However sometimes love is not a major aspect of an intended marriage. As explained before, marriage in Jane Austen’s days was closely related to money and financial security as well as the role and status of women. Men and women who married for these sole reasons often did not have a very blissful life, as both of them suffered in one way or another.
A prime example of this can be seen between Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet. Mr and Mrs Bennet exemplify the incompatibility in their marriage through their constant bickering. As Mrs Bennet struggles to bring about the various marriages between her daughters and suitors, Mr Bennet is seen to provide little worthwhile support and encouragement to his wife in her endeavours. He is seen to be an intellectual, scholarly gentleman while Mrs Bennet is a somewhat proud, vain ‘busybody’. Their contrasts in personalities leads to them both having to endure each other’s faults in a rather hapless marriage.
Another example of a ‘bad’ marriage can be observed between Charlotte Lucas and the Reverend Collins. Mr Collins’ attitudes to marriage are different from other gentlemen. From his behaviour and attitude towards women at his introduction in Longbourn it is easy to see that he is old-fashioned and seeks a wife that he can be dominant over. His advances towards the Bennet girls lack both grace and wit, and he ends up being rejected by Elizabeth Bennet, who is quick to perceive Mr Collins’ character after he switched his amorous intentions from her sister Jane, to herself with utmost ease. Hastily, Mr Collins turned to ask the hand of Elizabeth’s best friend and neighbour, Charlotte Lucas.
Charlotte Lucas is an easy target as she holds an attitude that marriage is a necessity/convenience, and is equally good for finance. On Elizabeth’s condemnation of Charlotte’s attitude, Charlotte reveals, “I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home… connections, and a situation in life.” She continues onwards to declare “I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him (Mr Collins) is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” This is ironic, as their marriage is not very ‘fair’ or happy as she predicted due to their incompatibility together, which illustrates one of Jane Austen’s observations that some people in those days had unrealistic perceptions and expectations of marriage, and what would make a happy marriage.
Later on in the novel we see that Mr Collins invades Charlotte’s space and prevents her the opportunity of speaking upon Elizabeth’s visit to the Collins’ house. He also embarrasses her on several counts in front of the company, of which Elizabeth could “discern a faint blush…” on Charlotte’s face. When Mr Collins leads the party to the garden, Charlotte begins to converse more freely and comfortably as she shows Elizabeth around the house,“…well pleased, probably, to have the opportunity of showing it without her husband’s help.”
The irony in the marriage between Mr Collins and Charlotte is the fact that Mr Collins is a vicar, and is therefore probably well aware of the fact that marriage is supposed to be blessed with love. Instead, he marries Charlotte and neither gives nor receives love in their marriage.
A final example that is quite significant in the novel is between Lydia and Mr Wickham. Their marriage is seen to be based on mere attraction and lust. Mr Wickham is seen as a handsome, charming polite young man, however we soon find out through how devious and hypocritical he is. Mr Wickham does not truly love Lydia, and she, still fairly young and wild cannot see this, and elopes with him ignoring the inevitable scandal that follows as a result. Jane Austen includes this relationship in the novel to illustrate how marriages based on honesty and real understanding may prove to be the best of all.
Along with this, Jane Austen also tries to portray how significant family status was in her time, and how scandals can severely blight a woman’s prospects in marriage, whether or not she is directly responsible. Two fine examples of this are given in the novel, and both are connected to the same character; Mr Wickham. The scandal that we first learn about is related to Elizabeth by Mr Darcy. He explains how Mr Wickham almost eloped with his sister Georgiana to avenge Mr Darcy, but he prevented them from eloping and saved her from a large scandal that might have enveloped their family. The second scandal is witnessed soon after; Elizabeth receives a letter stating that her youngest sister Lydia had eloped with Mr Wickham. A large amount of turmoil descends over the family as they try to make sense of Lydia’s actions, until Mr Darcy convinced Mr Wickham (with the help of some financial inducement) to marry Lydia.
These two scandals would have similar results in the fact that they would have destroyed the reputations of both girls and stained their family’s name and honour. If such a scandal had occurred as a result of Lydia’s elopement, then it would have also ruined the prospects of marriage for the other Bennet girls, as no man would ever wish to be associated with such a family.
Had such an event taken place at present times, such emotional pandemonium would hardly ever occur as we are adapted to more conventional ways and lifestyles that rarely ever require such drastic measures. In contrast to the common motives of money and status in Jane Austen’s era, people nowadays mainly have love marriages, however in some cultures in countries around the world, the previous marriage motives of money and status still exist.
