英语论文--浅谈《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻观

2016年12月6日

Contents

Abstract (3)

1.Introduction……………………………………………………

(3)

2.Historical

Background (4)

3.Views of

Marriages (4)

3.1 The marriage of Jane and Bingley (4)

3.2 The marriage of Lydia and Wickham (6)

3.3The marriage of Charlotte and Collins (7)

3.4 The marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy (7)

4. Views of the Author (8)

5. Conclusion (9)

6. Works sited (9)

A Brief Talk about Views of Marriage

in Pride and Prejudice

Abstract: Nowadays marriage means two loved individuals set up a relationship and forms a social combination of domestic relation between people. In this way, the couple can get together properly and legally. For the purpose of love without any other substances, people marry happily. However, I can realize different views of marriage among the young people in the book of Pride and Prejudice and by the way of reading it, I have deeper thought about marriage.

key words: marriage social status wealth family background

1.Introduction

Pride and Prejudice, taking the daily life for the material, reflects the real English countryside life and ways of the world in the condition of conservation and obstruction. By using the technique of writing of satire and humor, the work tells different kinds of personalities and life attitudes. The writer shows different views of marriage in the book. For them, marriage is sometimes equal to a business in which people can get what they are eager for except love. It seems that marriage cannot bring true love but materials. This book arouses my curiosity and lets us wonder which form of marriage can make happiness and suit ourselves.

Both in the west and in China, Pride and Prejudice has got great attention from the critics and many critics have commented it from sociohistorical aspect. Although some scholars analyzed Austen’s views

on marriage, the marriage should aim to make a deep analysis in order that we can completely understand the original views on marriage and add something new into the literary criticism of the great work of Jane Austen.

The young people have distinct attitudes towards marriage and choose their loved ones differently. People marry for different purposes, some for wealth, some for appearance, some for desire and some only for love. Exactly their attitudes towards a man to marry reflect their view of life. Through what kind of marriage they choose, we can judge the personalities on the people.

There are four couples getting married leaving me a great expression in this book but neither of them have same opinion for marriage. From their choice, we can easily see marriage means what for them. Love without romantics loses its own beautiful color as well.

2.Historical Background

The story happened at the end of 18th century and the start of 19th

century and was called First Impression at beginning. At that time, the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century made women’s liberation possible, which provided a good condition for Jane Austen to create the book. There is no possibility for female to fight for their freedom and equality before and this was a rare chance for them to voice in the public.

Besides, Economic Independence heightening made people start to care about humanity rather than the problem of food and clothing. More and more women have the right to accept education and realized that there is many unequal phenomenon in the society. The educated female began to turn to the liberation of women.

Traditional beliefs of social and family roles of men and women began to change. As more female were educated and able to work outside, the roles of husband and wife may change. Female gradually became independent and could earn money as male, which made them proud and at same time, they wonder why female should accept unequal treatment now that they were as excellent as male.

The pioneering women novelists such as Jane Austen broke out to a private world and entered into a public world. Female began to appear in the public and work on social contact just like male do. This made female more independent and realized that there is no need for female to attach to their husband. They can make a good living without the help of rich men and do the work by themselves.

Therefore, more and more female came out to voice for their rights of freedom, equality and liberation. The appearance of Pride and Prejudice is exactly suitable for the society then and got a real hit when it was published. It really attracted people’s eyes and arouse them to rethink about humanity.

3.1The marriage of Jane and Bingley

Jane，the eldest daughter of Mr.Bennet, is beautiful, good-natured and elegant, which seems to be a great attraction for Bingley. Meanwhile, Bingley is in possession of a great fortune as well as handsome appearance and modest attitude. The combination of the two young

people seems to be braw. However, their love is pure as we think? The answer is not of course. Although they fall in love with each other and get together, their marriage is set up on the appearance. There is no doubt that Jane is charming by her posture and behaviors, which draws the eyes of Mr.Darcy. After all, Jane lives in a family of developing a lady and her mother requires her to behave properly. His nice temperament sends forth from her body. Darcy, as a gentleman, has grown up in a wealthy family and become a young spark.

Both of them possess so many common virtues: They are good-tempered and modest. Besides, their love both depends on appearance in some way. As long as they get older and the appearance changes a lot, the love can be everlasting? Everyone has a get-older day and when the day comes, the couple might be tired to each other and marriage may fall apart. They both have some weakness: Jane lacks strength and self-confidence and Bingley does not have his strong and determined disposition at all. It seems that the two youngers are similar to

each other themselves. But it is lucky that Jane and Bingley can always receive considerate and beneficial advice from Elizabeth and Darcy. Thanks to Elizabeth’s kindness, Jane can pull through difficulties when Bingley left. Fortunately Bingley eventually came back and met with Jane, they two were together again.

