Marriages in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay

Marriage in the 19th century was a woman’s priority. Many times women married for social status or attraction but hardly ever for true love. In many cases the happiness of a marriage was based on whether the girl was beautiful and lively and the boy handsome and competent, and whether they were attracted to each other. Jane Austen would not believe that the happiness of marriage was based upon attraction, she believed it should be based upon love. In her novel Pride and Prejudice, she illustrates three main reasons for marriage, true love, attraction, and economics. The two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are an example of marriage for true love. They are two of the few characters in the book that have a†¦show more content†¦Later on in the novel, Darcy says to Miss Bingley, Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you. My mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the fac e of a pretty woman can bestow (25). Here he is talking about Elizabeth, and for the first time we see that he is starting to like her. He tells Miss Bingley that he had the pleasure of staring at Elizabeth, including her eyes and face. This is the first time in the book where we see that Darcy is starting to fall in love with Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage is based on respect, understanding and love, which took a long time to build and which is why they will be happy together. Austen demonstrates a marriage for attraction in Lydia and Wickham’s marriage. Lydia and Wickham’s marriage occurred as a result of Mr. Darcy’s assistance. When Lydia and Wickham run away together Wickham has no intention of marrying Lydia. It was only after Darcy paid Wickham off that Wickham consented to marry Lydia. If Darcy hadn’t paid Wickham off then the entire Bennet family would be ruined. Lydia wrote in her letter to Mrs. Forester how much she thought sh e cared about Wickham, â€Å"I am going to Gretna Green, and if you cannot guess with who ... there is but one man in the world I love, and he is an angel. I should never be happy without him, so think it no harm to be off† (242). Lydia isShow MoreRelatedMarriage in Jane Austen ´s Pride and Prejudice1399 Words   |  6 Pagestheir literary works. Jane Austen is only one example of this type of author who exemplifies a style of repetition by using repetitious themes. Theme is a very important literary element in any piece of literature. Themes teach the reader a life lesson, often times lending advice or a point of view. In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, she uses themes which can also be found in other pieces of literature written by Austen. These themes deal with the subjects of; marriage, good breeding andRead MoreMarriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen introduces the major thematic concept of marriage and financial wealth. Throughout the novel, Austen depicts various relationships that exhibit the two recurring themes. Set during the regency period, the perception of marriage revolves around a universal truth. Austen claims that a single man â€Å"must be in want of a wife.† Hence, the social stature and wealth of men were of principal importance for women. Austen, however, hints that the opposite may proveRead MoreMarriage By Jane Austen s Pride And Prejudice 1674 Words   |  7 PagesHailey Shipp Mrs. Wilson Hon 11 24 March 2017 Marriages in the 19th Century For women in the 1800s, marriage was used to escape the uncertainty of the future, and was portrayed as an obligatory duty because women were entirely reliant on men. However, Jane Austen argued that people would marry strictly for money and stability, rather than true love. In Pride and Prejudice, she used Mrs. Bennet, Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Jane as a way to introduce the topic of how society was during this era and theRead MorePortrayal of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay2073 Words   |  9 Pagesof Marriage in Pride and Prejudice   Ã‚  Ã‚   Jane Austens novel Pride and Prejudice portrays varying attitudes to marriage. The intricate social network that pervades the novel is one that revolves around the business of marriage. Through her female characters the reader sees the different attitudes to marriage and the reasons that these women have for marrying. These depend on their social status and their personal values. The reader is shown the most prevalent and common view of marriage heldRead MoreLove and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay2052 Words   |  9 Pagesis your response to the way love and marriages are presented in Pride and Prejudice by JaneAusten? Pride and Prejudice was written in 1796-7 during the romantic period and was published in 1813, it is set between 1797 and 1815, in rural England when the agriculture society was changing into a modern industrial nation. Pride and Prejudice is about love and marriage, personal happiness, andamongst other things, status and reputation. Pride and Prejudice is a popular romantic novel, which Austenherself Read MoreMarriage Vs. Love Jane Austen s Pride And Prejudice 1461 Words   |  6 PagesRomance 17 November 2015 Marriage vs. Love Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice, wrote in an era where considerations of social class and economic status were central to the institution of marriage. This notion is demonstrated throughout the novel by exploring character’s ideas and definitions regarding love and marriage. The main character, Elizabeth, defies almost all stereotypes of early 19th century women in England. She, unlike Charlotte and Jane, believes that marriage is based around trueRead MoreEssay on Marriage Without Love in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1640 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst sentence of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen satirizes womens’ inability to be self sufficient and respected in society without a husband. Elizabeth Bennet resembles Austen as young women, as she chose to be old maid rather than be married inappropriately. Elizabeth cannot stand the frenzies her mother and sisters get in over superficial marriages. Unlike her sisters, Elizabeth is set on finding love, and will not sacrifice love for any absurd amount of money or status. Austen wrote during theRead More How Society Viewed Love and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1898 Words   |  8 PagesHow Society Viewed Love and Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Jane Austen was born in 1775 and spent most of her life in the countryside in a village called Steventon, Hampshire. She was the daughter of a clergyman, Reverend George Austen and her mother was called Cassandra Austen. She had a brief education starting at the age of seven and ending at eleven, when she settled at home. Like women in Austen’s society, she had little education due to the beliefs at the time; theRead More With particular reference to the novel opening, how does Jane Austen1247 Words   |  5 Pagesthe novel opening, how does Jane Austen present the role of women in pride and prejudice? Pride and Predujice With particular reference to the novel opening, how does Jane Austen present the role of women in pride and prejudice? Pride and prejudice was first published in 1893, this was a time when it just became acceptable for women to write and publish books. Pride and prejudice was set in the early 19th century in rural England. Pride and Prejudice is the story of Mr and Mrs BennetRead MoreComparative Study: Letters to Alice and Pride and Prejudice1502 Words   |  7 Pagesportrayed in Pride and Prejudice are creatively reshaped in Letters to Alice. The two texts, Letters to Alice and Pride and Prejudice, mirror and contrast the central values shared and explored by evaluating them; presenting them against Jane Austens context and that of Fay Weldon. Mirroring Austens novel, Weldon presents the central values for women such as the social values of moral behaviour, independence, and, literary values of reading and writing, from Pride and Prejudice and adapts them