Examine Austen's presentation of marriage in 'Pride and Prejudice' by discussing three or four relationships. What can we deduce about Austen's attitudes to marriage?

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Jaspal Tatla         GCSE Prose Coursework ’Pride and Prejudice’

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Examine Austen’s presentation of marriage in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by discussing three or four relationships.

What can we deduce about Austen’s attitudes to marriage?

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Ironically, every woman, in general, with or without a fortune, was in want of a husband in the late 1700’s into the early 1800’s, the time period of Jane Austen’s novel. In Jane Austen’s time when Pride and Prejudice was created, marriage virtually dominated a woman’s purpose in life and was greatly influenced by her family and social class.

        The leading relationships that I am to approach are Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mr Collins & Charlotte Lucas and Lydia Bennet and George Wickham.’

        I will first discuss the main relationship, which is portrayed in the novel, between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet is the second daughter in the Bennet family, and is by far the most intelligent and quick-witted. She has numerous admirable qualities; she is fun loving, fiery, clever and proud of who she is. Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, is an arrogant, reticent and defensive character. He is the son of a wealthy, well-established family, and the master of the great estate of Pemberley. Like Elizabeth, he too has a tendency to judge too hastily and harshly, and his high birth and wealth make him overly proud and conscious of his social status.

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"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; 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."

 ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is essentially the story of how Elizabeth and her true love Darcy, overcome all obstacles to find romantic happiness. The marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth reveals the characteristics that ...

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