傲慢与偏见中关于婚姻的论文

On the Marriage of Pride and Prejudice

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Date: June 7th ,2013

Abstract

This paper focus on the marriage in Pride and Prejudice, it mainly introduces E lizabeth’s views about marriage, which indirectly reflect the author’s attitude. It also concentrates on how affection, money and class influent people to choose their own marriage. Some people may think that marriage can provide a person with an opportunity to be a nobleman or to get away from poverty. Money and social position are closely related to their decision of marital partners. However, If marriage is a castle, the person like Darcy and Elizabeth would like to get rid of pride and prejudice for each other and ultimately are willing to be trapped in such a city. I’m glad to say that the power of love is great, but it doesn’t blind them to imperfection. Just like Jane said:”…Do anything rather than marry without affection…”in Pride and Prejudice, and “…Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection…”Letter to her niece Fanny Knight, 18 November 1814，The Letters of Jane Austen.

Key words:marriage; money; affection; sense

1.Introduction

Jane Austen’s novels are witty, warm and ironic portraits of the privileged classes of 18th- and 19th-century England. Pride and Prejudice follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality,eduction , and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London. She mostly takes after her father, sharing his keen wit and occasionally sarcastic outlook. The youngest, Lydia, mostly takes after Mrs. Bennet is a woman somewhat lacking in social graces and primarily concerned with her family's fortunes, and their five daughters. The eldest, Jane, is kind-hearted and proper; and the central character. Charlotte is Elizabeth's friend who, at 27 years old, fears becoming a burden to her family and therefore agrees to marry Mr. Collins, whom she does not love, to gain financial security. The novel are mainly talking about their marriage.

The opening line of the novel announces: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. This sets the marriage motif of the novel. It turns out that rather than the man being in want of a wife, the woman is in want of a husband who is "in possession of good fortune". Many critics take the novel's title as a starting point when analyzing the major themes of Pride and Prejudice; however, Robert Fox cautions against reading too much into the title because commercial factors may have played a role in its selection. Both Elizabeth and Darcy display pride and prejudice."

A major theme in much of Austen's work is the importance of environment and upbringing on the development of young people's character and morality. Social standing and wealth are not necessarily advantages in her world, and a further theme common to Jane Austen's work is ineffectual parents. In Pride and Prejudice, the failure of Mr. and Mrs. Bonnet as parents is blamed for Lydia's lack of moral

judgment; Darcy, on the other hand, has been taught to be principled and scrupulously honorable, but he is also proud and overbearing. Kitty, rescued from Lydia's bad influence and spending more time with her older sisters after they marry, is said to improve greatly in their superior society.

Charlotte Lucas, Lydia Bonnet, Jane Bonnet and Elizabeth Bonnet get married to men that are sufficiently appropriate for each of them. Marriage becomes an economic rather than social activity. In the case of Charlotte, the seeming success of the marriage lies in the comfortable economy of their household. The relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Bonnet serves to illustrate all that a marriage relationship should not be. Elizabeth and Darcy marry each other on equal terms after breaking each other's 'pride' and 'prejudice' and Austen clearly leaves the reader with the impression that the two will be the happiest. On the one hand, Money plays a key role in the marriage market, not just for the young ladies who wish to secure a husband as rich as they can, but also for men who wish to marry a woman of means. Two examples are George Wickham, who tried to elope with Miss Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Marrying a woman of a rich family also ensures a linkage to a high family as is visible in the desire of Bingley sisters to get their brother married to Miss Darcy. On the other hand, Much of the pride and prejudice in the novel exists because of class divisions. Darcy's first impressions on Elizabeth are colored by his snobbery. He cannot bring himself to love Elizabeth or at least acknowledge his love for her even in his own heart because of his pride. His first proposal clearly reflects this attitude: "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."Also, Elizabeth quickly believes Wickham's account of Darcy because of her prejudice against him.

2.Four marriage s

2.1 The most realistic marriage —Charlotte’s marriage

Mr. Collins, a clergyman, pays a visit to the Bonnets. Mr. Bonnet and Elizabeth are much amused by his obsequious veneration of his employer, the noble Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as well as by his self-important and pedantic nature. Mr. Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who refuses him, much to her mother's distress. Mr. Collins recovers and promptly becomes engaged to Elizabeth's close friend Charlotte Lucas, a homely woman with few prospects.

Charlotte is Elizabeth's best friend, but they have different beliefs on marriage."Although Charlotte is a well-educated girl but she doesn't have much property.She isn't as beautiful as other girls. She realize that marriage isn't equal with happiness, but it is inherently like a safe to a woman". To get financial guarantees of security, opportunity really rare, we must cache it quickly,it is almost irrelevant about what kind of person the man was". As an already 27 years old woman, her choice of marriage is entirely out of realistic consideration. When she first met Collins, she saw his folly, and when he asked her to marry him, she also clearly know "Collins's certainly not a reasonable person, and do not let people like", but she still accepts the proposal. Marriage for them is a task or deal: Charlotte just wants to get a rich husband, thus she can have the economic security, and Mr. Collin gets a wife.

