How does Jane Austen present different attitudes towards marriage in the novel Pride and Prejudice?

A major sort of marriage occurs in the novel and it is the one concerning marrying outside your social class. This is demonstrated by Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal towards Elizabeth; families would take very dramatic actions to stop a male member from making this mistake, because it would not do any good for the family. This particular action is shown by Lady Catherine who doesn’t want her nephew to marry some one of a lower class and she therefore pays Elizabeth a visit.

At the beginning of the novel Mr Darcy comes across as a self-absorbed aristocrat who would not dream of talking to anyone which was of a lesser economic status. Each character in the novel has their own view on marriage, but they are kept the same where as Mr Darcy has different views on marriage for different people; the first one being his sister, Georgiana and Mr Wickham. Darcy is very protective of his sister and was highly annoyed at Mr Wickham as he had had made a play for her only because he knew that Georgiana was high in society and had a substantial amount of money for a woman. In Mr Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth he says ‘’I heard little of him; but on the decease of the incumbent of the living which he has been designed for, he applied to me again by letter for the presentation.’’ This shows that Mr Wickham only goes where the money is and when Mr Darcy refused to give him any he went away. His view changes again when Mr Bingley finds himself falling in love with Jane. From the way Mr Darcy convinced Mr Bingley never to marry Jane at the start of the book, we can gather that the family was not viewed highly and regardless of love, beauty and companionship, the social status of a family influences Mr Darcy in his attitude towards marriage and women. He openly admitted to Mr Bingley that when he saw him and Jane together he believed that “her heart was not likely to be easily touched,’’ and he states that his decisions are not usually judged by “hopes or fears.”

However Darcy soon realises that he is falling in love with Elizabeth Bennet despite her place in society. Elizabeth also believes in marrying for love but the first time Darcy proposes to her she shows no feeling for him. This is understandable as he shows utter arrogance at the Meryton Ball when he snobbishly speaks about Elizabeth saying that she was “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with her but he makes it clear that no woman in the room was worthy or met his standards of a suitable partner; he shows this by saying “there is not another woman in this room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.” When he realises he’s in love with Elizabeth and proposes to her the first thing he says is “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” This straight away shows that he is in love with her and has put aside there so very different places in society. When Elizabeth refuses his proposal he shows some true feelings on his attitude towards marriage by saying “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connection? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?’’ This shows just how much he looks at the woman’s family’s position in society. Darcy also goes on to say “towards him I have been kinder than towards myself.” The ‘him’ he is referring to is Mr Bingley, and he is saying that he has treated his friend kindly by keeping him and Jane apart so that his position in society wouldn’t slip, yet he hasn’t and can’t do the same for himself due to the feelings he has towards her. Mr Darcy shows a lot of love towards Elizabeth which means she must mean a lot to him, he shows this when he writes his letter to her in which he says “the utmost force and passion” made him put aside all of his objections he had against his union with her.