The novel is introduced with evidence that marriage is to be an imperative theme. The significance to Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the women in their society of the arrival of Mr. Bingley, “a young man of large fortune”(pg. 5), depicts the importance of wealth and status to women wanting a husband. Mrs. Bennet is established as a “woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper…the business of her life was to get her daughters married.” Mrs. Bennet is noisy and foolish and is only consumed by the desire to get her daughters married. Austen uses her to continually highlight the necessity of marriage for young women since Mrs.Bennet seems to care about nothing else.
Ironically, Mr. Bennet seems almost the opposite of Mrs. Bennet. He is introduced as someone who cares about his image in society and is an “odd mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice”(pg. 7), not so much concerned with the marriage of his daughters. He is a man driven to exasperation by his ridiculous wife. Austen depicts Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s matrimony as the ultimate “foolish” marriage. “The experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.” (pg. 7) Mr. Bennet reacts by withdrawing from the family and poking fun at his wife. He prefers Lizzy only because she is the most “intelligent” of the family, while Mrs. Bennet disagrees, “how can you abuse your own children in such a way?” According to Austen’s presentation, marriage within a class therefore does not always turn out the right way, and could be considered by some as merely a matter of chance.
The character of Charlotte brings in a pragmatic approach to love and marriage, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the disposition of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least…it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”(pg. 22) Austen brings her in the novel to confirm that in their society, there were a variety of attitudes towards love. Charlotte does not view love as the most vital component of a “good” marriage. Instead, she wants the couple to be the least acquainted with each other so they are not able to see each other’s defects.
As the story progresses, Austen emphasizes the idea that if someone was “rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in habit of spending more then they ought, and of associating with people of rank; then they were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others.” (pg. 16) Money, education and high status therefore could excuse conceitedness, haughtiness and pride. So, for women of that time, the qualities of opulence, a good educational background, and high status would prevail pride and prejudice.
