The Longbourn estate is an extreme hardship on the Bennet family; it produces a hurdle in Mrs Bennet’s goal to get all of her children married. The entailment of Mr Bennet's estate leaves his daughters in a poor financial situation, which both requires them to marry and makes it more difficult for them to marry. It might be correct in assuming that Mrs Bennet felt social and financial pressure to get all of her children married. Her husband's estate was entailed to his nephew, Mr. Collins. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters to have financial stability elsewhere in case of their father's death. "If you go on refusing every offer of marriage, you will never get a husband -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead." In the time period of this story there was very little social acceptance of women who were single their whole lives. For the most part, women could not acquire money on their own without inheriting or marrying into good fortune. Austen promotes gender equality throughout the novel, and considers women’s inferior status to be socially unjust. Ironically, Mrs Bennet’s single-minded pursuit to get her daughters married tends to backfire, as her lack of social graces alienates the very people whom she tries desperately to attract. Austen uses her continually to highlight the necessity of marriage for young women. Mrs. Bennet also serves as a middle-class counterpoint to such upper-class snobs as Lady Catherine.
In the 19th century it was common for women to marry purely for money and for social status, this can be seen in Charlotte’s marriage to Collins. Charlotte’s marriage to Collins injects a grim note into the comedic presence of Collins’ character so far. Whereas Elizabeth is an idealist who will not marry solely for money, Charlotte, lacking a fortune, finds this opportunity too good to miss. I believe that Austen is showing the reader that marrying only for physical appearance is wrong - beauty fades with time. Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins for money. Charlotte accepts his proposal for the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment. Austen again uses this relationship to intensify the idea that marriage was a matter of business and not something that should involve emotion. By marrying Collins Charlotte has secured herself a sound financial background and a husband. “She accepted solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment.” Jane Austen strongly disagrees with marriages for these reasons although many women considered them practical at the time.
Austen, although showing how shallow some women can be, is also keen to show the idealistic relationships, which will lead to marriage. She does this using the Bennet sisters, especially Elizabeth and her relationship with Darcy. It is clear that the novel and Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship develop together. Austen hints that Elizabeth is a classic candidate of what a true wife should be. “Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia”. Austen creates a character that is not special in any particular way but is yet so perfect to fulfil the role of a wife. We see that she is well dressed, educated, and creative. It is these qualities that attract Darcy as well as Elizabeth’s apparent unwillingness to actually marry. Ultimately Elizabeth wants to marry for love. She turns down Mr Collins, even though he could have offered her a comfortable position in life and Mr Darcy, even with his fortune of £10 000 a year.
Austen uses different characters and their relationships to represent to the reader different aspects of marriage. Austen wants to create the perfect marriage but in doing this shows the reader that no marriage is perfect. She highlights how money and social status was far more desirable in the 19th century then true love and appreciation.