Charlotte herself is a very unromantic and practical character, and her view of marriage is much different from Elizabeth’s, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” Charlotte goes into the relationship with her eyes wide open to the circumstances;
“Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object;”
“This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.”
Later in the novel, we learn that Mr. and Mrs. Collins are happy together, and Charlotte has learned to accept the best of things in her marriage. The reader learns how Charlotte is happy in her situation, and successfully manages to put as much distance as she can between Mr. Collins and her self;
“When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there was really a great air of comfort throughout, and by Charlotte’s evident enjoyment of it.”
The relationship also shows not to lack total intimacy between the two, as there is the news that Mr. Collins hints at toward the expectance of a baby in chapter 57, “and his expectation of a young olive-branch.”
Jane Austen’s view of the practicality of the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Collins is evident;
“ It was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must their pleasantest preservative from want.” She also feels that Charlotte did what any sensible woman of that time would do, as she had received her financial security.
In direct contrast to this sensible view towards marriage, is the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. The relationship between the two is now dead, and they have no real affection for each other,
“Her father captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind, had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her.”
From this passage also we learn that Jane Austen warns against such marriages based on “youth and beauty” and an impression of good “humour”. This observation is also proved with the unsuccessful relationship between Lydia and Wickham.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are a couple who can just about tolerate each other, as they are two completely different people. Although Mr. Bennet can tolerate Mrs. Bennet, he enjoys teasing her, and finds his own wife amusing, which is typical of Mr. Bennet “as her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement”. The Bennet’s relationship shows as a big comparison to that of the Gardiner’s, who actually act as a couple, and are both happy in their relationship.
From the novel, we know that Mr. Bennet seriously regrets his stupidity in “falling” for Mrs. Bennet, when he gives Lizzy serious advice against not marrying into a relationship where you do not respect your partner, when Mr. Bennet is usually not a serious character at all.
“I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband”
“My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life.” Here Mr. Bennet is seriously saying to Elizabeth not to make the same mistake he has in life.
In between these two views of marriage from Jane Austen, is the Ideal marriage/relationship; this is perceived through both Elizabeth and Darcy, and Jane and Bingley. The reason as to why Jane and Bingley have the ideal relationship is largely due to their similarity in character;
“I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have no doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike, you are each so complying.”
In the novel Jane Austen’s opinion of this relationship is perceived through Elizabeth;
Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity, to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and superexcellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.” Jane Austen sees happiness as “rationally founded”, and the marriage is likely to be a success because of the “excellent understanding”
We see evidence of Jane Austen’s opinion towards a successful marriage through out the novel, mainly through her characters, especially Elizabeth. Mainly three types of marriages are portrayed in the novel, and she makes it clear that the passion of the moment is a poor foundation for lasting happiness, and that for a marriage to be successful it takes mutual respect, although no secret is made of the need to marry for money (e.g. Charlotte mainly marrying for financial security).
