Austen also uses characterisation in the book and makes each person have a different main characteristic. Mr. Bennet has a characteristic that shows him laughing at his own jokes. He thinks that he is funny when he isn’t, “Kitty has no discretion in her coughs” said her father “she times them ill.”
Austen uses the character of Elizabeth Bennet to her benefit as she shows different characters in the book their wrong doings or she is embarrassed by them, especially after the proposal from Mr. Darcy.
In the book there are a total of four marriages and Elizabeth and Jane Austen think only two of them as ideal but even then they don’t think that they are completely ideal. From some of the people that are already married in the book the Gardiners who are Elizabeth’s maternal Aunt and Uncle are a fine love match for each other, they love each other and have respect and understanding for one another. In comparison to Mr. And Mrs. Bennet the Gardiners are a perfect couple.
The Gardiners set up Lydia and Wickham and the marriage is one based on Lydia’s passion for Wickham and a financial settlement. It is NOT a good love match. Both Lydia and Wickham are selfish and irresponsible and they borrow from other people. Wickham is not of good character, a womaniser and a gambler. He is also a very big liar. The narrator shows how unsuccessful Lydia and Wickham’s marriage will be: “Wickham’s affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; not equal to Lydia’s for him.” This quotation shows the marriage of Lydia and Wickham is not equal and it is purely based on the healthy financial settlement and Lydia’s passion for Wickham.
Jane Austen constantly shows passion in “Pride and Prejudice” as a foolish basis of marriage and never more so than in Lydia and Wickham’s marriage. Austen believes that a marriage based purely on passion and also a marriage that is based on financial reasons is something to be condemned. This is shown through not only Wickham marrying Lydia but that of Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte is unfortunate in her situation as she has neither beauty nor money to acclaim her and as she has reached the age of 27 and is still unmarried her decision to marry Mr. Collins is sagacious rather than emotional as she sees security and a stable future inside Mr. Collins. When Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, Elizabeth is shocked and feels that Charlotte’s decision has affected their future forever.
Elizabeth and Austen can see that they have both married for the wrong reasons, Charlotte for financial security and Mr. Collins for the chance to please his patroness Lady. Catherine De Bourgh. The marriage is wrong as they don’t love each other. Austen presents Mr. Collins as fickle and unpleasant by showing that he disgraces the Bennet family by not being able to dance and by bragging about his wealth and his patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh and her wealth in turn.
Austen has in mind a ‘heroine’ which is Elizabeth Bennet. Before she can fully play this role she has to go through a series of events. These involve Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy proposing to her and then the embarrassment of her family at the balls in Meryton. She plays the role of heroine by becoming the victim of Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy arrive in town they accept the invitation to the first ball. She is offended by Mr. Darcy’s explanation to Mr. Bingley -who has stopped dancing with Jane Bennet- of why he won’t dance with Elizabeth,
““Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, “she is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me: and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”“ Elizabeth was not upset by this comment and instead ignored it and carried on. When Mr. Wickham arrived in Meryton he tells Elizabeth about when he and Mr. Darcy were younger and how when Mr. Darcy’s father died Mr. Wickham did not receive that which was stated in the will. Although Elizabeth is more inclined to think that it is Mr. Wickham that is telling the truth it turns out that this is not the case as when Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte Lucas at Rosings she meets Mr. Darcy again. At this time he proposes to her and she rejects it as he is very patronising and ghastly to her family.
The proposal:
““In vain have I 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.” Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal of all that he felt and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.”
This proposal affected Elizabeth plenty as she became more and more embarrassed about her family and she became more aware of the surroundings she was in and the status of her family. The proposal demonstrates how Mr. Darcy’s feelings towards Elizabeth have changed since that first evening at the Meryton ball. This event is a turning point in the book as from then on Elizabeth sees Mr. Darcy in a different light as he has explained what has happened between himself and Mr. Wickham. From then on Elizabeth was disappointed with Mr. Wickham. This shows Austen’s view of an ideal couple as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have both changed something about their personality.
From then on they both kept their original views on each other but they kept hidden underneath the skin their true feelings. When it came to the second proposal occurring in chapter 58 Elizabeth accepted. This marks the climax of the book: “Elizabeth was much too embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.” Elizabeth feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand, that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure, his present assurances.” The use of clunky language that the narrator exploits to summarise Elizabeth’s acceptance captures the moment of joyful incoherence for this supremely well spoken character. Elizabeth accepts Mr. Darcy’s proposal immediately but it wasn’t very fluent. When Elizabeth goes on to admit that she has love for Mr. Darcy her language skills break down. For Austen this shows how she would expect an ideal couple to act, as Elizabeth is grateful for Mr. Darcy’s proposal and she is obliged to accept.
In conclusion I think that Austen proves that the first sentence in the book has great relevance to the rest of the novel and it shows that all men are in want of a wife but it is not all women who want a man for their money. I think that Austen has shown her view on marriage and love well. The four marriages are split two and two. The first two marriages are not ideal and Austen shows this well through the character of Elizabeth. Austen’s intentions for the novel are to show the life of women in the 1700’s. She shows this well and we can tell how women lived in the 1700’s.
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