On Independence and Equality in Love and Marriage爱情和婚姻的自由与平等

爱情和婚姻的自由与平等――《傲慢与偏见》中两个婚姻的比较
张震
（武汉航海职业技术学院，湖北 武汉 430062）
On Independence and Equality in Love and Marriage
----A Comparative Study of Tow Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
ZHANG Zheng
(Wuhan Marine College, Hubei Wuhan 430062,China)
Abstract：Jane Austen is a great woman novelist in late 18th and early 19th century .The range of
her novels is narrow but deep.On the analysis of the two couples’marriages in Pride and Prejudice we find
that Elizabeth and Darcy are much happier than Lydia and Wickham. Elizabeth and Darcy not only are
independent in thought, personality and economy, but also are equal in their attitudes. All of these
determine that they will have a happy marriage. In the estate society, their statuses are not equal but they
can smash the bonds of tradition and can treat each other equally. Elizabeth desires independence and
equality strongly. It is a challenge to Darcy. After Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s proud proposal. Darcy receives
her challenge and they unite happily. However Lydia and Wickham are creations of capitalist society. They
are selfish and like seeking fame and wealth. Their marriage doesn’t have the foundation of independence
and equality. Lydia searches for moment enjoyment and Wickham hopes to gain fortune by marriage. They
marry with Darcy’s help,but live a dependent life, which needs the help of others. Thus the marriage with
the love of independence and equality is happy,which it is an eternal theme from time immemorial. It will
brighten all the couples’way, leading them to happiness.
Key Words：Independence；Equality；Love；Marriage
【CLC number】I106.4 【Document code】A 【Article ID】2160/SG(2006)01-0020-06
I Introduction
Jane Austen is an earliest and most important
woman novelist in English Literature. Different
from the style of Walter Scott’s fictions.She kept
her eyes steadily upon the people and incident
about her,and write about the small world she
lived in. “She was the founder of the novel which
deals with unimportant middle-class people and of
which there are many fine examples in later
English fiction.”(Wu 123) “She herself compared
her work to a fine engraving made upon a little
piece of ivory only two inches square.” (Liu 371)
Her master-piece Pride and Prejudice is just one
of this kinds of novels. “It is very thin plot , but
around it the authoress has woven vivid pictures of
the everyday life of simple country society.”(Liu
372)English novels describe marriage and family
in that society too much all long.But different
from the common novels,it reflects the life of
middle-class in capitalist society through the
description of marriage problem. “The British
Critic said that Pride and Prejudice was ‘far
superior to almost all the publications of the kind
which have come before us.”(Lefory 107) The
authoress Jane Austen descr

ibes four couples’
marriages mainly in it .Their attitudes towards
marriage are completely different.Through the life
of middle-class in the middle of 18th century ,the
four couples’joys and sorrows affect me,especially
Elizabeth and Darcy, Lydia and Wickham.They
are more representative than the others. So I
choose two couples to compare.
第1 期 张震 On independence and equality in love and marriage ?21?
The heroin Elizabeth is intelligent, lively and
humor.She has strong human dignity.She refuses
the proposal of Collins who is rich but she don’t
love, refuses steadily rich young noble Darcy’s
proposal because Elizabeth thinks Darcy is
condescend and pride, she can’t bear. when
domineering Lady Catherine wants to interfere
with the freedom of her marriage,she doesn’t
compromise and give the impression weakness.At
last Darcy’s false Pride is humbled and he helps
her family in secret.Elizabeth’s prejudice is
dissolved and she receives Darcy’s proposal.They
marry and life a happy life.
Lidia is uncontrolled,fearless.She enjoys
searching of the officers in Meryton. Wickham is
one of them.She can’t resist Wickham’s sweet
words and runs away with him.With Darcy’s help,
they marry formally, but they live a dependent life
of which always needs the help of others.On the
analysis of the two couples’marriages,I find that
Elizabeth and Darcy are much happier than Lydia
and Wickham,because the marriage between
Elizabeth and Darcy is based on independence and
equality, but the marriage between Lydia and
Wickham is not .Thus ,we can say the love of
independence and equality is the main melody in
happy marriage.
