Critical analysis of marriage and relationships in Pride and Prejudice

¶ … dialogues back ideas. Pride & Prejudice Austen. Relationship $ marriage. Begin.: "single man good fortune wife." Also, single, young women possess.

One of the most valued works of English Literature, Pride and Prejudice was issued in 1813 by British writer Jane Austen, and is considered both a romance story and a satire. An aesthetic reaction to contemporary pressures and constraints in the contextual setting of Regent England, the novel ventures an attempt to converge social status, marriage, and happiness by means of a love story which overcomes two major faults of character.

Austen begins her novel on a satirical tone with the alleged popular 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" (Austen 1), which hints at the moral and social lifestyle of the early nineteenth century, when great emphasis was put on class, reputation, marriage and prosperity. From a different point-of-view, the opening may be interpreted as foresight of a biased opinion disguised as universal truth. Far from a universal precept, this is a fine example on the author's use of free indirect style, a literary technique which renders one character's subjective view in the form of external judgment. Therefore, should the reader attribute these words to a certain character, it may be safe to assume that they belong to marriage-conscious Mrs. Bennet: "A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!'" (Austen 1)

Marriage serves many roles, as it stands not only for romantic union, but also for social appropriateness, financial stability, and means of putting an end to a conflict. Particularly, the interconnection between money and marriage in Austen's literary universe in general, and especially in Pride and Prejudice, might be frowned upon two centuries later.

However, it is worth observing that, even though for some characters (such as Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Collins) marriage is a business, in those times it would have been only sensible to give serious thought before making such a step, both as a man and as a woman. A suitable match had to be respectable in the eyes of society and to ensure the pair's future, through a satisfactory settlement with guaranteed income for all lifetime, as during the Regency people did not have health insurance, unemployment compensations or retirement pensions. As an illustrative example of this preoccupation, Mr. Collins has no reserves in offering his alleged concern at Elizabeth's refusal of his marriage proposal: "…if you take it into your head to go on refusing every offer of marriage in this way, you will never get a husband at all -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead. -- '" (Austen 87)

Austen's desire to make prosperity and romantic desire congruent materializes in the developing love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, two characters of discrepant social rank initially driven by pride and prejudice. All the other matches are secondary in importance and exist for the purpose of supporting, "or modifying the issues raised between hero and heroine" (Bloom 59).

Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice, is second of the five Bennet sisters and, in her father's words, "has something more of quickness than her sisters.'" (Austen 2). It is her perspective that the author most frequently covers throughout the novel. Ongoing dialogue portrays her as a lovely, clever, spirited woman of substance. Moreover, her rebuke of Collins' marriage proposal indicates that she is unwilling to put self-interest ahead of principles, as a marriage bereft of affection and respect constitutes a sacrifice of "every better feeling to worldly advantage" (Austen 96).

She stands out in the sense that her character and honesty dissociate from inherent middle-class predisposition towards mediocrity, doubtful manners or lack of education, but she also stands out through her virtuous pride and rush to pass judgment.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is the heir of a high-class, wealthy family, fully aware of his status and justifying his innate pride with "real superiority of mind" (Austen 43). After the characters' first acquaintance, Charlotte endorses Darcy's sense of distinction, deeming that he "has a right to be proud'" (Austen 13), whereas Mrs. Bennet resents his "high and so conceited" demeanor (Austen 9). His prejudice against lower society is also illustrated, in the way that he bears himself in their presence, "above his company, and above being pleased" (Austen 7). When Darcy finds himself increasingly attracted to Elizabeth he proposes in such a manner that capitalizes his loathing for Elizabeth's unsuitable "family obstacles" (Austen 145) instead of insisting on her qualities.

The evolution of Darcy and Elizabeth can be regarded as paramount, as the novel's title is forged on the interdependency of their relationship. Darcy and Elizabeth are fully mature by the time that they meet, yet if the focus fell solely on the effects of their encounters, it would seem that they bring out quite the opposite of each other. Elizabeth rushes to label Darcy's character, overlooks Wickham's drawbacks simply out of common aversion for the former, and at times exhibits spite: "I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine" (Austen 13). Equally, at the Meryton ball Darcy inappropriately rejects Bingley's suggestion that he dance with Elizabeth: "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men" (Austen 8). Later on, he blatantly scorns Mrs. Bennet and joins in the Bingley sisters' snobbish gossip about the lowly Bennets.

The reason for this impulsive display of prepossession and pride is total ignorance of each other's world: Liz stereotypes aristocrats as worthless snobs, and Darcy stereotypes tradesmen as distasteful. To illustrate this breach, Jane Austen introduces the approach and rejection pattern of courtship embodied by Darcy's unsuccessful dance invitation at each of formal encounters at Netherfield.