Pride & Prejudice
How does is the theme of marriage presented in Jane Austen’s novel Pride & Prejudice?
By Annabelle Sykes
Jane Austen introduces the theme of marriage from the very start of the novel with the famous opening line – ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’ This distinctly sarcastic line shows how Austen uses irony to mask her personal view on marriage, as there can be nothing ‘universally acknowledged’ about anything. She also establishes the inevitable connection between money and marriage that is commented on throughout the novel. The underlying truth in the quote, however, is the fact that in the 19th century society that Austen lived in, money, not love inspired women to marry. Economic problems were particulary acute for women and they were often forced to marry, as spinsterhood was not only socially unacceptable but would also leave them impoverished. For these women, earning a decent income of their own was not a viable option. 19th century women, however high up on the social ladder, were near powerless and relied completely on their husbands and male relatives.
To understand the novel, knowledge of the social background of the time is essential. In the 19th century, estates such as Mr Bennet’s were entailed. This means that if Mr Bennet were to die, his estate will pass to his nearest male heir –Mr Collins. This leaves his wife and daughters with nothing and they are left to find their way out of this crippling situation- often the wife of the deceased husband would have to find a generous male relative and the daughters will be married off quickly . This is the financial and historical reality which lies beneath Austen’s narrative and it also can explain Mrs Bennet’s desperate need to marry off her daughters. Opportunities to meet and talk to men were very limited at the time and socialising was normally done at parties and balls. These events were taken very seriously, with girls having rare chances to speak, and hopefully dance, with men.
Marriage is a central theme in Pride and Prejudice and Austen takes care to show the reader the different aspects of married life. Both Elizabeth and Jane have happy endings to their romances but some marriages presented in the novel have various problems. For example in her description of the Bennets’ marriage Austen offers a clear criticism of a typical 19th century relationship. The Bennets, in their middle age, seem to just exist in the same house and for Mr Bennet ‘the experience of three and twenty years’ was ‘insufficient to make his wife understand his character.’ Their lack of similar interests and respect for each other has not only damaged both husband and wife, but their children too. This is shown in the wildness and socially unacceptable behaviour of Lydia, who is presented in the book as her mother’s daughter. Mrs Bennet’s motivations for her own marriage were no doubt the same as those with which she desperately pursues husbands for her daughters. For a woman to avoid the horrors of spinsterhood and poverty a husband with money and ideally some attractiveness is the only way out. We can see the strength of her feelings in her response to Elizabeth’s rejection of the odious Mr Collins. She has learnt nothing from the failure of her own marriage and feels impelled to force her daughters into unions that will prove as unsatisfactory as, or worse, than her own. It is clear whose side of the argument Austen is on when she describes Mrs Bennet as ‘a woman of mean understanding, little information and uncertain temper.’ Mr Bennet has a greater understanding and empathy for others however. Although he had foolishly married Mrs Bennet for her ‘youth and beauty’, and ‘that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give’, he now realises that to marry someone for their beauty is foolish, as it fades and that there must be more than shallow attraction if a marriage is to be happy. Mr Bennet hopes for greater happiness for Elizabeth - saying that if she marries Mr Collins he will ‘never see her again’. Mr Bennet may have given up on Kitty and Lydia who have been corrupted beyond repair by Mrs Bennet’s desperation but he is unconventional his caring for Elizabeth, his oldest daughters, happiness. This is clear when Mr Darcy is first suggested for Elizabeth and he scornfully says ‘Mr Darcy, who never looks at any woman but to see and blemish and who probably never looked at you in his life!’ Elizabeth’s clear sightedness and critical judgment may have stemmed from the disaster of her parents’ married state and leads to her refusing Mr Collins – nothing could bribe her to be untruthful about her moral values in exchange for economic security. This mature attitude also complements the theory of Austen using Elizabeth as a mouthpiece for her own views on 19th century society.