II A Comparative Analysis on the
Independence and Equality in the Two Couples’
Love and Marriage
From the studying of the two couples, it is not
difficult to find out that the marriage of Elizabeth
and Darcy is perfect because they possess
independence and equality. But Lydia and
Wickham doesn’t possess them .Let’s compare
with the two couples from two aspects :the love of
independence and equality in love and marriage.
1 Different Ways of Showing Independence
Elizabeth and Darcy are independent not only
in thought and personality ,but also in economy.
But Lydia and Wickham lack of independent
factors which the above mentions. Do you believe
what I said ? Now ,please continue to read.
1.1 In Thought
Elizabeth and Darcy are independent in thought
while Lydia and Wickham are not .Elizabeth
possesses the quality of strong reason and keen
observation. She has her own attitude towards
marriage. She knows the happy marriage should be
based on true love and should choose mate
carefully and seriously.(Yu 800)She ignores money
and refuses Collins’proposal.Collin is a priest .His
manner is serious and his behaviors are very formal,
and he is follower of the rich and powerful, He is
swell with pride when he is recommended to Lady
Catherine and then has a good house

, a large
enough income .He thinks it will surely succeed in
proposing to Elizabeth. But Elizabeth doesn’t like
him and says to him, “It is impossible for me to do
otherwise than refuse your proposal.” (Austen 78)
Elizabeth disagrees with her best friend Charlotte to
marry Collins for only seeking for material
enjoyment.She feels that“Charlotte the wife of Mr.
Collins, was a most humiliating picture!—And to
the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in
her esteem, was added the distressing conviction
that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably
happy in the lot she had chosen.”(Austen 90)
Elizabeth doesn’t only take a fancy to the
appearance of a man .She admires handsome
Wickham first .In the process of her observing and
understanding, she finds out that Wickham has only
empty appearance and fawns on rich ladies,
Wickham’s attention to her is over from then
on.She also disagrees with Lydia to seek for
moment enjoyment .After Lydia and Wickham
elope, She says to Lydia, “I don’t especially like
your way of getting husbands.”(Austen 223)
Elizabeth’s independence in thought is also
reflected in rejecting Darcy’s proud offer.She is an
independent woman and can’t endure Darcy’s pride
and looking down upon her family.She thinks that
both sides should love each other deeply.This is her
belief and never shakes .Darcy is independent in
thought, too. He has money and rank .He should
marry a girl who has the same condition. This is
what Miss Bingley and his aunt Lady Catherine
think.Miss Bingley tries the best way to win Darcy,
?22? 武汉航海（武汉航海职业技术学院学报） 第1 期
bu he still dislikes her and doesn’t marry https://www.360docs.net/doc/a82253842.html,dy
Catherine is a noble woman, and she has a very
large fortune .She deems that her daughter suits
him very much, Darcy and her daughter will unite
the two estates by marriage.But Darcy is not
interested in her.He loves Elizabeth , her charmful
appearance, intelligent and character. His
admiration to Elizabeth is prevented so much.
When Elizabeth goes to Mr Bringley’s on foot and
looks after her sister Jane .Bringley’s sisters make
fun of her and her family at the back. .Even Miss
Bingley says to Darcy, “I am afraid… that this
adventure has rather lessened your admiration for
her fine eyes.” (Austen 34 )But Darcy replies “Not
at all,…They are brightened by the exercise,”
(Austen 34)At Pemberley when Miss Bingley
notices that Darcy admires Elizabeth, she merely
intends to confuse Elizabeth and make her show
some feeling that may harm her in Darcy’s
opinion .But it affects nothing to Darcy . She
continues to criticize Elizabeth’s appearance,
behavior and dress. Darcy can no longer controls
himself and says. “For many months I have
considered her as one of the best looking women in
my acquaintance.”(Austen 191).His love to
Elizabeth is prevented by his sense of family status
too.He has torme

nted but with the effect of
Elizabeth he triumphs over himself and loves
Elizabath more.
