Charlotte is a friend of Lizzy whose ideas on marriage are different. Her connections and fortune are poorer that Lizzy’s. She acts on design in love affairs. She has some interesting and practical facts about love and marriage. She thinks that a woman should encourage a man more than his encouragement to her to ensure that the man has indeed been fixed to her. For her, “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” She believes that a couple should study each others’ character and defects. This is what she missed to do when she was attracting Mr. Collins. She told Lizzy that she will be happy to see Jane spending twelve months for studying Bingley’s character rather than marrying him the next day. But she herself rarely spent a fortnight with Mr. Collins. Elizabeth was surprised to see Charlotte, a practical thinker marrying Mr. Collins, a man of stupidity and over politeness. Charlotte’s expectation in marriage is just a ‘comfortable home’ to live and with this she justifies her selection to Lizzy, adding she is not romantic either. But still Lizzy finds the match unsuitable.
Mr. Collins, a mixture of conceit, servility and exaggerated compliments considers being married as one of his duty. He being a stupid and not a sensible man is accounted in terms of his poor upbringing. First of all he approaches and admires Jane, but leaves it as he came to know about her engagement. Secondly he admires Elizabeth and proposes to her, but was refused. Though Elizabeth told that her refusal is firm he thought that she was playing a courtship game and was undaunted by her refusal. When she went hard at him he warns he not to be too choosy and that this may be her last offer for marriage as she has a very low fortune. He considers marriage as a financial and social contract. The irony here is – Mr. Collins, an absurdly formal clergyman is acting as a passionate lover. Then he changes his mind quickly and proposes to Charlotte Lucas and is accepted. The fact that he has made two proposals and admired three ladies in one week surprises the Bennet family. His speech to Lizzy is artificial and he breaks his feelings into points, which are unsuitable in a proposal for marriage. He threatens Lizzy with economic realities of marriage. His switching over to another lady after being refused by one in a short period of time indicates his shallow feelings towards marriage and love. His marriage is selfish and perfectly unsuitable.
Mr. Bingley is a charming, handsome and rich man from North. He is very romantic and believes in traditional romantic love; falling in love from the first sight of a woman. He discontinues his love as he is told by Darcy that Jane doesn’t appropriately return his affection. He allows his friends to decide on his affairs, even his marriage. This shows his inability to make crucial decisions and surprises the reader when this is going to cause him a loss of a good future partner to him. His sister, Miss. Bingley’s opinion of marriage can be easily made clear with one word; mercenary. Mrs. Hurst, another sister of Bingley, shows her lack of taste by marrying a lazy and useless man like Mr. Hurst.
Jane, an amiable, beautiful and clever girl is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. She possesses a very pleasing character. She never thinks ill of anybody. She, like Mr. Bingley, also falls in love in the first sight of Mr. Bingley. Her agreement to go to Netherfield in a rainy night on horseback, although reluctantly, shows her willingness to pain herself for love. Her love to Mr. Bingley is true. Her reconciliation with Mr. Bingley after deciding to forget him clearly illustrates her deep feelings. Her marriage is one of the two successful marriages carried out in the novel. Through Lizzy’s words, Austen reveals her views on the best grounds for marriage. She says that ‘in spite of being a lover,’ Bingley’s hopes of happiness were ‘rationally founded,’ because of Jane’s ‘excellent understanding’ and their similar feelings and tastes. Jane Austen is aware that to be ‘in love’ is not enough; very often lovers’ feelings are mistaken. But when there is true love and the characters of the lovers are suited, then there is good chance of success in marriage. Mr. Bennet comments that couple is suited because they are both easy going.
Lydia, a good humoured, silly and ignorant girl is the youngest of Benne daughters, but the first to be married. She is much like her mother in her attitude. Her behaviour of walking to Meryton very often, flirting with officers and talking without any shame or embarrassment makes her grieve at her marriage later. She has no idea whatsoever what marriage really is. All she believes well is to attend balls, dance with many men and dress nice and near clothes. She doesn’t have patience or intelligence to think that if she continues in this way her future will not be bright. Like her mother, she also doesn’t have a mature mind. When Lydia comes to Longbourn after marriage she says: “when I went away, I am sure I had no more idea of being married till I came back again! Though I thought it would be very good fun if I was.” This shows she neither has taste nor has deep feelings. For her marriage is an affair which would give her ‘fun.’ Unfortunately she has mistaken. This also shows that she doesn’t care or bother about the efforts and hard time others have faced to compel Wickham to marry her (very much like her mother). The relationship between Lydia and Wickham is merely based on sexual attraction and as such is condemned by Jane Austen through Lizzy. Lydia’s attitude to marriage is very shallow. Lydia’s marriage is arranged under the most unhopeful circumstances. But the problems are obvious. Lack of true affection is paralleled by lack of money, and in effect, Wickham has been bribed to marry Lydia.
Mr. Wickham is a charming young man who has the ‘appearance’ of all the goodness. His view on matrimony is clear: he has no money for himself; he has had many gambling debts all over the country, so if ever he marries he has to marry a girl with fortune enough to resolve his gambling debts and to help in the married life. Under these circumstances his elopement with Lydia surprises the reader. His reason for elopement might have been just to entertain himself from the ignorance of Lydia, but not to marry her. He might have planned to take full advantage of her silliness. The marriage between him and Lydia will not be successful because first of all he was bribed to marry her; secondly they have no deep feelings other than physical attraction and thirdly their income will not be ample to keep them on, in future. At last this proved to be correct, for Lydia was overspending and had to ask help form Lizzy and others.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet, intelligent, lively and sensible second daughter of the Bennet family is the heroine of the novel. She shows the clearest head in the novel though being proud and piling up prejudices. Her views on marriages in the novel help her find a suitable husband. She believes in love of deep feelings. Her love to Darcy was formed by her feelings of gratitude to him. She studied his character, mostly from her Derbyshire trip and believed their match will be suited. From the marriages of Mr. Collins and Charlotte, Mr. Wickham and Lydia, and Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet she understands the positive and negative aspects of married life. Marrying for passion alone or marrying for money and social position alone is not wise and good. Her marriage eventually turns out to be a complete success. She has been proposed three times in the novel, two times by the same suitor, Mr. Darcy, and has admired two gentlemen, in which one turns out to be her brother-in-law.
Mr. Darcy is proud, reserved and handsome young man. He was captivated by Elizabeth’s beauty after the first meeting in which he considers her as ‘not handsome enough to tempt’ him. As a usual lover and hero he goes on admiring her for whatever she does. Then after her refusal for his proposal he realises his pride and prejudice and changes himself into a good humoured man. Then he keeps on helping Elizabeth, making sure that she realises how important he is to her. At last they marry and find long lasting contentment. He impresses Lizzy by his generosity and caring. At the beginning he felt in love with Lizzy for her beauty, but after his first proposal he tries to understand her and does it well. If he had wished, he could have married a girl better than Lizzy with better fortune, but he didn’t. This shows his deep feelings towards her and evidently promises the reader that his matrimony with Lizzy will be as happy and smooth as he has wished.
The novel starts with conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet about Mr. Bingley marrying one of their daughters and ends with the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy. The theme of marriage lies in the heart of the novel. The author distinguishes between successful and unsuccessful marriages through different marriages mentioned in the novel. Jane Austen clearly explains the role of money and social connections affecting the socially inferior class marriages. She also clearly reveals the husband hunting women at the seventeenth century as being foolish. Austen says that to make a marriage successful understanding between the couple is very important along with fortune connections, etc.
