Views On Marriage In Pride English Literature Essay

In the book “Pride and Prejudice” , Jane Austen uses her characters as a vehicle to demo the reader her positions on matrimony, as we see with the assorted relationships in the narrative. Her word pictures of the relationships between the characters are slightly misanthropic of the popular beliefs on matrimony, and through other relationships, she shows her beliefs on what matrimony should be about. One of Austen ‘s chief purposes was to knock the modern-day norms of her clip on matrimony.

Austen does non demo us perfect matrimonies from the start, but Begins by giving a humourous penetration into loveless or un-happy matrimonies ; “You are mistaken, my beloved. I have a high regard for your nervousnesss. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty old ages at least. ” Here Mr Bennet is being sarcastic towards his married woman in a elusive mode, instead than outlandishly, because he is acrimonious about the fact. Mr Bennet is a adult male who prefers peace and quiet, and this is a big contrast to his married woman who his loud and chatty. This brings the grounds of their matrimony into inquiry, but as Austen is indicating out throughout the narrative, matrimony is seldom based on love, and this construct is introduced to us straight off. Mr Bennet shows in the first page of the book that he has no confidant attention for his married woman as he is un-interested in her personal businesss and wants, and replies with short, hard replies: “How so? How can it impact them? ” So he allows her to go on speaking whilst he is otherwise pre-occupied. Again, this is demoing the deficiency of familiarity between them, and Austen is demoing her position on the province of matrimonies that have been around since before her clip and have still continued. As we see, she points out that non much has changed. We besides see the differences between Mr and Mrs Bennet reflected in the girls they favour- Mr Bennet favours his older girls, particularly Elizabeth, due to their reasonable attack to life: “…but Lizzie has something more of adeptness than her sisters” , whilst Mrs Bennet prefers the younger misss who are more like her and does non hold with Mr Bennet about Elizabeth “Lizzie is non a spot better than the others… nor half so good humoured as Lydia.” Austen continues to satirise the female parent in this manner by demoing how the follies of her younger girls are reflected in her, doing us to feel for Mr Bennet: “and the adult male whom she could non bear to talk of the twenty-four hours before, was now high in her good graces.” Here, Austen is indicating out how fickle a character she is, to her hurt.

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As the narrative progresses, we see the matrimony between Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins, but merely after he has switched from trying to tribunal Jane to wooing Elizabeth: “…and it was shortly done” . Here, Austen is clearly mocking Mr Collins for his attack to matrimony: he is non seeking to get married person he loves or feels attracted to, but instead what may be to his advantage. In this instance, it is make up one’s minding to abandon hopes of get marrieding Jane to get marrieding Elizabeth non because of attractive force, but because Jane may shortly be married and Elizabeth was eligible ; she was reasonably attractive, from a good household and would carry through the function of a married woman suited to Lady De Bough. Austen is demoing the pathetic nature of people like Mr Collins who are seeking for married womans for societal position or addition instead than because of any existent attractive force.

Charlotte ‘s determination to get married Mr Collins is shown to be a dissatisfactory event: “Charlotte ‘s kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any construct of…” Charlotte wants to get married Mr Collins because as she is a much older adult female, she is about certain to go a old maid, as the societal norm at the clip was that adult females who did non get married by around her age were to be “shelved” as they had small hope of being married. Charlotte tries to promote Mr Collins to get married her, despite the short-comings of his character, because she wants the hope of money and stableness that she would otherwise non acquire one time her parents died and she was entirely. We are led by the reaction of Elizabeth to feel for Charlotte ‘s determination, despite how reasonable it was: “Elizabeth would inquire, and likely would fault her” Austen shows how she dislikes how adult females are forced into trailing loveless matrimonies with un-desirable work forces merely to look for some kind of future security. She once more scorns the character of Mr. Collins by sardonically stating: “she [ Charlotte ] did injustice to the fire and independency of his character” . By stating this, she is reminding the reader how the matrimony is silly as Mr Collins is non a strong character and non independent at all, and encourages the reader to feel for the state of affairs of Charlotte.