On the other hand,Lydia lacks the independence.
Lydia is Elizabeth’s youngest sister.She is
empty-headed and idle.She always manages to
learn some news and searches the officers .She
doesn’t possess the quality of independence and is
easily tricked by a deceitful man .She only needs
encouragement to form an attachment to anybody.
Sometimes one officer has been her favorite and
sometimes another. It is the best proof that she runs
away with Wickham..However Wickham doesn’t
love her really and has no intention to marry her.
His enthusiasm is not stable and his thought is lack
of independence. Sometimes he loves good-looking
Elizabeth. Sometimes he seeks for rich Miss Marry
King and lures Darcy’s sister to flight with him for
revenging himself on Darcy.At last he runs away
with Lydia because he wants to escape from his
debts and leave Brighton with a woman companion.
Lydia and Wickham aren’t independent in thought
and easily drift with their own desire and tides.
1.2 In Personality
Elizabeth and Darcy are independent in
personality while Lydia and Wickham are not.
People’s thought determines their personality and
their personality reflects their thought. Elizabeth has
the sense of independence and she can resist all
outside interference.She withstands her monther’s
pressure and refuses Collins’proposal. When her
mother Mr.Bonnet knows Elizabeth refuse Collins,
she says , “I will never see her again.”(Austen 83)
She talks to Elizabeth again and again and tries by
turns to persuade her and threaten her. But Elizabeth
still insists her own idea. Elizabeth’s independent
personality also expresses that she isn’t fear of the
person who has much money and high rank.
Whenever Miss Bingley speaks to her with biting
sarcasm,she answers back sarcastically but proper
limit. She doesn’t compromise and give the
impression of weakness when Lady Catherine
observes Darcy wants to marry her and attempts to
interfere with the freedom of her marriage. She says,
“If Mr.Darcy is neither by honor nor inclination
confined to his cousin, why is not he to make
another choice? And if I am that choice, why may
not I accept him?(Austen 265)Lady Catherine
requests Elizabeth to promise never to become
engaged to Darcy.Elizabeth gives a categorical
answer, “I will make no promise of the kind.”
(Austen 266) Lady Catherine is seriously displeased
and leaves impolitely. Elizabeth makes no answer
and walks quietly into the house.Facing to Lady
Catherine’s threatened and impoliteness,she remains
calm,Isn’t it a good explanation that her personality
is independent?Darcy’s independent personality is
showed in this, too. After Lady Catherine’s
conversation with Elizabeth,she calls on him to tell
all about this. But with the opposite effect to that
which she intend, Darcy doesn’t obey his aunt’s
adv

ice, but comes to Longbourn and proposes her
第 1 期 张震 On independence and equality in love and marriage ?23?
again. Elizabeth is moved and receives his offer .It
is one of the most important reasons of which
Elizabeth and Darcy has independent personality
that they march to perfect marriage.
Lydia’s dependence in thought expresses her
dependence in personality. I have said before, Lydia
likes searching for officers. While there is an officer
in Meryton, she will be trying to attract him. When
the regiment is leaving Merytom in one week’s time,
she thinks it will not much matter what one wears.
What she does is for the officers whom she is
seeking for. She likes others’ highly appraise and is
vainglorious. She is very proud that she runs away
with Wickham and marries him before coming back.
She is afraid the villagers don’t know and put the
hand with the ring on the window frame of the
carriage on her way back home .For the satisfaction
of her vainglory,she doesn’t considers what she
does is unashamed . Can we say she is a woman
who possesses independent personality? Wickham
is just the same kind person who is lack of
independence.He always desires to unite to rich
family. He is seeking for enjoyment and lives a life
of idleness but never thinks of that he is poor. He is
in debt soon. He is idle and has no desire for
progress. He always attempts to get more money
from Darcy and lives under another’s roof. It is a
best proof that he and Lydia stay at Jane’s home
very long and has no attention to leave .As a person
they don’t have the foundational human dignity.
