Essay on Marriage in Pamela and Roxana

Women, especially were inclined to be criticized or ostracized if they did not follow society’s gender roles. They were thought to be mothers and the main caretakers of the family. At the time, women were seen as delicate and feminine. Their work was found in the house with domestic duties. Charlotte Temple, by Susanna Rowson describes the ideal women and was specifically targeted to “factory girls” who left their homes in the farms to work in the city (Rowson, xii). Mrs. Temple, Charlotte Temple’s mother, decided not to let her grief consume her and instead focused on making her husband happy and taking care of her father after Charlotte left (Rowson, 56). If a woman was not committed to one man, then she was not the ideal woman. Mademoiselle La Rue, Charlotte’s teacher, was far from a role model. She was scandalous because she “eloped from a convent with a young officer” and she even had to hide it to get a job at the school (Rowson, 26). Moreover, women with no financial fortune were unfit to marry. Marriage was a financial transaction and a man’s success required that he married someone wealthy. Montraville’s father explains to his son that he would be happy if his son were to marry a woman with a fortune, but if he was to marry a woman with no fortune he’d be sticking her into the evils of a small income with a potential

Jane Austen was a Georgian era author who was best known for her novels that commented on social issues and class, and Northanger Abbey is no exception. Austen’s social commentary is apparent in this novel’s plot, as the reader follows a seventeen-year-old protagonist, Catherine Morland, as she matures and forms intimate relationships with fellow characters in an England town called Bath. Marriage between characters in the novel is heavily based on wealth, and because of England’s unstable economy at the time, marrying into wealth meant maintaining a high social class and economic stability for the characters. The importance of economic prosperity and social rank heavily influenced marriage in 19th century England, and this idea bourgeoisie classism and marrying for wealth is contradicted by Austen in her novel, Northanger Abbey.

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 “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.

To marry for money and not love is frowned upon as a social norm, but is also seen as an opportunity for women to rise in the social hierarchy. Though, love is to be the reason why bonds like marriage exist. Being a woman in the nineteenth century limits social advancement and makes it seem impossible without wealth, a background of family fortune, or matrimony to a man labeled high class. Emma Woodhouse, from the novel Emma written by Jane Austen, defines what it means to seek stature through marriage and how couples can aid in contexts such as social groups. Austen clearly covers social groups in her novel, but making the novels focal point circumvent around Emma. We look beyond how class enables opportunity for women and see just how

In the words of Jane Austen, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 5). This quote highlights how women were dependent on men to have a place and to be respected in society at the time of the victorian era. Women were viewed as domestic tools rather than human beings; they were treated as a domestic production that men control and own. Before a woman is married she is owned by her father, and after she is owned by her husband. In different parts of the world, the undergrading of women or no feminism still exists. Women can not voice their opinions let alone own an object in the

In 19th century society, men consider chastity the holy grail to the proper moral character of a woman. However, during a summer trip to Grand Isle Bay, Edna Pontellier betrays society’s fetters as well as her wealthy, yet objectifying husband, Leonce; she begins a relationship with the idiosyncratically gallant Robert Lebrun. Since Edna’s husband is always fortuitously preoccupied or away with work, Edna and Robert become closer. Robert tells the The New Orleans Tribune that, at this time, he brings an awakening in Edna by helping her understand that, although she is a woman, she, too, can have her own desires, such as learning how to swim, and hobbies, such as painting. Yet, ashamed of their extramarital affairs, Robert leaves her and flees to Vera Cruz, Mexico. Still, after Edna and

The article “About Marriage” was about a how the author Danielle Crittenden, felt about the importance of marriage then and now. The author preached that marriage is not as much of a priority in life as it once was. Throughout the passage, she seems to support the idea of marriage and supports it with several things she has done herself in her own marriage. Danielle Crittenden is a well accredited columnist from the New York Post and the founder of Women’s Quarterly.

The marriage of Mr. Elton and Miss Augusta Hawkins is a very common situation. “... Mrs. Elton is a vain woman… but with manners which had been formed in a bad school…” (272) Mrs. Elton, whether Emma approves of her manners or not, was bred to be a wife, not an independent woman as many Victorian women were. Mrs. Elton seemed to influence her husband’s personality even though women were not meant to influence their husbands at all. The way that Mrs. Elton carries herself was very common, but Austen uses relationships between husband and wife to show that women had more power than originally thought by society. Harriet and Robert Martin’s marriage explicitly show the contradiction of Victorian Society. Emma and Mr. Knightley argued about the engagement of Harriet and Robert due to the difference in social class, with Emma on the “moral” side and not supporting the marriage. Soon after learning of their engagement, Emma changed her views. “‘I am perfectly satisfied,’ replied Emma, with the brightest smiles, ‘and most sincerely wish them happy.’”(446) Victorian England would not approve of Harriet and Robert’s marriage because Harriet is of a higher class. Emma is in strong favor of this view at the beginning of the book, “‘The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do...but a farmer can be none the help…’” (29) Over the course of the book, Emma realizes that love matters more that what society thinks, and that your happiness contributes more to life than being correct in society’s eyes. Being a woman who will not get married unless it was for love, Emma learned that she really should view her friend’s well being as something that should be good and right, not so much what Emma wants. Her views relate directly into her own

