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Jane Austen 's Pride And Prejudice

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It is undoubtedly incredible that Pride and Prejudice, a novel written and published in 1813, continues to have an impressive degree of relevance in the modern world. In the 19th century society that serves as the backdrop for Pride and Prejudice, perhaps the most important societal norm is getting married. Women are preoccupied with finding suitable husbands so that they can live a comfortable life, while reciprocally, men are hoping to find a wife for a potential financial benefit or property gain. Unfortunately, love is simply considered to be a bonus and Austen is horrified by this lack of consideration of people being unable to find their true loves because they are so focused on material circumstances. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen illuminates the literary theme of marriage by contrasting extrinsic motivation with romantic connections through the relationships between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, as well as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are the quintessential example of a couple that was motivated to marry as a result of superficial factors such as fortune and attractiveness. From the very beginning of the novel, readers realize that there is a lack of love as well as a deeper emotional, romantic connection between the Bennet parents. Of Mr. Bennet’s motivation to marry Mrs. Bennet, Austen wrties, “[Mr. Bennet], captivated by youth and beauty […] had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had
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