Discuss Jane Austens presentation of the theme of love and marriage in Pride and Prejudice.

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English Coursework- Miss Gabrielle

Discuss Jane Austen’s presentation of the theme of love and marriage in “Pride and Prejudice.”

  Austen shows that marriage was not an act of love for most people but seen as a way of surviving, a high rank and a decent place in society. It shows that women only married for wealth and stability and men married for companionship and comfort. But not all men and women married for these reasons. Jane Austen’s shows that “The only honourable provision for a well educated young women of small fortune.” This was the only way to prevent women from spending their life as a spinster or the dependence on their family, which will not be able to support her. But in the Bennet’s case their house will no longer be theirs on the death of their father. A good marriage in the regency era would seal a social contract between people and a comfortable lifestyle also a financial provision for the future.

  This was linked with the patriarchal society in which women had no access to property, voting, and rights and was at the mercy of patrons, guardians and husbands. This shows how women were dependant on men and men were therefore seen as more dominant. It is evident in the text, “ But the fact is, that being as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father.” This shows that the property will belong to Mr Collins.  Many estates of fortunes were “entailed” like Mr Bennet’s estate. This meant that the estate could be passed to male relatives. Although Mr Bennet had five daughters a male relative must entail his estate.  It also says, “Mr Bennets property consisted of almost of two thousand a year, which unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed in default of his heirs male.” In this case Mr Collins who is the nephew of Mr Bennet will entail the estate.

   In the opening sentence we can see the importance if marriage in the novel. The ironic opening sentence is, “ It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man has in possession of a good fortune, must be want of a wife.” Here we can see the stereotypical view of people living in the regency period Through the marriage proposal of Mr Collins, Elizabeth describes Mr Collins as being, “A mixture of pride, obsequiousness, self important and humility,” to her. Her we can see the reasons why she decided to reject Mr Collins as a husband and we can see the importance of marriage to her.  

 

   In the late 18TH century, Regency period Pride and prejudice tries to portray to the reader the struggle of a women to find the right husband. And a society that believes in male superiority. Elizabeth Bennet’s desire in finding a man she truly loves in shown in contrast between her and her best friend charlotte Lucas, who is only marrying for convenience. Jane Austen shows the views of love and marriage in the regency era that matrimony to a gentleman of wealth was an important goal to achieve in most women’s lives.

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   Mr Bennet married his wife because she was beautiful in her youth and her ability to supply her with children. But eventually her beauty began to fade and so the happiness and the joyfulness of the marriage. Slowly he began to enjoy studying by himself in the study room quietly away from his wife and daughters. Mrs Bennets is shown as a gossip seeker and is trying to marry of all her five daughters to rich men.  Austen is trying to show to the reader that marriage on the basis of physical appearance is wrong as beauty fades ...

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