They are far from being human who have
independent personality.
1.3 In Economy
Elizabeth and Darcy are independent in
economy while Lydia and Wickham need the help
of others .Elizabeth shares a part of five thousand
pounds among her parents’inheritance.Darcy has
rich family property and ten thousand a year . After
they marry, they can support the family more
enough and frequently help Mr.and Mrs.Wickham.
Mention Lydia and Wickham,when they marry,
Lydia’s property is nearly as same as Elizabeth, as
her father says“ one hundred a year during my life
and fifty after I am gone.” (Austen 222)Wickham is
in debt. It is Darcy who helps him pay off the debts
and obtains a good position in the army, then gives
a thousand pounds to Lydia.When their marriage
starts, they aren’t independent in economy.Even
after they marry, they still ask for help. Elizabeth
frequently sends some relief from her own private
money ,and for Elizabeth’s sake,Darcy helped
Wickham. They always stay at Bingley’s family so
long that even Bingley’s good temper fails him. It’s
not praiseworthy to live such a dependent life.
2 Different Attitudes to the Idea of Equality
In the process of reading Pride and Prejudice, it
is not difficult for me to find out the two couples’
attitudes to the equality in love and marriage are
differe

nt. Let’s analyze the attitudes through the
following three aspects.
2.1 The Two Women’s Different Attitudes
The two women, Elizabeth and Lydia are
different between the attitudes to equality. Elizabeth
can’t receive Darcy’s proud proposal because he
doesn’t stand on the level of equality, while Lydia
only seeks for the moment enjoyment. “Elizabeth
believes that Darcy’s offer seems a charity more
than a request.”(Yu 800)Darcy’s words are not more
expressive on the subject of tenderness than of
pride. He expresses his sense of her inferiority
connections and his feeling that he was lowering
himself. He has no doubt that Elizabeth will give
him a favorable answer.But Elizabeth is stirred to
sense of insult by his language and is angry about
his confidence.She exposes his greatest pride and
selfishness,and bitterly attacks Darcy that he
separates Bingley from Elizabeth’s older sister Jane.
She emphasizes to Darcy, “You could not have
made me the offer of your hand in any possible way
that would have tempted me to accept it.…I felt that
you were the last man in the world whom I could
ever to prevailed on to marry.” (Austen 134) To be
a woman who has the sense of equality, she hopes
that she can be respected and has the equal right.
“She insists that if both sides stand on the level of
equality,they will gain the ture love.”(Yu 800)This
is a challenge to Darcy.On the contrary Lydia is
obviously an egoist .For her favorite she always
?24? 武汉航海（武汉航海职业技术学院学报） 第 1 期
determines to have her own way and scarcely
receive others’ advice, never considers others’
feeling.In her head she doesn’t have the spirit of
equality.She loves Wickham but she never probes
whether he loves her equally and runs away
carelessly with him only because of her moment
enjoyment.Let’s look at how Mrs. Gardiner Writes
to Elizabeth about Lydia’s elopement, “Darcy’s first
object with her, he acknowledged,had been to
persuade her to quit her present disgraceful
situation, and return to her friends as soon as they
could be prevailed on to receive her, offering his
assistance,as far as it would go. But he found Lydia
absolutely resolved on remaining where she was …
she wanted no help of his; she would not hear of
leaving Wickham.She was sure they should be
married some time or other, and it did not much
signify when.” (Austen 238)Can she think like this
if she is a woman who has the spirit of equality?
Remember that Wickham runs with her only
because of escaping from debts,not because of
marrying her at that time.
2.2 The Two Men’s Different Attitudes
Darcy respects Elizabeth’s idea of equality
while Wickham himself desires to be given fortune.
