Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay

Marriage 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 prove more exact: a single woman, under the social limitations, is in want of a husband. Through this speculation, Austen acknowledges that the economic pressure of social acceptance serves as a foundation for a proper marriage. Introducing the†¦show more content†¦Bennet exclaims, â€Å"Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls† (2). Considering Mrs. Bennet’s lines, the reader acknowledges Austen’s first claims on marriage. Mrs. Bennet not only exemplifies the opening statement of the novel, but also justifies the effect it has on mother figures. As Mrs. Bennet’s character develops, the reader recognizes her obsession with the marriage of her daughters. Mrs. Bennet understands the importance of marrying ‘well’ in order to maintain a high standing in the social realm. However, understanding the consequences directly affects Mrs. Bennet’s desperate behavior. This interpretation becomes an inevitable experience for each of Mrs. Bennet’s daughters. Mrs. Bennet’s desperation is especially noticeable when Elizabeth, the protagonist, is given the opportunity to marry Mr. Collins, a distant cousin and a wealthy land owner. After learning of Elizabeth’s refusal to marry Collins, she implores Mr. Bennet to force Elizabeth to change her mind. In her final efforts to convince Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet addresses, If you take it into your head to go on refusing every offer of marriage in this way, you will never get a husband at all -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead. I shall not be able to keep you -- and so I warn you. I have done with you from this very day. (98-99). In context, the reader, along withShow 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. 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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