During the Regency Era in Britain, society tends to favor men over women on the matter of inheriting property through the practice of entailment. Single women during this time period are in danger if they are not married because once their father or male guardian dies, they would be homeless and penniless if they do not receive an inheritance to be finally secure. Because of this, many women would marry for money not love to not become a burden on their family and to protect themselves from destitution. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen satirizes the concept of women who would marry for money and not for love by using irony, satire, understatement, and hyperbole. The message she conveys throughout the novel is that it is ridiculous to marry only

The Elizabethan age regarded women’s sexuality as a form of currency. In England’s social structure currency was a means to power. A woman’s virginity was something to be bargained for, and when the time was right, sold to the highest bidder. In modern day, this slightly resembles prostitution, but during Elizabethan times selling a daughter’s virginity was the quickest way up the social ladder. During this time, the sacrifice of virginity implies marriage. Young women rarely married on the idea of love alone, due to the father’s interests in finding an ideal husband that will strengthen the family’s position within the community. Author of Shakespeare’s Women, Angela Pitt states “if for some reason it was impractical for a girl to marry she was encouraged to enter a nunnery,” (15). English women were predominantly ignored outside of the matrimonial and spiritual world.

Their limited education consisted of needlework, fine handwriting, singing, dancing, playing piano, and reading (3). Marriage at this time was the only thing that could give a woman any sense of security. If their fathers were to die, it was custom that only the eldest son could inherit the money and property. Unfortunately, if the family did not have a male son the land would be given to the closet male relative, which left the women in a very delicate position. Austen show’s readers this aspect of her society by having the Bennet sisters in the same situation. Without a male sibling their land and home will be entailed to a Mr. Collins. If Mr. Bennet were to die, his five daughters and his wife would be left homeless or at the charity of others because Mr. Collins would not have it in his heart to let them reside in the house with him. Their only way to escape this fate would be to get married. However, there was many obstacles that middle class young women had to deal with that kept young suitors uninterested. One was their social station. The society of this time was so stratified that even one class could be broken down into more distinctions of rank (2). The people did not often marry outside of their social rank, which left middle class women with middle class men. Unfortunately, money also played a big part in the determination of whether

The Regency time period was an era of great wealth. Both men and women worked vigorously to become part of the upper class. Marrying for upper class women was the only way to gain a source of income (Hall). Women would even change their way of life to be able to marry into wealth. A truth universally acknowledged, that a single main possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife, said Mrs. Bennett (Hall). In the Regency time period, wealth played a huge role in both men and women’s lives

England has always had a rich history of interesting cultural traditions but arguably none as prevalent as marriage. Marriage, the union of two people with emotional ideals and expectations, are brought on by many different factors that include: for love, for money, for climbing social status, escapism, survival, etc. In Jane Austen’s novels, she focuses on the importance of marriage in her world because she wanted to emphasize how marriage is the most important life event of a woman as this would determine her place in society. Persuasion shows readers good and bad examples of marriage: the amiable Crofts and other couples such as Sir Walter & Lady Elliot and the Smiths. Jane Austen uses the Crofts to support the importance of marriage

Over the centuries, women’s duties or roles in the home and in the work force have arguably changed for the better. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen teaches the reader about reputation and loves in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries by showing how Elizabeth shows up in a muddy dress, declines a marriage proposal and how women have changed over time. Anything a woman does is reflected on her future and how other people look at her. When Elizabeth shows up to the Bingley’s in a muddy dress they categorize her as being low class and unfashionable. Charles Bingley, a rich attractive man, and his sister had a reputation to protect by not letting their brother marry a ‘low class girl’. Reputation even today and back in the nineteenth

Jane Austen’s well-known novel, Pride and Prejudice, discussed multiple social themes in the 19th century. Austen mainly criticized marriage during her era, when she says that, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 3). As she explains that it was valuable to women since it provided them with security and a social title. The author explored the diverse motives behind matrimony in her time period by using a humorous and romantic plot to discuss the social issues. For instance, Charlotte Lucas’s unreasonable marriage to Mr. Collins is a vital example of how women needed to secure a future and attain social status. To conclude, Lydia Bennet’s meaningless marriage to George Wickham shows that entering the marriage estate could have also been for mainly financial purposes. Contrastingly, Jane Bennet, the heroine’s older sister, marries Charles Bingley for love, security, and a social ranking. On the other hand, Elizabeth Bennet marries Fitzwilliam Darcy after months of misunderstandings and romantic drama for none other than true love. Thus, Austen uses her leading characters’ marriages in Pride and Prejudice to exhibit the various attitudes and reasons for marrying in the 19th century. (Lane 2015)