After Elizabeth ‘s disenchantment with Wickham, with whom at one point she thought she may hold loved, we all of a sudden see Wickham and Lydia elope. This causes heavy hurt to the household, as Elizabeth alludes to the fact that such an even would do the societal and eligible position of the girls of the household to fall drastically, when she remarks on her illation of Darcy ‘s distant nature: “Her power was droping ; every thing must drop under such a cogent evidence of household weakness…” At the clip, if one of a figure of sisters ran off with an unwanted adult male without the consent of parents to an unknown location, it caused the repute of the other sisters to plump as it is believed that they portion in the wickedness. Austen does non look to fault the engagement of the parents to be a job, as the crisis implies that it is their function to forestall their girl from get marrieding an unwanted, but Austen is knocking how the actions of one sister should so dreadfully harm the societal position of the others. As by the clip this event occurs, through Austen ‘s portraiture of them, the reader has begun to look up to the characters of Jane and Elizabeth, and they portion in the daze that they should endure because of the foolish actions of the sister. Austen does nevertheless, show the dangers of run offing with people, as it is implied that Wickham had no ground to run off with Lydia except for lecherousness, as he is possibly a “bad” adult male who takes advantage of Lydia ‘s infatuation without respect for her character and repute, and as a good ground to get away from Meryton as it is said “that he left Meryton greatly in debt” , despite the harm it may make to Lydia ‘s, and by extension the Bennet ‘s, repute. Austen is demoing that whilst people in love should get married, they should get married under the right conditions such as the love truly being returned, as other people may keep cognition that would do you to re-consider such as cognizing the inclinations and actions of the unwanted suer, so in that manner Austen is non so extremist in her attack to marriage. The state of affairs is resolved when they are found and Wickham is forced to get married Lydia. Although Lydia believes Wickham to be the “one adult male in the universe I love, and he is an angel” , he shows no existent involvement in her and he did non desire to get married her in the first topographic point. The word “angel” implies the ignorance Lydia has of the true nature of Wickham and is misty-eyed in infatuation. Again, Austen is demoing that matrimonies based on infatuation with no existent cognition of the other individual is unsafe, and will take to an un-happy and unsuccessful matrimony. When the matrimony twenty-four hours comes, Austen reflects cynically on the bogus matrimony and satirizes the matter by stating “with an briskness that shewed no uncertainty of their happiness.”

At the terminal of the book, Austen gives us an epilogue demoing the results of all the matrimonies. We witness the results of the matrimony of Lydia and Mr. Wickham, but by this clip, we already know the province of their matrimony: “I do non believe we shall hold quite money adequate to populate upon without some help” . Austen is for the last clip demoing how the despairing nature of some work forces for money, due to them holding poor-paying occupations and chancing jobs, drives them to get married guiltless and un-intelligent misss to acquire their money. Although it was ne’er his purpose in the first topographic point to get married Lydia, and he would non hold cared what he would make to her repute, he seizes the chance for more money. Wickham is seeking to take advantage of the possibility of money from rich relations, a trait he has displayed often. Very shortly after the matrimony, we know that jobs are originating as Wickham struggles to maintain a clasp of money, and Lydia suffers excessively, although she resolutely has faith in him despite her ignorance to his existent nature. The epilogue shows how the matrimonies based on love and esthesia are heading in the right way whilst the matrimonies non so based are non happy, in problem and in general, un-successful. She besides shows that money can be a really large drive factor in many matrimonies, and is what causes their un-doing. Austen is utilizing this to demo how the matrimonies she has portrayed as the manner they are supposed to be, hold come out on top in the terminal.

The matrimony between Mr and Mrs Gardiner is one of the few matrimonies that seem to be good, although Austen does non spread out on their function much: “One enjoyment was certain- that of suitability as companions.” Their portion in the narrative shows goodwill towards Elizabeth, at convenient times at the book, and there is no intimation of quarrelsome nature between the Gardiners. Although non much is said about their love for one another, their portion in the narrative helps Elizabeth on her journey in a happy mode, and the Samuel rawson gardiners are merely of all time mentioned in good visible radiation, bespeaking the province of their matrimony. Elizabeth loves them for their smart advocate, particularly from Mrs Gardiner, and this gives them acceptance. For illustration, after having a missive from the aforementioned, she “sat down on one of the benches, and prepared to be happy.”

The matrimony of Jane and Mr Bingley, and the events that lead to the matrimony, bespeak how a good, happy matrimony may take topographic point in the clip of the books composing: “…that she was the happiest animal in the world” . Over the class of the narrative, we have seen how events that may hold disrupted a possible matrimony did non halt Bingley and Jane from get marrieding each other, due to their nature and fondness for each other. This is in the instance of how it becomes likely that Bingley will suggest, before traveling elsewhere, but still returning after a piece and get marrieding Jane. Their matrimony seems typical, but in a good manner, and Austen is bespeaking how matrimonies ought to be, instead than like the unwanted matrimonies pointed out earlier.

The chief narrative discharge of the book concerns the relationship between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth. All though this narrative discharge may look unrealistic, Austen displays what she thinks would be the ideal matrimony: one born out of problem and discord, but finally brings two people together. At the beginning, ab initio thought to be eligible, Darcy is made out to be an unwanted character, after his remarks on Elizabeth: “She is tolerable ; but non fine-looking plenty to allure me” . From here on, the character of Darcy continues to plump as narratives of his character are take downing and Elizabeth is told that he had cheated Mr Wickham out of his heritage. At this point, Elizabeth reaches a point of hating Darcy, whilst her fondness for Wickham additions: “Attention, patience, forbearance with Darcy, was hurt to Wickham.” Elizabeth is developing a bias against Darcy based on what she has found out from certain people.