2.2 The most ridiculous marriage —Lydia’s marriage

Bennett's daughter Lydia is a simple, frivolous and vanity girl. Her feelings always kept fluctuating, wavering. Wickham is a handsome appearance, actual moral corruption, very luxury, and treachery. First he deceived Darcy’s sister, then he came across Elizabeth, and last unexpectedly married Lydia.

Lydia and Wickham is extremely a absurd combination. Their relationship is completely built on lust and appearance. With the help of Darcy, they eventually have a conditional marriage. But Wickham’s interest for Lydia soon died out. However, Lydia and Wickham also got what they want from marriage: Lydia got her lover and Wickham got wealth.

2.3 The most happy marriage —Jane’s marriage

Among all the marriages in this novel, the combination of pleasant Bingley and mild Jane is the most blessed and happy one. The couple has similar interests and they insisted in pursuing their true love, which leads them to a happy marriage.

Charles Bingley is a handsome, good-natured, and wealthy young gentleman of 23, who rents Netherfield Park near Longhorn. He is contrasted with his friend Mr. Darcy as being more kind and more charming and having more generally pleasing manners, although not quite so clever. He lacks resolve and is easily influenced by others. Jane Bonnet is the eldest Bonnet sister. Twenty-two years old when the novel begins, she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighborhood. Her character is contrasted with Elizabeth's as sweeter, shyer, and equally sensible, but not as clever; her most notable trait is a desire to see only the good in others.

At the first ball at Nether field, Mr. Bingley fell in love with Jane and their romance flourished quietly and steadily. His affection toward Jane was obviously sincere and unaffected. It was obvious that when Jane suffered a trifling cold, he was worried about her. It is not difficult for the readers to find Bingle y’s real concern and affection toward Jane from these details. Jane grows to be in love with Mr. Bingley. Throughout the novel she is hurt by Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley's best friend, as Mr. Darcy feels their love is not equal and he doesn't want to see Bingley get hurt by Jane. After Bingley’s departure, Jane suffered great distress. She was very depressed. But because of the defect of her character, she pretended to be all right and said nothing about her sadness. Here, readers can find that her weakness and obedience had been thoroughly exposed. Thanks to Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy realizes his wrong doing in judging Jane to be so faulty and brings back Bingley who then marries Jane. Jane is the second Bonnet to marry.

Just as the old saying , “Birds of a feather flock together, people of a mind fill into the same group.” Bingley and Jane have similar interests which are the basic

factors of a successful and happy marriage. However, their marriage have risk if they don’t get rid of the weakness in their character.

2.4 The most admirable marriage —Elizabeth’s marriage

Elizabeth Bonnet is the second of the Bonnet daughters, she is twenty years old and is intelligent, lively, attractive and witty but with a tendency to judge on first impression (the "prejudice" of the title) and perhaps to be a little selective of the evidence upon which she bases her judgments. As the plot begins, her closest relationships are with her father; her sister, Jane; her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner; and her best friend, Charlotte Lucas. As the story progresses, so does her relationship with Mr. Darcy. The course of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is ultimately decided when Darcy overcomes his pride, and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, leading to them both to surrender to the love they have for each other.

Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is twenty-eight years old and unmarried, He is also the wealthy owner of the famous family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire, and is rumored to be worth at least ten thousand pounds a year. Handsome, tall, and intelligent, but rather antisocial, his aloof decorum and rectitude are seen by many as an excessive pride. He makes a poor impression on strangers, such as the landed gentry of Meryton, but is valued by those who know him well. Throughout the progression of the plot, Darcy and Elizabeth are forced to be in each other's company, causing each character to see the other in a different light. At the end of the work, both overcome their differences and judgments to fall in love with each other

IV. Conclusion

As far as I concerned, Pride and Prejudice reflects the British sentiment of the end of 18th century and the early of 19th century under the circumstance of conservative，and tells us different ways and attitudes to the marriage. This reveals the author’s attitude toward marriage. And that is love and marriage based on money, property and social status is not perfect, and it is very stupid. "And we must

emphasize the importance of ideal marriage, meanwhile, oppose to love and marriage based on money or property". We must take the affection or love as the cornerstone of ideal marriage between male and female. Elizabeth was born in the family of squireen's, and loved by Darcy. Darcy proposes marriage to her in spite of their difference of the possession of property and social status, but is still refused by Elizabeth because of his pride. So if Darcy's pride still exists, there will be no love and even happy marriage between Elizabeth and him. So, we can conclude it is wrong to get married for property, money and social position, and getting married without considering that above-mentioned factors are unwise either. The truly happy marriage is based on love and sense.

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