Essay about Jane Austens Portrayal of Marriage in Pride...

Jane Austens Portrayal of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice Marriage plays an extremely important role in Jane Austens novel Pride and Prejudice. The novel begins with the sentence It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. This single sentence extremely significant in the fact that it is strongly connected with one of the main themes of the novel, and introduces a powerful irony that clashes with the events that unfold during the progress of the novel. In Jane Austens day, women of high status were almost entirely dependent on men. With the only means of employment available to them being a governess, most†¦show more content†¦However, Mrs Bennets insensitivity and pride in her daughters and towards her neighbours is seen as embarrassing, which creates problems in the lives of her daughters, especially the eldest, Jane, who is deceived by Mr Bingleys two haughty sisters. They see her as much beneath their brother and unsuitable for him, and later on in the novel try to separate them by drawing Mr Bingley away from Netherfield to London for the winter, and uniting efforts to increase the friendship between Mr Bingley and Mr Darcys sister, Georgiana, who has inherited a fortune. And so we are lead, by the authoress, to believe that the possession of wealth by both gentlemen and women in these times was important especially for marriage, yet there are many setbacks. Towards the middle of the novel, we become aware of the fact that wealth also sets barriers on marriage. An example of this is seen between Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet. Mr Bingleys sisters do not approve of Jane because of the differences in rank between them and her inferior connections, and Mr Darcy tried to preserve my friend (Mr Bingley) from a most unhappy connection.Show MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1211 Words   |  5 PagesJane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was greatly influenced by the time period in which it was written, This novel follows the story of Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they are faced with marriage proposals. The marriage and roles of women in this time period are shown throughout this story. During the time Austen was writing this novel, a woman ’s role for her family changed. Daughters started to become a way for their family to achieve more money. Because their family depended on this financialRead MoreFeminist Criticism Of Pride And Prejudice1220 Words   |  5 PagesA Truth Universally Acknowledged. A truth that should be universally acknowledged is that Pride and Prejudice is one of the best works of fiction in its category. Jane Austen’s nineteenth century novel has become one of the most popular works of English literature, with over twenty million copies sold and numerous film and television adaptations (Walsh). The novel falls under the category of nineteenth century English literature and proves successful in numerous criteria. The success of the novelRead MorePride and Prejudice Values Juxtaposed Letters to Alice1228 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Pride and Prejudice† and â€Å"Letters to Alice† contains many similarities yet some obvious differences even when considering the fact that they were written hundreds of years apart. Both texts provide strong perspectives on a variety of issues and are very blunt in their approach. The key issue throughout both novels is the ideology of marriage in the sense of whether one should marry for love or financial st ability and standing. Both novels are written in an epistolary format providing a differentRead MorePride and Prejudice: Exploring the Chasm Between Love and Marriage in Georgian England1675 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, is a novel which explores the huge chasm between love and marriage in Georgian England. Jane Austen’s presentation of passion and matrimony reiterates the fact that marriage is a â€Å"business arrangement†. Austen uses irony to make fun of polite society in this satire and Austen also emphasizes the point that social hierarchy dictates whom you can marry. The pressures of men and women in Georgian England are revealed through her exploration of the aristocracy’s prejudice againstRead MoreThe Austen Marriage1601 Words   |  7 PagesThe females in Pride and Prejudice have their moral values reflected in their marriage. They each have a predetermined standard – whether it is love or monetary gain, or superficial or complex – of what constitutes a marital relationship. According to Zimmerman, â€Å"the character from whose point of view much of the action is seen is Elizabeth† (67). She is either the one being married or is the one giving opinion on another’s marriage. Jane Austen utilizes Elizabeth as the crux of the plot’s movementRead More Class, Money, Pride and Happiness in Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen1721 Words   |  7 Pageson the wall† (VF 414). Marianne Dashwood of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility says that she â€Å"cannot be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own† (SS 15). Most importantly, Elizabeth Bennet of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice states that she would be happy with someone who â€Å"has no improper pride† and â€Å"is perfectly amiable† (PP 364). While all of these novels give a glimpse into the opinions of happiness, Pride and Prejudice delves into the nua nces of happiness, showingRead More In Want of a Wife: Jane Austen’s Reaction to Marriage1624 Words   |  7 Pagesmany different authors, male and female. Jane Austen was only one of many authors in that era, and one of the longest lasting; through her many novels, she shows various views on love and marriage. In Jane Austen’s critically acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice, Austen spares no character, male or female, in her criticism of the understood custom that the only route to happiness was marriage. Jane Austen never married which influenced her portrayal of marriage throughout many of her novels. EveryRead MoreNontraditional Women in Jane Austen ´s Pride and Prejudice Essay983 Words   |  4 Pages19th century, these women express attitudes that deviate from the typical stereotype. Pride and Prejudice offers Jane Austen’s take on the traditional 19th century woman through indirect characterization, tonal elements, and heavy satire and irony to portray the idea that flawed women (in the 19th century sense) hold the key to success. Charlotte Lucas, the rational, plain often overlooked character in Austen’s novel is one of these nontraditional women. She is older than many of the central charactersRead More Pride and Prejudice Essay: The Faults of Pride and Prejudice1751 Words   |  8 PagesThe Faults of Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we investigate the themes, characters and setting of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice in an effort to find faults of logic, we must first recognize that the entire work is a fault of logic because Austens world is a microcosm of one level of society, a level wherein everything and everyone turns out kindly, whether they be heroes or villains, rich or poor, or proud or prejudice.   This is because unlike conventional romantic novels, like WutheringRead MoreManners in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen3437 Words   |  14 Pages Pride and Prejudice Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice not only established her historical importance among scholars and critics, but continues to remain popular. Pride and Prejudice, a comedy of manners, was published in 1813, and is a staple of the English literature. It recreates the social world of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England and embodies the theme that preconceptions and egotism can overcome true love. Pride and Prejudice is somewhat autobiographical; emphasizes the key elements