages in the novel express a different reason behind their occurrence. Love, necessity, chemistry, compatibility and social stature all play a very valid role in the marriages in the novel.…
Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen is centred on characters that either gain self awareness and knowledge or possess none at all. Happiness is found even when one has no understanding of selfhood but the most happy and satisfied people in the novel are those who have self knowledge. People that possess self knowledge understand their strengths and weaknesses and characters that gain self knowledge are able to decipher these characteristics and act upon them. As marriage was seen as a great achievement for women in their society, happiness in Pride and Prejudice relates to whether one is happy or unhappy in their marriage.…
One of the first relationships introduced in the novel is that of Jane and Mr. Bingley. They met at the very first ball in Meryton. Mr. Bingley immediately took a liking to Jane, seeing as he danced with her the most. They fell in love due to all of their similarities. For example, Jane is a very gentle, benevolent girl and Bingley is a very scrupulous, civil man. They were both falling in love with each other and all believed that an engagement between them was imminent. The relationship was perfect except for the detail that Jane had no wealth or connections. Mr. Darcy and Bingley’s sisters persuade Bingley that Jane is not in love with him, convince him to stay in London for the winter, and conceal from him the fact that Jane, herself was in London. When Lizzy addresses the issue, Darcy only says, “I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister or that I rejoice in my success… I esteemed a most unhappy connection” (183,189). Darcy with his pedantic attitude is focused only on wealth and…
The Regency Period was a time where status, money and connections are very important and marrying for love is not important. During this time, it is common to attend a ball that is being hosted by a member of the upper class. It is at a ball where Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy initially meet, and where they begin to have feelings for each other. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice illustrates several kinds of marriages, but the reader is left with the impression that marriages of love and suitability are the kinds of marriages for which one should…
Many novels speak of love and indulging in passion, but few speak of the dynamics that actually make a marriage work. Jane Eyre is one of these novels. It doesn't display the fleeing passions of a Romeo and Juliet. This is due entirely to Bronte's views on marriage and love. The first exception to the traditional couple the reader is shown is Rochester's marriage to Bertha. This example shows the consequences of indulging in passion. The opposite side is shown through another unlikely would-be couple, Rosamund and St. John. Through this pair, Bronte reveals the consequences of indulging in duty. Another view of marriage is also present in the book, through the character Jane Eyre and her actions.…
The marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth reveals the characteristics which forms a successful marriage. One of these characteristics is that love cannot be brought on by appearances, and must slowly develop between the two people as they get to know one another. Darcy's instant…
"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life." This is a quote from Charlotte Lucas, one of the female characters in the novel, and a quote which very well exemplify the general feelings against marriage for the period and the people in upper-class England.…
Love and marriage go hand in hand. However, not all believe that. For Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy, one believes in marrying for a wife and one believes in marrying for love. Jane Austen explains this in chapters 19 and 34 of Pride and Prejudice as she describes both men's equally awkward and sudden proposals to Elizabeth.…