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Pride & Prejudice - Marriage

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Pride & Prejudice - Marriage
Although, it is tempting to believe that love is the key factor to a successful marriage in Pride and Prejudice, through careful analysis, the fact becomes quite evident that Jane Austen considered and conveyed that marriage was successful when both partners were compatible, could work together, balance each other out, and meet one another’s needs providing some sort of stability. This idea is strongly supported by the Gardiners and Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage. In Mr. and Ms. Gardiner’s marriage romantic ideas of love may not be conveyed, however they have a marriage that is definitely to be looked to as the ideal turnout for a perfect marriage. First off, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner seem to get along with each other very well. Throughout the whole novel, the reader is never exposed to fights between the couple even though; considering that these two are Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, it seems that these two characters would fight as much as the other couple of their same general age and social status in society; Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner work things out with each other a lot, normally making decisions as partners. For example while Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner try to keep Lydia from bringing shame to her family by fooling around with Mr. Wickam. They both know what one another is doing, they are helping one another to complete a goal which really only concerns Mr. Gardiner by relation, and they understand the feelings of one another which is evident in the tone of the letters they write to keep Elizabeth in the loop about her sister. Another successful marriage in this book is shared between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Yes, it is evident that love is a major factor in this relationship. However, if the reader takes away the love factor, this couple still seems compatible. These young love birds may not seem half the couple that Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are, however in the book Elizabeth and Darcy aren’t only compatible for one another because they love each other. Darcy is an extremely wealthy man in addition to being described as handsome and kind but unlike most of the other marriages in this novel, Mr. Darcy isn’t the only one in the relationship who contributes. Elizabeth is a rare women in Mr. Darcy’s eyes. Unlike most of the women in the novel, Elizabeth is intelligent. She can actually keep a conversation; or argument, with Mr. Darcy, giving her something to bring to the plate in the relationship. The fact that this couple is able to communicate is more than the majority of the other marriages in Pride and Prejudice have alone. To add, by the end of the novel, they both seem to get alone with one another perfectly. They understand each other and accept one another for all o their negative traits. This is not only because they love each other, but also because they support the flaws of one another with their own positive characteristics. Even though love was not a major part of both of these marriages, these are two of the three marriages that are looked at as successful in the novel, Pride and Prejudice. These marriages are described as positive because in them, it is obvious that both couples can work together with their partner to complete common goals and contribute to the flaws of each other

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