Nowadays our society has a phenomenon that young people are likely to choose those who look nice for their partners, which can be called “see the face of social”. There is no doubt that good look can feast others’ eyes. However, the true heart makes relationship stronger and deeper no matter how time flies. Just like a saying goes“A long journey proves the stamina of a horse and the passage of time tells the true from the false”! One’s heart can not be changed easily while their appearance changes in a short time as long as time goes.

Therefore, you are supposed to judge whether your personality is suitable to the other if you need to have a partner in your life. Don’t care about their appearance because the heart will not change. Interesting

souls meet with each other when their love comes and beautiful looks end up when time flies. Like an old Chinese saying goes “appearance is easy to old while heart is hard to change”.

The combination of Jane and Bingley is just like an enjoyable appreciation on their faces and falling love at first sight. We can’t say that this marriage is not timeless but this “love” based on appearance is terrifying. The result between Jane and Bingley remains a mystery to the reader and makes us wonder. Whether this marriage is suitable for young people at present in this society? Whether their marriage results from impulsion and sightless worship? Whether they would accompany a lifetime?

Can the love based on appearance be long? This is a question deserved to be considered in current society.

3.2The marriage of Lydia and Wickham

Lydia is a rude girl with full of impulsion and passion. To be honest, she is frivolous to things and eager for social contact when she

is a little girl of young age. She is likely to have contact with military officers in Meriton and proud of it. It is said that she is easily to be together with anyone if she is tantalized.

Therefore her love to Wickham is just like a business of flesh and sexual passion. Her love comes with hotness like a windstorm. When she firstly meets with Wickham, she is attracted by his handsome appearance. However, Wickham is a man without good morality and he is so lexual and mean. This kind of man can be said “Satyr prodigal” and “speciosity”. Wickham has wanted to get together with Miss.Darcy and finally he failed. Therefore he turns to Lydia, the babyish and foolish girl. Their elopement is really a shame for the family of Mr.Bennet. Luckily they get the help of Mr.Darcy and can live by their own due to his kindness of a great fortune.

The combination of Lydia and Wickham is just a marriage with lust and out of exploration to heterosexual feeling. Their elopement can be regarded as an immature behavior and it is amusing for all of

us in their marriage. Their marriage is set up without any based on love, which can be said unpractical.

The same point between the couple is that both of them like to squander without any control. Never considering the life of future, the postnuptial marriage is bound to be tough. Wickham gets what he wants—wealth under the help of Darcy and Lydia gets what she wants as well—satisfaction of erotic feeling from Wickham. The marriage is “best” for both of them.

There are many other couples like them. The couples are just like kids themselves and they are not able to bring up a baby by themselves. It is a behavior without any responsibility and obligation. You can see many people get married at a young age and soon they divorce unfortunately, which makes the old generation feel curious and shocked. I wonder why it happens commonly. As a matter of fact, the young people are so young that they can not afford to set up a sense of responsibility to others, such as their parents, loved ones,

workmates and strangers. Grown up in a white-headed family, the

young generation tends to be self-centered and selfish, which is no benefit for them to live in a society of helping each other when they are adults.

When you are likely to marry to someone, please consider what duties you shall have to do and what can you give to the other and don not ask for getting all the time. This is important in a marriage to

balance. (Li Dapeng, 2015: 2)

3.3The marriage of Charlotte and Collins

Charlotte is a mundane woman without wealth or charming appearance. However she is full of “wisdom” and she thinks the marriage is happy or not depends on an opportunity you seize. Out of realistic consideration, she regards the marriage as a deal. When she meets with Collins at first, she does not like him at all. Charlotte praises that Collins is handsome and wise while she knows he is foolish in her eyes. Collins will come into a fortune of Mr.Bennet and he is a wealthy man soon,

which makes Charlotte want to marry him.

As a matter of fact, family background and social class are matched for marriage nowadays. Someone is forced to marry to a rich man but she does not love him at all. Some couples are broken up due to one’s being as poor as a church mouse. Can this kind of marriage make couples happy? I’m afraid not.

For some poor girls, they are used to making a short and uptight living and eager to escape from present situation. Therefore, happiness means having a great deal of money and they would like to marry a rich man rather than a loved one instead. In the words of people now, “bread” and “love” are difficult to choose. In this society with full of materials and people are more likely to pay attention to exterior conditions. They are not certain whether they would get happiness or comfortability in the marriage but this is the only chance for them to get away from poverty, which arouses others’ sympathy and resonance.

We can not easily say the girls’ choices are true or false, we can not