Marriage In Pride And Prejudice Essay

Thesis: Throughout the text of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen challenges gender and social norms in the Georgian Era through the development of Elizabeth Bennet as she interacts with characters in the novel.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is among one of the timeless classics of the 19th century. Austen is championed with expert characterization and satire. The main plot revolves around the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, so they would be considered the main, most dynamic characters. However, Charlotte Lucas is just as important when it comes to conveying satire in the novel. Her character chooses to marry Mr. Collins who proposed to Elizabeth first creating an extremely dynamic message. The Freudian theory of the id, superego, and ego is eloquently displayed through Charlotte Lucas by her interactions and choices throughout the novel.

Although their views may have been very harsh and negative in the beginning, both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy leave the novel with very little prejudice and only good pride, but the reader has the same feelings when they close the

In novels, there is often one character that represents a beacon of hope for everyone around them. In the midst of war, death, and suffering, this character is capable of making the others smile and laugh. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Bennet acts as this type of light source. She stays positive in almost every situation. She looks for the best in every individual and is rarely negative, even when those around her are. Throughout the novel, Jane Austen exposes the reader to Jane’s bubbly and positive personality and allows the reader to form an accurate opinion on Jane. Austen creates Jane’s optimistic, trusting and generous personality through the positive things others say about her, her own cheerful lines, and Jane’s actions towards everyone she encounters.

Society feels that marriage is a way to gain wealth and improve one's social standing. We see how society feels on this issue of marriage through multiple characters one being Elizabeth’s mother, Mrs. Bennet. When Mr. Bingley comes to town Mrs. Bennet nags her husband about calling on Mr. Bingley in hopes that he will like one of her daughters. She even

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is set in the 18th century, when the future of society relied on social class. According to social class, the relationship between Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth should have been impossible, but they are able to break through these restrictions.The progression of Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship through the obstacles of breaking through social class dominates the novel. Jane Austen illustrates the restrictions of the social construct of class based on wealth along with her own views on social class in the fiction novel, Pride and Prejudice, through the relationship of Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy.

In other words, when people are angry they don’t always do the smartest things. When a person is angry there are many things going through their minds and don’t know how to respond to the current situation. In addition, people who are angry will do whatever comes to mind first without thinking if it’s right or wrong. For example, Miss Bingley got very angry when her attempts in catching Mr.Darcy’s affection failed because he has feelings for Elizabeth Bennet and not her. Instead of being mature about the situation Miss Bingley started to say disrespectful comments to Elizabeth Bennet in front of Mr.Darcy. Disrespecting others wasn’t a smart thing to do, but Miss Bingley wasn’t thinking that because her brain was focused on attacking others

When Mr. Bennet tries to influence Elizabeth to get married soon, he expresses that Elizabeth “will hardly bear to be outdone by Jane” (Austen 125). Through Mr. Bennet’s persuasion, Austen reveals an important view of marriage as being something to be envious of. Also, she relates the pressure that women have to marry and gain social standing. Austen continues to express the resentment Mrs. Bennet has toward Elizabeth when she mentions her rejecting Mr. Collins during Christmas, revealing that “the consequence of it is, that Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before I have” (Austen 127). Austen uses Mrs. Bennet to convey that marriage is a part of upper class society that establishes higher social rank.

The Bennets are eager to marry their daughters because they do not have a male heir for their estate, and once Mr. Bennet dies, the government would take the estate away from the family; but, if the daughters were to marry, the husbands could serve as heirs. To add to the burden of marriage, Mrs. Bennet only looks for husbands of class and wealth because these were the archetypal traits of a husband during the nineteenth century, and she thinks reputation and wealth directly leads to happiness. Due to this ideology, Mrs. Bennet is jubilant when she hears that a man of wealth has moved to Netherfield: “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!” (Austen 6). Without looking into anything other than Bingley’s “fortune,” Mrs. Bennet immediately draws the conclusion that Bingley would be a “fine thing for [her] girls.” Moreover, marriage is more of a transaction because in exchange for her daughter to Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Bennet can retain power over Mr. Bennet’s estate once he dies. Likewise, Mrs. Bennet is a conformist with the patriarchal ideas of the time because she limits the say of her daughters, and assumes that they will not be able to pick husbands for themselves. However, since Mrs. Bennet conforms to the social norms, she does not account the personality of prospect husband's, and

She treats critic Gilbert Ryle saying Austen is a, “serious moralist,” but beginning his analysis by stating she is not a, “philosopher,” as something equivalent to an insult (Bonaparte 2). Bonaparte seems determined to prove Austen is, “highly philosophical,” whether or not it is true or accurate to what Austen truly wanted to portray (Bonaparte 2). For some reason, Bonaparte believes that to say that Austen is not a philosopher is to underrate her. But by making this argument, she ends up unintentionally criticizing Austen’s work for being too simple. Pride and Prejudice is not a novel about epistemological

Darcy. The marriage of this couple is quite different than the normal marriage would be like in the Regency Period. The first ingredient to add to this marriage's success is that Elizabeth and Darcy marry for love, rather than social status and wealth. Mr. Darcy is fortunately wealthy, so Elizabeth will be well off throughout her whole life, rather than being poor since she would not inherit any of Longbourne. Adding to the bad parenting factor of the Bennet's was when Mrs. Bennet told Elizabeth she would never see nor talk to her daughter again if she did not marry Mr. Collins. Even through that wicked statement, Elizabeth kept to her own beliefs, and married for pure love, rather than money. The reason Elizabeth and Darcy make such a good couple is because of their personalities. Both characters are afflicted with two major character flaws: pride and prejudice. Once Elizabeth was able to overcome her prejudice, and Darcy his pride, they realized that they truly loved one another. "How despicably I have acted!" she cried; "I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity in useless or blameable mistrust..." (chapter 36; page 135) After reading Darcy's letter, Elizabeth came to the reassurance that she had been prejudice all along in believe Darcy had too much pride. Once Elizabeth surpassed her prejudice, she opened up her eyes and found that she truly loved

Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is contrasted with the other couples in the novel. It can especially be seen between the relationship Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have. The sensible characters in the novel accept the standard of intelligence and sensitivity and their relationships are determined by it. Mr. Bennet cannot be happy with his wife because he does not respect her. He retreats

Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen, she was born in 1775 and died in 1817.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is set in the 18th century, when the future of society relied on social class. According to social class, the relationship between Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth should have been impossible, but they are able to break through these restrictions.The progression of Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship through the obstacles of breaking through social class dominates the novel. Jane Austen illustrates the restrictions of the social construct of class based on wealth along with her own views on social class in the fiction novel, Pride and Prejudice, through the relationship of Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice many characters are introduced that have conflicting points of view, but each one of those perspectives further the story along. A main concept that carries throughout the novel is love, and whether not love is essential in a marriage. Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist, and her dear friend Charlotte Lucas are two examples of characters who have contrasting points of view specifically on the subject of love. Not only do the ladies opinions further the story, but their interactions allow for Austen to progress Elizabeth’s and the prideful bachelor, Mr. Darcy’s, relationship.