To contrast with these troubled marriages, Jane Austen tries to prove that despite the mercenary ‘marriage for money and status’ motives, there is still real belief that love is the basis for a good marriage. She shows this through the budding relationships between Mr Bingley and Jane, and Mr Darcy and Elizabeth.
When Mr Bingley and Jane meet it is easy to see that there is an instant attraction between them. He is drawn to her beauty and manners, and this is observed by many as he asks her to dance twice at a dinner party. Once after this event, it is made clear that Mrs Bennet has approved of him as a possible suitor for Jane as she says excitedly to her husband, “…Mr Bingley thought her quite beautiful and danced with her twice. Only think of that my dear; he actually danced with her twice.”
The importance of dancing is illustrated by Jane Austen through a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek way in which women such as Mrs Bennet generally held the belief that “To be fond of dancing was s certain step towards falling in love…” and that by Jane being asked to dance twice, the “very lively hopes of Mr Bingley’s heart were entertained.”
Mrs Bennet then continues to lavish praise onto his character and appearance amid the protests of Mr Bennet, who does not appear to have the slightest bit of interest in his wife’s affirmations. Jane herself confirms most of her mother’s declarations in a private conversation between her and her sister Elizabeth where she expresses to her sister her admiration for Mr Bingley.
However, not everything goes smoothly for Jane as she encounters many barriers placed between herself and Mr Bingley by both Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley’s two sisters. Mr Darcy attempts to warn him away from Jane as he feels that she does not reciprocate the feelings that Mr Bingley so clearly expresses for her, and Mr Bingley’s two sisters are uncivil towards her sister Elizabeth and her behind their backs, and try to separate Mr Bingley and her. However Jane, unlike her sister is unwilling to see bad in anyone and she bears the loss of Mr Bingley in a noble, quiet manner that receives criticism from her sisters. It is through this quiet and conventional way that she stands out, is attractive, and is admired for it.
Mr Bingley is seen to be a perfect match for Jane, through his friendly, straightforward character, and even though is continually drawn away from her by his sisters and Mr Darcy, he remains constant and wastes no time in making his proposal to her after his return to Netherfield. The relationship between Mr Bingley and Jane is compatible as Mr Bingley is temperamentally well-suited to Jane, and Mr Bennet can see that they will have a happy, promising marriage, untroubled by incompatibility of character (as is seen between Mr and Mrs Bennet) and financial concerns.
The relationship between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is portrayed as one of the main events of the novel, and is a more complicated affair that rouses the interest of the reader. Their relationship starts off in a rather bitter way when Elizabeth overhears Mr Darcy comment on her features to Mr Bingley saying that “She (Elizabeth) is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” However Elizabeth is takes this in her stride joking about it amongst her friends and family.
Throughout more encounters, Elizabeth gains more knowledge on Mr Darcy and his manners, and even of his past through Mr Wickham. Mr Wickham claims that Mr Darcy cheated him out of an inheritance attributed to him by his father, and Elizabeth condemns Mr Darcy for this, continually expressing her dislike for him and his virtues. However, as much as Elizabeth’s dislike grows, Mr Darcy’s interest in her increases until he begins to find her independence and aloofness attractive and interesting, to the extent of the acknowledgment of the fact that “he had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.” This leads to him proposing to her, to which Elizabeth lashes out her wit with a sharp-tongue promptly rejecting him. However, ‘all’s well that end’s well’ as Elizabeth soon learns of the truth about Mr Darcy and the deceit of Mr Wickham and discovers how kind and sincere a man he is, and realising that she is in love with him, accepts his second marriage proposal.
Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s relationship can be seen as one that is based on honesty and real love and understanding gained through emotional hardships that they both encountered. This can also be illustrated by the familiar saying: “The course of true love never did run smooth”.
In the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Jane Austen comments on many factors such as social class, wealth, and the position of women in her time and links them closely into her main theme of marriage to try to make us aware of the various pressures on both women and men as a result of these factors. She routinely gives us examples of marriages that can be classified as ‘bad’ and ‘good’ throughout the novel to exemplify these ideas, and the characters she uses as well as the technique in which she writes in not only brings the story to life with wit and humour, but also makes this novel very worthwhile and enjoyable to read.
