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Love and Marriage is a recurring theme in Pride and Prejudice. Many different opinions are expressed in this novel, and it may help us to know just a little about the time in which this novel was written.
Jane Austen wrote this book in the 19th century. By then, arranged marriages were already archaic and women had more freedom regarding whom they would marry. However, did they really have a choice? Even in Austen’s time, it was quite common for women to marry for social security and materialistic comfort. Marriage was seen universally as almost entirely a business transaction, with each party taking full advantage of the other. Most people did not have the luxury of marrying for love, and it was rare for someone to do so unless they were already financially secure.
Charlotte Lucas, for example, is very practical in her views of marriage. She wishes to marry simply for the sake of marrying, as she was considered an old spinster before she married Mr. Collins, and feared that she would never marry and would forever remain a financial burden on her parents. Of course, she also marries Mr. Collins to boost her social standing, not least because he will inherit Longbourne at the death of Mr. Bennet, since the estate is entailed. However, when Elizabeth visits charlotte in Kent after her marriage to Mr. Collins, she finds that Charlotte has manipulated the rooms and even her lifestyle so as to see as little of her insufferable husband as possible. The reader, at this point, asks themself if happiness is truly worth giving away for security and worldly gain.
Jane Bennet, on the other hand, believes in marrying for love, which she delicately terms “affection.” She is a gentle soul who thinks well of nearly everyone, and is shyly taken with Mr. Bingley. Her mother tries her best to encourage this blossoming affection, as marriage to Mr. Bingley will grant Jane permanent financial stability. Also, marrying him would see her settled at Netherfield, which her mother likes the idea of, as it is very close to home. However, Jane prefers to think that she is marrying him for love, and love alone, and that she is blind to his riches.
Mr. Bennet, however, is firm in his opinion. He steadfastly believes that a marriage can never truly function properly if the couple in question do not hold each other in high regard, and do not have much respect for each other. He also feels that one must marry their intellectual match. He married Mrs. Bennet when they were both young, because he was mesmerised by her charm; however, shortly after their marriage, he decided there was not much else to her besides her looks. He then decided to amuse himself for the rest of his married days by burying himself in his books and making witty, sarcastic remarks that Mrs. Bennet, try as she might, could not understand – much to the reader’s amusement. He does not believe that riches alone will suffice to make a marriage run smoothly, for he tells his daughter Elizabeth, ‘… I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband.’
The theme of love and marriage is critical in Austen’s novel, and in it she addresses the different opinions people have about it. However, she also stresses that many women married for money rather than love, and the reader is left to decide if happiness is truly worth sacrificing for the sake of worldly comfort.