Facing Elizabeth’s strong requiring of equality,
Darcy receives the challenge.He scorns Elizabeth’s
relations no longer,even he can talk gentle and
equally with them. When Darcy meets Elizabeth a

t
Pemberly unexpectedly,he enters into conversation
with Mr.Gardiner, Elizabeth’s uncle,and asks
permission for his sister to call upon Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth tells him that Lydia has run away
with Wickham ,he doesn’t despise her but he can
conquer his own nature and bring about the
marriage by giving Wickham money .What he does
saves Mr.Bennets’face.He has done it for Elizabeth,
his beloved. His pride is humbled. He doesn’t
prevent Bingley marrying Jane. He starts to stand
on the level of equality to propose Elizabeth and he
succeeds. Compared with Darcy, Wickham doesn’t
have this kind of sense . Though Lydia loves
Wickham so deeply and even escapes with him,
Wickham had no intention to marry her and still
hopes to make his fortune by a good marriage in
some other place. It’s not equal for Lydia .Similar to
Lydia , Wickham only seeks for his desire and
scarcely cares for others even for character. But he
marries Lydia because he has extorted a big amount
of money from Darcy.Wickham and Lydia can’t
stand on the same lever of equality.
2.3 Their Attitudes to Treat Each Other After
Marriage
Elizabeth and Darcy treat each other equally
after marriage, while Lydia and Wickham don’t . Of
course Elizabeth and Darcy unite with the
foundation of equality. After their marriage they
mutually respect and love each.Even Gorgiana ,
Darcy’s sister often listens with astonishment at
Elizabeth’s lively, joking way of talking to her
brother. Darcy receives Elizabeth’s advice and
offers to end the quarrel between Lady Catherine
and him.Darcy respects Elizabeth’s relations too. He
still helps Wickham whom he doesn’t like only
because he is the husband of Elizabeth’s sister.But
Lydia stubbornly sticks to her own view to love
Wickham. Let’s look at how the novel describes,
“ Wickham’s affection for Lydia was just what
Elizabeth had expected it to be ---not equal to
Lydia’s for him.”(Austen 234) She guesses that their
running away together has been caused by the
strength of her love rather than by his.But “Lydia
was extremely fond of him .He was her dear
Wickham on every occasion No one was to be
compared with him . He did everything best in the
world .” (Austen 234)In Lydia’s eyes love is all her
pursuit except all the others including equality . In
Wickham’s eyes Lydia’s value is not herself but the
comfortable life that it depends on Lydia’s
brother–in-low. Their marriage isn’t based on
equality from the first to the end.
III Conclusion
While I analyze all the above mentioned, I feel
all the time that Jane Austen “creates the characters
which give her novels universal and lasting appeal.”
(Lefroy 5) I will never forget Elizabeth’s character
and Darcy’s sincere love. In the estate society, their
statuses are not equal but they can smash the bonds
第 1 期 张震 On independence and equality in love and marriage ?25?of tradition and can treat

equally each other as an
independent person. Finally they reach the bank of
ideal and live happy life .I have to say that with
independence and equality , people like Elizabeth
and Darcy will get happiness in marriage .On the
contrary, Lydia and Wickham is the creations of
capitalist society . They are selfish and like seeking
fame and wealth . Their marriage isn’t based on
independence and equality. They rack their brains to
dissolve their poor condition .They don’t work with
hands but swatch their hands to two sisters,Jane and
Elizabeth.They still want to persuade Darcy to make
their fortune .We can imagine that their life isn’t
very comfortable and the way of their life is ignored.
I alarm the people like Lydia and Wickham without
independence and equality will deserve themselves
in unhappy marriage .Thus , the love of
independence and equality is the most important
reason to gain happy marriage .This is an advanced
attitude towards marriage,which Jane Austen wants
to express.This kind of marriage breaks through the
bonds of tradition and becomes the example of all the couples in the estate society even to this day . It will be eternal theme and will brighten all the couples’ way, lending them to happines.
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