Elizabeth does not believe that Charlotte would in-fact marry for this reason. The irony is that she does.
Jane Austen lets us know through her writing whether she approves or disapproves of her character or the basis on which their marriage has taken place. When she writes, the language she uses to talk about or describe her character lets us know her feelings. Austen has written this novel on the basis of a narrative voice, which controls the viewpoints and goings on in the novel. This is called the omniscient voice and Jane Austen uses this throughout her novel. For example:
‘Mr Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greater part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father…’
This voice comments on the characters and events and present ideas. It also strikes a note of certainty and reliability. These qualities let the reader gain the trust of the novel and writer.
In the novel there are five main marriages, four of which we see taking place. Of these five marriages we can separate into three groups, the first one being the mercenary marriage which is brought abut mainly for economic reasons. Second is the marriage based solely on passion and physical attraction. An example of this marriage is that of Mr and Mrs Bennet. Last is the marriage of ideal state. It is seen in the relationships between Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley.
The first marriage we see in the novel is that of Mr and Mrs Bennet. They reveal a lot about themselves through dialogue. Mrs Bennet’s silliness and Mr Bennet’s sarcasm towards his wife prove to be an excellent combination.
‘Mr Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; her solace was visiting and news.’
Mrs Bennet considers herself nervous usually when things don’t go her way. Mr Bennet teases her usually in a sarcastic way, causing her to plead with him to ‘have compassion on my poor nerves.’
Theirs is a marriage that was once based on physical attraction. Once the excitement of ‘youth and beauty’ had faded, Mr Bennet realised that he had no real affection for her at all. Like her father and mother, Lydia Bennet also entered into a marriage of this kind. As it says it chapter sixty-one,
‘His affection for her soon sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer…’
Here Austen uses the omniscient voice to indicate her disapproval of the marriage and objection to how it has turned out.
From the very beginning of Lydias disappearance, we, the readers, can see it is going to be disastrous, although Lydia acts as if nothing had happened. Their marriage would never have taken place if it had not been for the kindness of Mr Darcy in the mater. It would have been almost impossible for the other Bennet girls to marry if Lydia and Wickham. This was the way of that time. Lydia would have shamed her family with this charade she had been running on.
There were strict class codes and a hierarchy of social standing. This explains Dracy’s reluctance to marry Elizabeth. He is from a higher class than Elizabeth is and this is what causes the anger of his Aunt Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Anyone who breaches the barricade of the class structure is portrayed as obsequious. When they saw Darcy for the first time he ‘soon drew the attention of the room by his fine tall person, handsome features, noble mien’.
We are then told that Darcy is;
‘discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and be above being pleased’.
This came about because of his social standing. He acted proud in this way because this was the he was brought up to act. Austen looks at these social hierarchies satirically. She mocks the snobbery and materialism of many of the people as well as their narrow view of life.
Another foolish marriage that takes place is that of Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas. She enters this mercenary marriage with open eyes and she knows exactly what she is doing. As she had previously told Elizabeth, Charlotte believed that she might as well marry for security rather than love. We do not see much of their married life together but on Elizabeth’s visit to Mr Collins’ house and from what we have already seen of this couple, we can guess that their marriage will not be a happy one. Charlotte tells us that she does not see Mr Collins that often, only to dine and to go to Rosings, and that is fine with her.
‘To work in his garden was one of his most respectable pleasures; and Elizabeth admired the command of countenance with which Charlotte talked of healthfulness of the exercise, and owned she encouraged it as much as possible.’
We see Mr Collins’ absurdity when he proposes to Elizabeth. Charlotte sees an opportunity of marriage when Elizabeth refuses and Miss Lucas jumps right in at it. So far the marriages discussed are disapproved by Austen. They are not marriages of love but merely of passion, money and convention.
On the other hand Jane Austen highly approves of the marriages of Jane and Bingley and Elizabeth and Darcy. Their affections are real, based on getting to know one another. It is notable to the reader that Darcy has fallen for Elizabeth and the feelings of Jane and Bingley are clear to everyone. Elizabeth’s satirical sense of humour and sharp intelligence are stimulated and matched by Darcy’s judgmental reserve and social and moral confidence.
‘…his understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantages of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might be softened, his manners improved, and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.’
Austen approves of this union. Her language changes when it comes to describing the feelings of this couple. She believes that although quite different socially and spiritually, being together, these two people could help each other to becoming better people. It would be an advantage to both.
When Darcy realises he has fallen in love with Elizabeth he does not want to admit it, likewise when Elizabeth discovers her true feelings for Darcy; she too finds it hard to accept. Darcy and Bingley’s close relationship lets Darcy discover Bingleys real feelings for Miss Bennet. Darcy discovers that Bingley has infact very strong feelings for Jane. Luckily he discovers from Elizabeth that Jane has the same feelings for Bingley as he does for her. Perhaps if Jane had been more like Charlotte and ‘thrown’ herself at Bingley their marriage would have taken place a lot sooner. It is obvious from her language that Austen approves of this marriage. Although it happens quite quickly in the end, it is probable that their marriage will be a happy one.
This novel is about love and marriage and the ways of the nineteenth century. Jane Austen has shown many typical views of her time. She has also shown us her view on these people she has written about. Her narrative voice in the novel persuades us to believe, what was happening, to be true. The irony in the story provides humour especially with Mr Bennet and Mr Collins. An important lesson that Jane Austen reflects upon in her novel is; not to let your pride reflect on who you are and not to let your prejudices blind you. If Elizabeth and Darcy had done this in the beginning then there would have been no story. Thanks to the imagination and great writing skills of Jane Austen, this wonderful story was brought to us and filled us with love, compassion and hopefully made us think twice about how our actions effect others.