However, at the point where Darcy seems to be such a abhorrent character, Austen begins to delve Darcy out of the hole she had thrown him in. Elizabeth is invited to remain with the Lucas ‘s at their parish in Kent. The parish includes the place of Lady Catherine De Bourgh, a condescending and grandiloquent lady who happens to be the aunt of Darcy. When he visits, and proposes to Elizabeth, she accuses him of the sabotage of Jane and Mr Bingley, and the province of Wickham. However, Austen has Darcy compose a missive that explains his actions, as he responds to the Elizabeth last dark “laid to my charge” . This is the polar minute of the narrative where Austen uses the missive to alter our ain and Elizabeth ‘s sentiment of Darcy, and sets into gesture the events that would take to their matrimony. The missive limpidly explains why Darcy did what he did, and justifies it: “This, dame, is a faithful narration of every event…you will, I hope, assoil me henceforth of inhuman treatment towards Mr Wickham, ” and through this device Austen is able to turn around the instilled position of Darcy, partially through its contents, and partially through how Elizabeth reacts to the missive. He reveals how Mr Wickham was the felon in the narrative, which causes Elizabeth to get down doubting Wickham ; “Her feelings as she read were barely to be defined” . Elizabeth begins reading the missive with heavy sums of bias against Darcy, but she easy sees the mistakes of her ways. Austen guides the reader through every alteration of feeling that Elizabeth experiences, and this in bend helps the reader to portion in those feelings ; “Astonishment, apprehensiveness, and even horror oppressed her…she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd.” Her position of him is drastically changed, against her will: “How otherwise did everything now appear in which he was concerned, ” and Austen is demoing how the bias between people of different categories and positions from their first feelings are normally based on falsity and misinterpretation. She is demoing the follies of these, and how people so likewise, from different backgrounds, have the possible to be good twosomes. Besides, we must observe that every bit Austen has portrayed Elizabeth as a sympathetic heroine throughout the narrative and allowed us to portion in how she feels on a personal degree, Austen ‘s word pictures of these serious constructs of categories and bias are non kindred to a bumbling discourse, which allows the reader to better understand and agree with her positions on matrimony. By steering the reader through how she reacts and how she feels, the reader becomes emotionally involved, which is an effectual manner for Austen to convert the reader to accept her positions.

Darcy ‘s image begins to better as the narrative goes on, as the convenient trip arranged by the Gardiners shows him in a new visible radiation from different people. Elizabeth listens to narratives of benevolence and of good qualities when the retainers at Mr Darcy ‘s place speak of him, and her reaction is: “This was congratulations, of all others extraordinary, most opposite to her ideas.” The remainder of the book is devoted to Darcy demoing himself to be wholly different to Elizabeth ‘s first feelings, and necessarily consequences in their matrimony, much to the surprise of others. Again, Austen is demoing her position that people should to the full cognize each other before get marrieding, and that matrimony is something to be taken earnestly, but in the right manner, instead than for pecuniary or societal addition.

In this book, Austen is invariably demoing her positions on matrimony. She uses sarcasm to mock some of the matrimonies, and in making so she mocks the societal norms of matrimony at the clip. From the beginning, Austen is satirising the positions of matrimony, with the celebrated line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a individual in adult male in ownership of a good luck, must be in privation of a wife.” She continues on by stating that “he is considered the rightful belongings of some one or other of their daughters” . She pokes merriment at how the local aristocracy will handle any eligible adult male, and she sets the tone for the book about her return on matrimony. At the clip, Austen would hold been considered extremist for these positions on matrimony, but she clearly believes that matrimonies should be based on love and a knowing of each other. Austen ‘s portraiture of Elizabeth allows the reader to side with Elizabeth and esteem her, and this means that through Elizabeth ‘s actions and sharing her emotions, Austen can portion her positions on matrimony in a manner that wo n’t annoy the reader. This in bend allows the book non to be didactic as Austen is seeking to demo how what she has written is simply the ways of the times, exposing the follies of clip, and encourages the reader to come to their ain decision about modern matrimony, even though she knows precisely what decision they will make. Had it been excessively didactic, it may non hold remained popular for so long, and the book tries to dress the earnestness of the message in temper mostly based on her satirical return on the current ways of matrimony. The good and the bad matrimonies are an illustration of the apposition Austen has employed to demo the two extremes, but points out that one is world and one is rare and uncommon. It is non a “frothy” love affair, as there are turns and bends, and the chief romantic narrative discharge begins severely. However, people still chose to read it because they found themselves associating to the narrative in that they began detecting these follies in the universe around them. Austen demonstrates the ethical motives that can be applied to marriage in a cagey manner, and she expresses her position on how the matrimonies based on love and cognition of each other are more likely to win and be happy.

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