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Lane Austin wrote the well known novel entitled ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which deals with the themes of reputation, love, class and of course pride and prejudice. However the mall subject Is marriage in a greedy society, where sometimes it only meant to lust climb the social ladder. The novel shows Its difficulties to be faced by any eligible female In pursuit of a husband. If not married It could have been frowned upon and lane Austin used the relationships of the characters to accurately show the readers the convention of marriage.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, the a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in a want of a wife” (page 5) The very first sentence of Pride and Prejudice highlights the absolute importance of marriage in the early century. The sentence expresses the purpose for marriage, as it dealt nothing with love it was strictly to increase the characters social and financial status.
Rather it provoked the feelings in the minds of the readers that the purpose of marriage was to create security for them finding a suitable marriage mate for the male characters became the sole focus of their lives. Through Jane Student’s writings the relationships between Hickman, Lydia, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and Jane and Dared, showed examples of the different types of marriages that you could still find today. The worst of these marriages Is of course of Lydia and Hickman.
Austin uses this relationship to show the outcome of relationships when it was based on youthful ignorance and physical attraction. Lydia is naive and attractive, where she is completely oblivious on how Hickman really feels about her. This type of marriage you can already see the outcome, with the help of Student’s writing, without stating that Hickman isn’t the loyal husband that Lydia believes he is. Neither character felt true love for one another and as a result both characters will appear somewhat miserable in their married life in the future.
The marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennett show the example of Insanity, which can erupt between two people that have been wed for the Incorrect reasons. Mr. Bennett has a very witty sense of humor and often teases his wife. This Is the only enjoyment e gains from Mrs. Bennett. Mr. Bennett marries, on what Austin beliefs to be, false grounds. Mr. Bennett decision on marrying Mrs. Bennett was seduced by her good looks and youth and this effect of this is that Mr. Banner isolates himself from his family finding refuge through mocking his oblivious wife.
This becomes his only happiness. Finally the marriage between the main character Elizabeth and Mr. Dared gives a happy marriage. The relationship first begins with Mr. Dairy’s opinion of Elizabeth “she is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me” (page 13). Mr. Dared was not first attracted by Elizabeth and yet her personality as he started know and later admits “In Vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed.
You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. ” (Page 157). Mr. Dared feelings grow to become so In love with Elizabeth that he wishes being with her forever. This proves the he didn’t marry her not just for wealth, reputation, class or finds with her. Austin represented her beliefs on a good marriage through Elizabeth and Dared relationship to prove to the audience that happiness in marriage can only e achieved if the couple marry because of their love for one another. Anne Austin showed her audience through reading Pride and Prejudice the Importance of marrying through the examples of Lydia, Hickman, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, Dared and Elizabeth on the outcomes that come along with the marriage mate. These examples of marriages found in the novel, we can see this in reading that Lydia and Nickname’s marriage was somewhat frowned upon whereas we had the happy ending of Elizabeth and Dairy’s marriage that was through happiness and love.